An Israeli faith leader suggests that the example of Moses should motivate acts of kindness in the present day.

Joseph's bones were carried by Moses; he had sworn the Israelites that God would visit them and they must bring his bones with them from that place.

The book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, narrates the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

According to Shalom Lamm, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital, Jews were cruelly enslaved in Egypt for 210 years before a young Moses, who had been raised in Pharaoh's palace, confronted the ruler and implored him to "let my people go."

Lamm, an Israeli-based historian, is the co-founder and chief historian of Operation Benjamin, an organization that aims to locate Jewish American soldiers buried overseas with Latin crosses on their headstones. The group collaborates with the federal government to replace these markers with Stars of David, as Lamm shared with Planet Chronicle Digital.

The Bible narrates the captivating conversations between Moses and Pharaoh through its riveting dialogue.

When the negotiations between Moses and Pharaoh fail, God uses Moses to inflict a series of devastating plagues on all of Egypt.

As the Israelites prepare to depart from Egypt, they are led by a small team of three - Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. However, Moses takes an unexpected action, according to Lamm.

As the verse notes, Moses stopped everything to collect Joseph's bones.

""Was it necessary for Moses to pause at this crucial moment in history to retrieve the remains of a deceased hero who lived centuries ago?" he inquired."

Yes, Lamm said.

"It's precisely the point of the biblical narrative."

According to Lamm, dealing with the dead is known Jewishly as a hesed shel emet.

Of truth, he said, in Hebrew, 'Hesed' means 'an act of loving kindness.'

An act of kindness that is pure because there is no expectation of reciprocation is called a hesed shel emet, he stated.

The lessons of this ancient story are still highly relevant in today's world, as Lamm pointed out, especially during this week.

Lamm described "Tisha B'Av," the Jewish holiday observed on Tuesday, as the "saddest day of the year."

""On that day, many national catastrophes occurred, including the destruction of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the expulsion of Jews from England, and the expulsion of Jews from Spain, marking the end of the Golden Age of Spain. These events were not the only awful things that happened on that day," he said."

It is customary to fast and abstain from food and water from Monday night through Tuesday night, as a way to mark the day, Lamm said.

"Although the kinetic destruction on Tisha B'Av was caused by others, the seeds of these calamities lie within us, according to Jewish tradition," he stated.

He declared that our unwarranted intra-community hatred, sinat chinam, was the root cause of our undoing.

Lamm suggested that the solution to this problem is to practice "ahavat chinam," which involves performing random acts of kindness towards others.

"In the U.S., we are consistently feeling a sense of unease and misdirection, according to polls," he stated.

"America has had a spectacular run as the greatest force for good in world history, and yet, as a nation, we aren’t feeling that glory, and our destiny suddenly feels hazy."

"Despite being known as the greatest force for good in world history, America is struggling to feel its past glory and unsure of its future destiny."

"As the U.S. political climate intensifies, promises are being made, deals are being cut, and endorsements are flying about, but many of these commitments will be broken shortly after the ballots are counted," he stated.

Even if politicians' promises are genuine, they come with conditions, according to Lamm, who said that candidates expect something in return.

Performing an act of kindness for someone who has died is not possible because "they are incapable of returning a favor," Lamm said. "That time has passed."

It is crucial for each citizen to have their own "Moses moments" and engage in daily acts of kindness to counteract the current season of deceitful promises.

Lamm stated that while these acts of kindness may not be as grand as transporting the bones of a deceased leader, they still contribute to making the world a better place.

Discussing daily kindnesses with family members and comparing notes can help lower purple rhetoric and make our society kinder and more generous, he said.