Cytowanie Komentarza do Przysłów 14:34

"and on acts of lovingkindness" As the matter that they said (Sukkah 49b), "Acts of lovingkindness are greater than charity (tsedekah); since lovingkindness is both with the poor and with the wealthy but charity is only with the poor. Great is lovingkindness since it is both with one's body and with one's money, but charity is only with one's money." And this is what they said, (Bava Batra 9a), "One who gives a small coin to a poor man is blessed in six ways and one who comforts him with words is blessed in eleven." And pertinent to acts of lovingkindness is to inspect the poor and to make a distinction between the good and the bad and to give preference to the modest and those that fear God over others who are not like them (even if we must give charity to all). And it is like Yirmiyahu, peace be upon him, stated (Jeremiah 18:23), "let them be made to stumble before You; act against them in Your hour of wrath!" - even in the time that they do charity, make them stumble that they should give it in the incorrect place. And acts of lovingkindness are even to the wealthy, to lend them money at a time when it is not found in their hand and to give them advice, as King Shlomo said, (Proverbs 27:9), "Oil and incense gladden the heart, but the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel." [This] is to say, just like oil and incense gladden the heart, so [too] does one 's friend become delighted by personal advice; and when he gives him good advice, he is gladdened by it. And this trait of kindness brings God's satisfaction in front of Him, and for it was the world created - in order to do it. And about it Shlomo said in his wisdom (Proverbs 14:34), "Righteousness exalts a nation; Sin is a reproach to any people" - and adjacent to it, "The king favors a capable servant" - the will of the Holy One, blessed be He is only for Israel, who investigate [how] to do the things that are desirable in front of Him.

and all its kindness is like the blossom of the field For “the kindness of the nations is sin” (Prov. 14:34). [Ed. note: We have inverted the order of Rashi and followed the order of K’li Paz and Parshandatha, to connect the second part of the verse with the first. Rashi’s explanation of the second part follows his first explanation of the first part. In the Lublin edition, the second explanation of the first part of the verse interrupts the sequence.] (Another explanation is: All flesh is grass.) A person’s end is to die; therefore, if he says to do kindness, he is like the blossom of the field, that is cut off and dries, and one must not rely on him, for he has no power to fulfill his promise, perhaps he will die, for, just as the grass dries out and the blossom wilts, so is it that when a man dies, his promise is null, but the word of our God shall last for He is living and existing, and He has the power to fulfill. Therefore, “Upon a lofty mountain ascend and herald, O herald of Zion, for the promise of the tidings emanates from the mouth of Him Who lives forever.”

When the Torah repeats that "Jacob watered the flocks of Laban," the message may be that he did this only because Laban was his mother's brother. Otherwise, -in line with what we learn in Avodah Zarah 67- there was no call to do favours to the Gentiles, seeing that we know from Proverbs 14,34: "(even) the kindness done for us by the Gentile nations are a form of sin."