Those little acts of kindness, those traditions that bind us together… sometimes, the answer is more surprising than you think. Let's talk about weddings, and a divine precedent for showing love to the happy couple.

Think about a wedding. What do we do? We celebrate. We offer blessings. We try to make the bride and groom feel special, cherished. But have you ever considered why? Where does this urge to bestow such loving-kindness come from?

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating text that weaves together biblical narrative with later traditions, gives us an answer that's both beautiful and a little audacious. It suggests that we learn how to treat a bride and groom from none other than God Himself!

Yes, you read that right. The text asks, "Whence do we learn of the service of loving-kindness for bridegrooms?" And its answer? "We learn (this) from the Holy One, blessed be He; for He Himself bestowed loving-kindness upon Adam and his help-mate."

Imagine the scene. Adam and Eve, the first couple. Freshly created, standing at the dawn of time. And God, instead of just leaving them to figure things out, decides to… throw them a wedding shower? Well, not exactly.

According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, God says to the ministering angels: "Come ye and let us show loving-kindness to Adam and his help-mate." God Himself descends, with his angelic entourage, to show chesed, loving-kindness, to the first couple.

Isn't that an incredible image?

Now, why would God do that? Was it just a nice gesture? Apparently, it's more than that. The text goes on to quote God as saying something truly profound: "More beloved unto Me is the service of loving-kindness than sacrifices and burnt-offering which Israel, in the future, will bring on the altar before Me, as it is said, 'For I desired love, and not sacrifice' (Hos. 6:6)."

Wow.

So, showing loving-kindness, performing chesed, is actually more important to God than ritual sacrifice? That’s a pretty strong statement. The prophet Hosea echoes this sentiment, reminding us that God desires love and not just empty ritual.

This passage reframes everything. It elevates acts of kindness – those seemingly small gestures of support and love – to the highest level of spiritual practice. It suggests that the most meaningful way to connect with the divine is not through grand gestures or elaborate ceremonies, but through genuine acts of chesed. the next time you're at a wedding, or offering a helping hand to someone in need. You're not just being nice. You are participating in a divine tradition, emulating God's own actions, and offering a form of "service" that is deeply meaningful. We are taught, through this ancient text, that offering chesed is, in a very real sense, what God wants from us most.