Musar su Proverbi 12:10

... And on this the Torah says (Exodus 13:7) "there will not be seen and there will not be found" - it will not be seen b'maaseh (in action) and will not be found b'machshava (in thought), rather one should anul it in his heart. The mitzvot have 3 categories: mitzvot of speech, of the heart and of action, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:14) "in your mouth and in your heart to do it". Comes the Torah (instructing us) to anul it in the heart, corresponding to the mitzvot which are dependent on the heart. Comes the 'kabbalah' (instructing us) to eradicate it from the house or to burn it, corresponding to the mitzvot of action. And to say 'kol chamira', corresponding to mitzvot of speech. In this way the 3 categories of mitzvot are fulfilled through the prohibition of chametz, teaching you that the prohibition of chametz incorporates all the mitzvot... Just as the 'kabbalah' comes (instructing us) to eradicate chametz and (livdok) to check the house in nooks and in cracks, so too we are obligated to search and check the chambers of our inner being for bad (machshavas) intentions and bad (hirhurim) thoughts. Just as bedikat chametz (checking for chametz) is not valid by sunlight, nor by moonlight, nor by the light of a torch, but only by the light of a candle, so too the bedikah (checking) of the yetzer hara must be by the light of the neshama (soul) which is called 'ner' (candle), this is what is written (Proverbs 20:27) "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man, which searches the chambers of one's inner being.

“Do not harden your heart and shut your hand” (Deuteronomy 15:7). We were warned with this to remove the trait of cruelty from our souls, and to plant delightful saplings in it - [namely] reliable mercy and kindnesses, as it is written (Deuteronomy 28:9), “and you shall walk in His ways.” And because it is possible not to shut his hand and to grace the poor person, but not in the way of mercy - like the matter that is written (Proverbs 12:10), “but the mercies of the wicked are cruelty” - therefore it is written, “Do not harden your heart.” And the punishment for cruelty is bad and bitter, as will be explained in the Gate of Cruelty (no longer extant), with God’s help. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 151b), “‘And He will show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you’ (Deuteronomy 13:18) - anyone who has compassion for the creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for the creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.”

I DO not find this quality among righteous or superior men. But it is (to be found) in him whose nature resembles that of a lion, for he is one who is never sated. These are the ones of whom it is said (Deut. xxviii. 50), "A nation of fierce countenance." Upon my soul, this is a wholly detestable quality, whether (its measure be) great or small. It comes into being when the spirit of wrath prevails over a man. This quality is exercised for the purpose of wreaking vengeance upon enemies. There is no harm in making use of it in this manner, although the intelligent man ought not endeavor to be avenged upon his enemies. For this is not befitting. Thus saith the sage (Prov. xxiv. 17), "Rejoice not when thy enemy falleth." To make use of it in order that one may do evil to his fellow-man, to kill him, or to lay hold of the possessions of one who has given no offence, is reprehensible. From such as these may God preserve me, for of their ilk, the Saint said (Ps. cxxiv., i and 3), "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say:" … "Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us." A proof that this quality is only found in the wicked is the expression (Prov. xii. 10), "But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." Plato, the author of the laws in regard to vengeance, said, "He who desires to be revenged upon his enemies should add (a degree of) excellence to himself."

But there is a kind of mercy that is worse than cruelty. For example, when one has mercy on the wicked and strengthens them. And there is a great stumbling block before the one who raises up the wicked and gives them his hand and abases and rejects the good, and on this it is said in the Torah: "Neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him" (Deut. 13:9). Nor shall one have mercy upon the poor in the course of a law suit, but judge the case fairly, as it is written: "Neither shall you favor a poor man in his cause" (Exodus 23:3), which means that he should not prevert justice because of sympathy with the poor man's distress. And there is mercy which is cruelty. For example, when one gives alms to a poor man and afterwards burdens the poor man by saying, "I gave you this and this; now you must do something for me and serve me just like all that I did for you." And of this type of mercy it is said : "The mercies of the wicked are cruel" (Prov. 12:10).

Cruelty is the opposite of Mercy as it is written: "They are cruel and have no compassion" (Jer. 50:42). And this trait of cruelty is not found in righteous people but in the souls of the wicked as it is written: "The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel" (Prov. 12:10). This quality is also found in the impudent as it is written: "An impudent nation that shall have no regard for the person of the old and show no mercy to the young" (Deut. 28:50). And you already know the evil of the trait of impudence. Go forth and learn the evil nature and the punishment of cruelty, for in the matter of the reward of a wicked man — rebellious and disobedient — it is said: "A rebellious man seeks only evil, therefore, a cruel messenger shall be sent against him" (Prov. 12:11). Every cruel person has no quality of kindness in his make up, even towards himself, as it is written: "The merciful man does kindness to his own soul, but he that is cruel troubles his own flesh" (Ibid. 11:17).

Even from an animal he must keep cruely far away, as it is written: "A righteous man knows the needs and capacity of his animal" (Prov. 12:10), so as not to burden it too much and not to let it hunger, and so it is written : "When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under his burden you shall restrain yourself from passing by; you shall surely work with him to release the animal" (Exod. 23:5). And our rabbis said: "The laws against causing pain to living creatures are from the Torah" (Baba Mezi'a 32b). And if you are a man who inspires fear, and the fear of you is upon other human beings so that they are afraid to refuse your requests, be very careful not to overburden them even by asking them to warm a flask of water or sending them on an errand to the market square to buy merely a loaf of bread. And on this subject it is said in the Torah: "But over your brothers the children of Israel you shall not rule one over another harshly" (Lev. 25:46). And as to this precept we have been warned that a man should not cause his companion to work at hard labor and not command him to anything unless he does it willingly and knowingly. A Canaanite slave may be directed to do hard labor, yet even in this latter case the pious way is to be merciful to him and not to make the yoke too heavy and not shame him, not by a blow and not by words, for Scripture has permitted you to receive his labor but not to shame him (Niddah 47a). And the master must speak quietly to his Canaanite slave even though there is a quarrel between them, and he must listen to his slave's complaints, and so did Job say: "If I did despise the cause of my man servant or of my maid servant when they contended with me — What then shall I do when God rises up and when He remembers some wrong He claims I did to a slave, what shall I answer him. Did not he that made me in the womb make him (the Canaanite slave) also? And did not the One fashion us (both) in the womb?" (Job 31:13-15).

And between this and that, he connects the Divine Presence to him in his meal, such that he bestows kindness on the poor one - as Hillel the Elder (Vayikra Rabbah 34:3) would say, "A righteous one should know the soul of his animal" (Proverbs 12:10). And this [should] be his intention in his meal, to bestow kindness to the animal soul and to connect it with the secret of nourishment.

One who shuts his eyes from an opportunity to give charity, it is as though he served idols (Kethuboth 68a). Such a man is called "worthless," "wicked," "merciless," and a "sinner." Worthless, as it is said, "Beware that there be not a base thought in thy heart, saying : 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand;' and thine eye be evil against thy needy brother, and thou give him nought" (Deut. 15:9). Merciless as it is written, "But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel" (Prov. 12:10). And he denies his lineage; he is not of the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they were merciful, but he is of the seed of the heathens who are cruel, as it is said, "They are cruel and have no compassion" (Jer. 50:42). And everyone who shows mercy, Heaven has mercy upon him (Shabbath 151b). As it is said, "… and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee" (Deut. 13:18).

Included in this matter is to not cause pain to any creature, even animals, and to show mercy and concern towards them. Likewise scripture states: "the righteous man knows the soul of his beast" (Mishlei 12:10) (Rashi-what his beast needs), and according to some of our sages (Shabbat 128b), to cause pain to an animal is a biblical prohibition, while to others it is at least a Rabbinical prohibition.

What a person needs to understand is that one should not judge the matters of Chasidut according to their superficial appearance. Rather, one must examine and contemplate the full extent of where the future consequences of the deed leads. For sometimes, the deed itself may appear to be good but since the consequences are evil one must abstain from it. For doing it would not have made him a Chasid but rather a sinner.

The second temple was likewise destroyed due to such incorrectly weighed Chasidut. In the story of Bar Kamtza (Gitin 56a): "the Rabbis thought to offer the blemished animal [of the emperor in order not to offend him]. Said Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas to them: 'people will say that blemished animals may be offered on the altar'. They then proposed to kill Bar Kamtza so that he should not go and inform against them, but Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas said to them: 'people will say one who makes a blemish on a consecrated animals is to be put to death'".