Chesed

In the majority of cases (149 times), the King James Bible (KJV) translation is mercy, following the Septuagint (LXX) eleos.

Only two instances of the noun in its negative sense are in the text, translated reproach in Proverbs 14:34, and wicked thing in Leviticus 20:17.

'be favourable to me, Elohim, as your chesed'): ἐλέησόν με ὁ θεός κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου (LXX) Miserere mei, Deus, secundum misericordiam tuam (Vulgate) "God, haue thou merci on me; bi thi greet merci."

[6][7][8] Political theorist Daniel Elazar has suggested that chesed cannot easily be translated into English, but that it means something like 'loving covenant obligation'.

The tannaic rabbi Simon the Just taught: "The world rests upon three things: Torah, service to God, and bestowing kindness" (Pirkei Avot 1:2).

[12] In Moses ben Jacob Cordovero's kabbalistic treatise Tomer Devorah, the following are actions undertaken in imitation of the qualities of chesed:[13] A person who embodies chesed is known as a chasid (hasid, חסיד), one who is faithful to the covenant and who goes "above and beyond that which is normally required"[14] and a number of groups throughout Jewish history which focus on going "above and beyond" have called themselves chasidim.

[15] They run multiple programs: daycare centres and health visitors/carers for the elderly and disabled (the latter equally available to people of non-Jewish ancestry with local government subsidies), crafts and arts societies, concerts, medical equipment rental for registered patients free or on small fees calculated from the size of the patient's pension, delivery of meals and grocery items to homestay patients, shopping subsidies for the poor, volunteer medical consulting, volunteer small repair of household items, assistance with documents processing to apply for compensation from Germany for Holocaust survivors.