The early Kabbalists, before the Ramak and the Arizal, called the attribute of kindness גדולה - Greatness, however the later Kabbalists called it chesed. In the verse, לך ה׳ הגדולה - "to you Hashem is the greatness", they would say, if חסד - kindness was meant it would have said לך ה׳ החסד - "to you Hashem is kindness".

The reason behind their argument in this is that the later Kabbalists hold "Greatness" to refer to kindness as it is beyond the supernal attribute, as it is in divine will of כתר. Since אית חסד ואית חסד - "there is a lower kindness and a higher type of kindness". 

Thus Avraham called his attribute of kindness "dust and ashes" in comparison to the concept of גדולה - Greatness that was beyond him in Keser. However, Avraham was greater than everyone else in relative terms. Similar to concept of loving Hashem with all of ones might is מאדך - מאוד שלך - "your" might meaning, relative to you, that which is beyond you specifically, but not in absolute terms.

Ohr Hatorah vayerah, biur leman havi

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