4. The Well-being of our Fellow-man.—The duties expounded in the above are of a negative character. The commandment, “Love thy neighbour as thyself” implies also certain positive duties, which are comprehended in the terms, ‏צדקה‎ and ‏גמלות חסד‎ “charity.” The literal meaning of the term tsedakah is “righteousness,” but it occurs also frequently in the sense of “charity;” and we may infer from this that charity was to the Hebrew a mere act of righteousness. In the Book of Daniel and in post-Biblical Hebrew tsedakah is “alms,” and distinguished from gemilluth-chesed, “charity.” The former is given to the poor; the latter to poor and rich alike: tsedakah, consisting of money or things that can be purchased for money, is a duty chiefly incumbent on the wealthier class; gemilluth-chesed, consisting of personal acts of kindness, is a virtue that can be acquired and practised by every one, whether he be poor or rich; and whilst tsedakah can only be given to those that live, gemilluth-chesed can be shown even to the departed. When Jacob asked his son for a burial in the cave of Machpelah, he relied on his son’s ‏חסד ואמת‎, “Kindness and truth;” and the Midrash adds the remark, “Kindness shown to the dead is an act of true love, as there can be no prospect of gratitude or repayment.” The principal kinds of ‏גמלות חסד‎ are the following:— (1.) ‏בקור חולים‎ Visiting the sick. [42] The object of the visit ought to be to cheer up the sufferer by pleasant conversation, to assist him by good advice, to render him any service that is wanted, to inspire him with hope, and to strengthen his faith in God by the comforting words of Scripture and by prayer. (2.) ‏הלוית המת‎ “Accompanying the dead” to his last resting-place, and doing everything that our love and regard for the departed requires. Almost every Jewish community includes an association whose members undertake to perform personally, as far as possible, these acts of love. Such a society is generally called ‏חברת גמלות חסדים‎ “Association for practising loving-kindness towards our fellow-men,” or ‏חברא קדישא‎ “Holy Association;” that is, an association for a holy object. (3.) ‏נחום אבלים‎ Comforting the mourners, who find relief in the conviction that their fellow-men have sympathy with them. (4.) ‏הבאת שלום בין אדם לחברו‎ “Peace-making.”—War, whether carried on between nations, or between parties, or between one individual and another, is equally detestable; and all those who by their exertion and intercession contribute to a diminution of warfare are engaged in praiseworthy work. The principal prayers in our Liturgy conclude with a petition for peace, and we look forward for the state of uninterrupted peace, the Messianic time, as the most perfect condition of mankind. Forbearance, a kind word, a judicious counsel, frequently averts the great evil of strife and enmity.—Peace, harmony, and friendship are best promoted by— (5.) Judging favourably the deeds and words of our fellow-men. It is