Midot HaYom: Day 1 – Chesed in Chesed

We find that Daniel, that precious man, engaged in acts of kindness all his life. What were the acts of kindness that Daniel did? He provided for a bride and rejoiced her heart, escorted the dead , gave a coin to a poor man, and prayed three times a day. And his prayer was received with favor, as it says, “When Daniel learned that the decree had been put in writing, he went home. He had windows made in his upper chamber facing Jerusalem, and three times a day he knelt down and prayed giving thanks before God, exactly as he used to before this.” (Daniel 6:11)

Daniel prayed as an act of kindness. He understood that true kindness is to connect people with the same basic life force that have and continues to give us all existence. Daniel prayed in order to connect all for whom he prayed to God, the Ultimate Source.

On this, the first of the 49 Days that raise us to the necessary level to merit Revelation on Shavuot, it is essential that we practice our prayer as Chesed, as connecting all of creation to its basic life force.

One should make an extra effort to pray for others.

One should pray as a kindness to God; to reconnect creation to its Source.

It is appropriate today to focus on all creations as an expression of God’s Chesed to us.