Filling the World with Kindness: Ben Yehoyada, Tishrei, and the Power of Tzedakah

Tzedakah is Central to the Month of Tishrei

The month of Tishrei is filled with awe, inspiration, and joy. From the Days of Awe on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the rejoicing of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, it is a season that embodies both din (judgment) and chesed (kindness). At its heart, Tishrei teaches us how to live in a world where divine judgment and divine compassion intermingle. It is no accident that the Sages placed tzedakah at the very center of this process. As we say in the Unetaneh Tokef prayer of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: “But repentance, prayer, and tzedakah avert the severity of the decree.”

One striking Talmudic passage that speaks to this is found in Sukkah 49b, where Rabbi Elazar declares:

“Anyone who performs tzedakah and mishpat is considered as though he filled the whole world with chesed, as it is stated: ‘אֹ֭הֵב צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט חֶ֥סֶד יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ’ ‘He loves charity and justice; the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord’ (Psalms 33:5). Lest you say that anyone who comes to leap and perform an act of kindness may simply leap and do so without scrutiny, the verse states: ‘מַה־יָּקָ֥ר חַסְדְּךָ֗ אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים וּבְנֵ֥י אָדָ֑ם בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ יֶחֱסָיֽוּן’ ‘How precious is Your kindness, O G-d’ (Psalms 36:8). It is a precious and rare occurrence to perform an act of kindness properly. One might have thought that even a G-d-fearing individual does not always encounter the opportunity to perform acts of kindness. Therefore, the verse states: ‘וְחֶ֤סֶד יְהֹוָ֨ה מֵעוֹלָ֣ם וְעַד־ע֭וֹלָם עַל־יְרֵאָ֑יו וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ לִבְנֵ֥י בָנִֽים’ ‘But the kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him’ (Psalms 103:17).”

The Ben Yehoyada—the brilliant commentary of the Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, 1835–1909)—offers a profound reading of this teaching. His interpretation opens a window into how tzedakah functions not only as a social obligation but as a metaphysical force that transforms judgment into kindness. When read in the context of Tishrei, his words help us understand why giving tzedakah is so central to this sacred month.

The Balance of Tzedakah and Mishpat

The Ben Yehoyada begins by noting a curious phrasing: Why does the first passuk speak of tzedakah (charity) together with mishpat (justice)? He explains with a parable about a wealthy man who was exceedingly generous to the poor, but in his own household he lived frugally. For example, he would not purchase fresh vegetables but only those left over from the previous day, ensuring that his family lived simply. In this way, the wealthy man gave tzedakah outwardly, while maintaining mishpat within his home.

This interpretation is more meaningful to us during Tishrei. The High Holidays call upon us to practice generosity toward others while also exercising restraint and fairness in our personal lives. It is easy to imagine someone who gives lavishly to public causes while neglecting the needs of their own family—or conversely, someone who spares no expense for themselves but ignores the poor at their gates. The Torah demands a harmony of both: tzedakah outward, mishpat inward.

Filling the World with Kindness

Ben Yehoyada then turns to the deeper mystical dimension of Rabbi Elazar’s statement: “It is as if he filled the entire world with kindness.” He explains that the word eretz (ארץ) in its full spelling (אל”ף רי”ש צד”י) contains a numerical value that corresponds to the five-fold repetition of the Divine Name Elokim. In Kabbalah, Elokim represents din—G-d’s attribute of strict judgment. By linking eretz with din, the Ben Yehoyada teaches that the very fabric of the earth is bound up with the forces of severity and restriction.

However, through the acts of tzedakah and mishpat, a person can sweeten the judgments, transforming the din of Elokim into chesed. This mystical transformation occurs because the numerical value of eretz (434) equals fourteen times the Divine Name Kel (31), which symbolizes chesed. Thus, when din is sweetened, the earth itself becomes saturated with kindness, fulfilling the verse: “The kindness of the Lord fills the earth.”

During Tishrei, this idea takes on immense significance. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are days of din, when the world stands in judgment before its Creator. Yet through tzedakah, along with prayer and repentance, we participate in the sweetening of these judgments. When we give generously, we are not only helping individuals—we are literally reshaping the spiritual balance of the world, filling the “earth” with G-d’s chesed.

The Preciousness of True Kindness

The Gemara continues: one might think that anyone can simply perform an act of kindness, “leaping” into it without reflection. But the verse from Psalms reminds us: “How precious is Your kindness, O G-d.” True chesed, says the Ben Yehoyada, is not cheap or superficial. It requires wisdom, sincerity, and the right intention. There is a great difference between giving for recognition or social pressure, and giving in order to bring divine kindness into the world.

This distinction is crucial in Tishrei, a time when we scrutinize our actions. A hurried check written in guilt may alleviate some responsibility, but the Talmud and Ben Yehoyada call us to something higher: a form of tzedakah that is precious, rare, and transformative. It is not just about the amount given, but the care with which it is given, ensuring that it uplifts the poor, honors the dignity of others, and brings blessing to one’s own household.

Tzedakah is Integrated into Tishrei

If we look at the festivals of Tishrei through the lens of this teaching, we   see that tzedakah is woven through them all:

• Rosh Hashanah is the day when all creatures pass before G-d in judgment. Our giving of tzedakah reflects our hope that G-d, too, will give us generously from His storehouses of mercy.
• Yom Kippur is the day of atonement, when we strip ourselves of indulgence and focus on spiritual repair. Acts of tzedakah extend our fasting beyond ourselves, ensuring that others’ hunger is relieved.
• Sukkot celebrates divine protection and abundance. The sukkah reminds us of our fragility, while the joy of the festival calls us to share what we have. The mitzvah of hospitality (hachnasat orchim), especially inviting guests—the ushpizin—into our sukkah, is itself a form of tzedakah.
• Simchat Torah culminates the season with rejoicing in the Torah, which the Ben Yehoyada himself connects to the sweetening of judgments. Torah and tzedakah together are the twin forces that fill the world with chesed.

Thus, tzedakah is not a side practice during Tishrei; it is the very lifeblood of the month, linking judgment and mercy, fear and joy, earth and heaven.

Everlasting Kindness

The Talmud concludes with a final reassurance: “But the kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him” (Psalms 103:17). Even if acts of kindness are rare and precious, those who live in reverence of G-d will always find themselves embraced by divine chesed. In other words, our giving does not operate in a vacuum; it connects us to an eternal chain of G-d’s kindness, flowing across generations.

In Tishrei, as we pray for life, blessing, and sustenance for the coming year, we are reminded that the channel of divine kindness is opened most fully through our own acts of tzedakah. When we give, we enter into a covenant of generosity that stretches “from everlasting to everlasting.”

The teaching of Rabbi Elazar, as illuminated by the Ben Yehoyada, reveals that tzedakah is not just a moral good but a metaphysical power. To give with justice and balance is to sweeten the judgments of the world and to fill the earth itself with divine kindness. Tishrei, the month of judgment and renewal, is the time when this truth resonates most strongly.

As we move through the cycle of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, the call of the chachamim is clear: to fill our homes with fairness, to extend our hands with generosity, and to recognize that every coin, every act, and every kindness has the potential to transform not just an individual life but the very destiny of the world.

In this way, the promise of King David is fulfilled: “The kindness of the Lord fills the earth.”