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Chasdei Hashem Lo Tamnu – The Endless Kindness of G-D

by Ram ben Ze’ev


Chasdei Hashem Lo Tamnu – The Endless Kindness of G-D
Chasdei Hashem Lo Tamnu – The Endless Kindness of G-D

When the Prophet cries out in איכה (Eichah/Lamentations): chasdei Hashem ki lo tamnu (חסדי ה׳ כי לא תמנו – “The kindnesses of G-D have surely not ended”), the language itself calls our attention. Why say lo tamnu – “we have not been brought to an end” – instead of lo tamu – “they, the kindnesses, have not ended”?


The Alter Rebbe, in concluding Iggeret HaKodesh Ten, explains the hidden meaning: the survival of Am Yisrael is itself the testimony of Divine compassion. Our very being is the evidence that G-D’s kindness is unending. It is not only that G-D’s kindnesses continue in the abstract—it is that we continue, and therefore His kindness is proven in our endurance.



From this flows a great responsibility. Since we are sustained by His compassion, we must mirror it in our own lives through tzedakah (צדקה – charity). Not merely when compelled, not merely when convenient, but with boundless giving that imitates the boundlessness of His mercy. Our sages taught: “Israel will be redeemed only through charity.” Why? Because when we give freely, without measure, we become vessels for the infinite compassion that keeps us alive.


And here lies a deeper layer: Israel is not only the recipient of this kindness but also its channel into the world. Through our acts of compassion, the Divine flow reaches even the nations. The world continues to be nourished by the spiritual current flowing through Israel’s endurance and Israel’s giving. In this way, G-D’s mercy toward His people radiates outward, sustaining creation itself.


In today’s world, where cruelty, selfishness, and indifference too often dominate the headlines, this truth is sharper than ever. Every Jew who performs an act of tzedakah is not simply giving charity—he or she is extending G-D’s own kindness into the world. To feed the hungry, clothe the poor, support Torah learning, or uplift another soul is to sustain not just the recipient but the world itself.



When Israel gives, the nations of the world receive. When Israel acts with compassion, Divine blessing extends across all humanity. The continued survival of the Jewish people in every generation is itself proof of chasdei Hashem lo tamnu. Our task is to ensure that this endless kindness does not remain hidden, but shines into every corner of the world through our deeds.


Every breath we take is evidence of G-D’s compassion. Every coin we give is an echo of that compassion. When we give beyond obligation, when we give because our very existence is built on His mercy, then we fulfil our role as a conduit of Divine kindness into creation.


Ribbono shel Olam, may we always recognise that our endurance is Your kindness. Make us worthy vessels of Your compassion. May our tzedakah hasten the day when all creation recognises You and redemption comes swiftly through the merit of unending kindness. - RAM


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