אחרי ה אלוקיכם תלכו

And Rabbi Chama the son of Rabbi Chanina said, "What is the meaning of the verse, 'After Hashem, your G-d, shall you walk (Deuteronomy 13:5)'? Is it possible for a man to walk after the divine presence? And isn't it already stated, 'For Hashem your G-d is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24)'? Rather, To follow the character traits of G-d. "Just as he clothes the naked, as it is written, 'And the Lord G-d made for Adam and his wife cloaks of leather, and he clothed them (Genesis 3:21);' so too you shall clothe the naked. The Holy One, Blessed be He, visited the sick, as it is written, 'And he appeared in Ailonei Mamrei [while Abraam was in pain] (Genesis 18:1);' so too you shall visit the sick. The Holy One, Blessed be He, comforted mourners, as it is written, 'And it was, after the death of Abraham, and G-d blessed his son Isaac (Genesis 25:11);' so too you shall comfort mourners. The Holy One, Blessed be He, buried the dead, as it is written, 'And he buried him in the valley (Deuteronomy 34:6);' so too, you shall bury the dead." "Cloaks of leather (alt. skin)-" [It is an argument of] Rav and Shmuel. One said, "Something that comes from leather." The other one said, "Something that the skin benefits from." Rabbi Simlai expounded, The Torah begins with loving-kindness and ends with loving kindness. It begins with loving kindness, as it is written (Genesis 3:21), "And God made for Adam and his wife coats of skin, and he dressed them." It ends with loving kindness, as it is written (Deuteronomy 34:6), and He buried him in a valley."

(5) After the LORD your God shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear, and His commandments shall ye keep, and unto His voice shall ye hearken, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave.

And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them.

And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor; and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

(1) ברא אלקים G-D [AS JUDGE] CREATED — It does not state 'ברא ה “Hashem (the Merciful One) created, because at first G-d intended to create it (the world) to be placed under the attribute (rule) of strict justice, but He realized that the world could not thus endure and therefore gave precedence to Divine Mercy and mixed it with Divine Justice. It is to this that what is written in (Bereishis 2:4) alludes — “In the day that the Hashem (mercy) G-d (justice) made earth and heaven”.

Hashem, G-d - [it is like] a king that has empty glasses. The king said, "If I put hot water into them, they will crack. If I put cold, they will become brittle." And what did the king do? He mixed the hot water with the cold and placed it in them and they held. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say, "If I create the world with the trait of mercy, its sins will be many; with the trait of strict justice, how will the world be able to stand!? But rather , behold I will will create it with the trait of strict justice and the trait of mercy, and if only it will stand - "Hashem (mercy), G-d (justice)."

Our rabbis taught: In three ways doing chessed is superior to tzedakah: tzedakah can be done only with one’s money, but chessed can be done with one’s person and one’s money. Tzedakah can be given only to the poor, but chessed can be done for both to the rich and the poor. Tzedakah can be given to the living only, chessed can be done both to the living and to the dead.