Random Kindness as Resilience

As I write this, I’m looking out my window at a group of neighbors shoveling an elderly neighbor’s car out from our recent big winter storm. I wonder if our elderly neighbor even knows this random kindness is happening and that she is the deserving beneficiary. And then I realize the neighbors shoveling large blocks of frozen snow look like they’re having a blast themselves, probably having more conversation than they normally would and connecting with one another. Their faces are beaming with exertion, and one is laughing, perhaps at another’s funny story or joke, shared between shovel-fulls of snow. In a world that often feels chaotic and cold in more ways than one, engaging in this random, small-but-impactful gesture of kindness is turning out to have several positive outcomes.

Kindness, or chesed in Hebrew, is a core Jewish value, considered one of the three pillars on which the world is sustained. In Jewish tradition, practicing acts of lovingkindness is a central mitzvah, not random at all.  In this more structured religious commandment, we are instructed on how and when to engage in kindness, so it isn’t left to chance. On the other hand, we all need to nurture the inherent human impulse towards kindness and act on it not only out of obligation but also out of our organic goodness. The advent of Random Acts of Kindness Week in our larger society is a reminder to integrate that basic impulse of generosity into our everyday lives regularly.

What Is Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week?

RAK Week is a nationwide observance that encourages individuals, families, schools, and organizations to engage in acts of kindness, both big and small. The goal is simple but profound: to inspire empathy, generosity, and connection, and to remind us that kindness has the power to uplift, heal, and bring people together.

Whether it’s checking in on a neighbor, offering a helping hand, or simply listening with an open heart, RAK Week invites us all to be more mindful of how our actions affect those around us.

Simple Ways to Show Kindness to Your Neighbors

You don’t have to do something grand to make a difference. Here are a few meaningful and manageable ways to show kindness in your neighborhood:

• Reach out: Call, text, or knock on the door of a neighbor, especially someone who may feel isolated.
• Offer practical help: Pick up groceries, shovel a walkway, or help with errands.
• Share a smile or kind words: A warm greeting or genuine compliment can brighten someone’s entire day.
• Leave a thoughtful note: A handwritten message of encouragement can mean more than you realize.
• Volunteer or donate: Support local organizations that serve vulnerable individuals and families.
• Practice patience and understanding: Sometimes the kindest act is extending grace during stressful moments.

These small acts, when multiplied across a community, create ripples of compassion that extend far beyond Kindness Week. They also feed us morally, helping to strengthen our resilience to weather the storms of adversity we face as individuals and as a community. Kindness is sometimes the best answer to the hardest moments.

Among our Jewish teachings on kindness or chesed is a future-focused vision: Olam Chesed Yibaneh, the world will be built on kindness (Psalms 89). Not only is the world currently standing on our capacity for kindness towards one another, but our future world depends upon it.