Is the Hadith, "Verily, mercy does not descend upon a people among whom there is a severer of kinship ties" (Al-Bayhaqi/Al-Mishkat p. 420), authentic, and does it mean that Allah's mercy will not descend if we do not try to reconcile feuding relatives?

The Hadith (إن الرحمة لا تنزل على قوم فيهم قاطع رحم - Mercy does not descend upon a people among whom is a severer of kinship ties) has a weak chain of transmission. However, other narrations from Ibn Mas'ud on the same topic strengthen each other. The majority of scholars stated that the intent of the Hadith is to sternly warn against the major sin of severing kinship ties, and to urge people to expel the one who severs kinship ties from their midst so that they do not lose blessings because of him. And (لا يدخل الجنة قاطع رحم - A severer of kinship ties will not enter Paradise) means he will not enter it initially with the foremost.