The trait of chessed-kindness is very great, for it is one of those precepts whose fruits a person enjoys in This World but whose principle remains intact for him in the World to Come. Also, the trait of chessed is a merit for the person and it stands by him to protect him at times of distress. The reason for this is that when a person is judged in the Heavenly court, there are angels of Mercy present but also angels of strict-justice who act as prosecutors against him. But when the Holy One judges a person directly, it is always in a mode of mercy. How can a person merit to be judged directly by the Holy One Himself? —When he does acts of kindness to others. By so doing the person arouses the root of the trait of Chessed; he then merits having the Holy One judge him with mercy.

But someone who is only engaged in Torah study and not in doing chessed, cannot merit this. Our Sages therefore said, that a person should engross himself in both Torah and bestowing kindness.