Story: In 47:29, Yaakov begs Yosef to do a ‘true kindness’ - to not bury Yaakov in Mitzrayim. Rashi explains this to mean that it’s a ‘true kindness’, because a Chesed done for someone dying is not expected to be repaid.
Lesson: From this we can learn the following: If Yosef - a busy king - did a Chesed for a person about to pass away, who can’t repay the kindness, then Kal V’Chomer one should do the same. And if one does a Chesed that will not be repaid, then he would obviously do a Chesed for which he should be repaid - because he gains from this. But, that should not be the reason for doing a Chesed. From Yosef we learn that even if someone can’t repay you - like Yaakov, who was about to die - you should do the Chesed, because that shouldn’t be your reason! If your reason to do a Chesed is because of the Mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel - not to get repaid - then obviously one will do a Chesed for anyone - living or dead. This is what Yosef did.
By Ari Shagalow.
