Listed in the Torah as one of the non-kosher birds, the Chassida bird – ironically enough – gets its name because of its Chessed/kindness that it performs. So why exactly should this be a non-kosher bird? The last time I checked, Chessed was at the top of the list of good middos? What is the problem, exactly, with the Chassida?  

Rashi, quoting from the Talmud in Tractate Chullin 63a, says: וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ חֲסִידָה? שֶׁעוֹשָֹׁה חֲסִידוּת עִם חַבְרוֹתֶיהָ בִּמְזוֹנוֹת – Why is the white stork called Chassida? Because it deals kindly with its fellows in respect to food.  

The Chiddushei HaRim explains that the Chassida bird ONLY deals in kind with its own kind. And this, my friends, is where the Chassida bird goes wrong. It has a warped and twisted way of acting with the midda of Chessed. True, authentic, and meaningful Chessed is when it’s done for another person because that’s the right thing to do, regardless of some previous familial or friendly connection and association with that person. 

The Torah is educating us with an important life lesson, namely, the imperative nature of dealing in kind with others that may not be your kind. But he is strange! She is not my type! He dresses like this! She wears that! Guess what? G-d deals in kind with us, and we are no where close to His kind. We are not G-d; we are humans of flesh and blood. But that doesn’t stop G-d from loving us, caring for us, and providing us with tremendous Chessed every single day, as we say in the Shemonah Esrei prayer:   כי לא תמו חסדיך – for never ending are Your kindnesses! 

The Talmud in Tractate Kiddushin 33a tells us that Rabbi Yochanan himself would stand before gentile leaders. He said, “How many experiences have occurred to these individuals? It is appropriate to honor them, due to the wisdom they have garnered from their long lives.” 

Were these not-Jewish Aramean leaders Rabbi Yochanan’s “type”? Of course not. But that didn’t stop him from according them proper honor. 

The Talmud in Tractate Berachos 17a tells us that Abaye would say to take steps to increase peace with one’s brethren and with one’s relatives, and with all people, even with a non-Jew in the marketplace…and they said about Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai that no one ever preceded him in issuing a greeting, not even a non-Jew in the marketplace! 

We see from these great people an idealistic way to approach day to day Judaism: Respect other human beings, and deal kindly even to those who may not be your kind! 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l sums it up nicely: “The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference. Can I recognize God's image in someone who is not in my image, whose language, faith, ideal, are different from mine? If I cannot, then I have made God in my image instead of allowing him to remake me in his.”

Have a holy Shabbos!