In the 14th chapter of the Rambam’s laws of of mourning, he says that it’s a positive commandment to visit the sick and comfort the mourning, to be involved in funerals, to take care of brides and to have guests over etc. He says these are acts of kindness that one does with their body that there is no prescribed measure for. He says even though these are all rabbinical Mitzvot, they are included in the mitzvah of V’Ahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha/love your friend like you love yourself. And whatever you want others to do to you, you should do to others.
In his sefer Orchot Yosher, Rav Chaim Kanievsky asks if, in truth, these Mitzvot (such as visiting the sick, taking care of mourners, taking care of brides and grooms) are all included under the umbrella of love your friend like you love yourself, why do we have separate rabbinical Mitzvot on these as well?
His answer is that there is a general Mitzvah from the Torah of Hessed and there is no amount (attached to this). This means you don’t have to spend your entire day doing Hesed. You can eat and drink, and you have a right to do what you need to do. But you have to help your friend when you are able to.
Additionally, the rabbis made a responsibility called “Visit the sick,” as a separate Mitzvah. “Take care of a wedding,” is a separate Mitzvah.
It’s no different than lighting Chanukah candles or listening to the Megilla. You can’t stay your too busy for this Mitzvah, even if you have done a previous hessed that day. If a wedding comes or someone is sick, these now become specific Mitzvot, regardless of the amount of Hesed you did previously. It becomes it’s own unique rabbinical obligation.
That’s the additional power of these Mitzvot that the rabbis singled out.
You don’t have to stand on the street corner all day waiting to cross an old lady, but if you know that someone is sitting Shiva, heaven forbid, you have to go out of your way to comfort them. If you know somebody is having a wedding, you have to go out of your way to dance at the wedding. Even if you have things of your own to do, this is now a separate Mitzvah D’Rabbanan, a separate rabbinical Mitzvah like Megillah, like lighting Hanukah candles etc. That is the power of the rabbinical command of these specific Mitzvot.
This is yet another beautiful thought from Rav Chaim Kanievsky zichrono l’bracha, and it’s a zechut for us to him a zechut by learning from his sefer.
Have a wonderful day.