There is a bird called the chassidah. Rashi says that it is called this because it does chesed with its friends. Reb Yehudah HaChassid writes that the chesed it does is that she gives maaser. Every tenth egg that she lays is given to her friends to eat!
The passuk says about Sukkos, “V’hayisa ach sameach.” The Abarbanel writes that this is not a “to do” mitzvah, but rather a fact. If a person is happy on Sukkos, he will surely be happy all year.
Inthis week’s parsha there is a list of ten kosher animals. The Medrash says that for every one of the Aseres HaDibros, one animal was permitted!
Reb Bunim of Peshischa once came to a certain town where a friend of his lived, named Reb Zalman. Reb Zalman was a great talmid chacham and chassid. When Reb Bunim came to his house, he was devastated to see the poverty in which this tzadik was living. He quickly took out a large amount of money and told Reb Zalman to prepare a seudah and invite friends over. His family had their first hot meal in a couple of years, and he was left with a lot of money. Reb Bunim then ordered warm clothing for the whole family.
When Reb Bunim was about to leave town, Reb Zalman accompanied him and thanked him profusely. Reb Bunim then took out some more money and handed it to him. Reb Zalman refused to take it, saying that he had already received enough.
Reb Bunim told him, “Listen. When I saw your poverty and paid for all this, I wasn’t really thinking about you. I simply couldn’t bear seeing you in such a situation. I was actually doing it for my own sake. Only now, once you have been taken care of, can I actually do the mitzvah of tzedakah.”
He said that this is the pshat in the passuk, “Nason titen lo — You shall surely give to your fellow Jew.” When? “V’lo yeira levavcha — when your own heart doesn’t hurt anymore!”