Hesed and rahamim
In Tanakh a word ''hesed'' is used more 200 times. It means both mercy, charity, kindness and devotion, faith(fulness). In Hebrew there is another word which often means mercy, charity and compassion. It is “rahamim”. It is used more 40 times in Tanakh.
In Brit Hadasha we can read about mercy many times too.
Messiah Yeshua said: ''Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.'' (Matt 5:7)
"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." (Luk 6:36)
''And by chance there
came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the
other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on
him], and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed,
came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him], And
went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set
him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on
the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to
the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest
more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest
thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that
shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.'' (Luk
10:31-37)
''Blessed [be]
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead,'' (1Pet 1:3)
''Now I say that Jesus
Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the
promises [made] unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify
God for [his] mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to
thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.'' (Rom 15:8-9)
The Jewish tradition
"There are three characteristics which distinguish the Jewish people — they are merciful, they are bashful and they are performers of acts of kindness." (Yevamot 79a http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/3194)
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men..."
Messiah Yeshua said in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matt 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Matt 6:2 Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matt 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
Matt 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
God wants we would give alms in secret!
We can read in Tanach:
Prov 14:31 He that
oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy
on the poor.
Prov 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
The Jewish tradition
"R. Eleazar said: A man who gives
charity in secret is greater than Moses..."
"R. Joshua b. Levi said: He who does charity habitually will have sons
wise, wealthy..." (Talmud, Baba Bathra 9b http://www.come-and-hear.com/bababathra/bababathra_9.html#9b_16)
In Brit Chadasha we can read about people who gave much alms:
Acts 9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian [band],
Acts 10:2 [A] devout [man], and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
Acts 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
Acts 10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
Shaul said:
Acts 24:17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.