Gemilut ḥasidim

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Gemilut ḥasidim (Heb., ‘the bestowal of loving kindness’). The essential Jewish virtue of concern for one's fellow human beings. Gemilut ḥasidim is more than charity in that it can be given to the rich as well as to the poor, and can involve personal service as well as the mere gift of money. It is one of the major characteristics of Jewish ethics.