A delicious Devar Torah by the Ben Ish Hai ZTK’L on our
Parasha, Parashat Beha’alotcha. There is a part of the Parasha where we find Moshe Rabbenu, the greatest Rabbi and Prophet and individual of all time, pleading to Yitro to stay with am
Yisrael and not return to Midyan! The Ben Ish Hai brings down that Hashem loves
gerim (converts) and the greatest
convert in the Torah is Yitro.
The question is why? What is so special about a convert?
There is a difference between a Jew by conversion and a Jew from birth. The Jew
by conversion does not know the way of Judaism, he did not grow up with it and
everything is foreign and new to him. The convert is changing his nature and battling
his Evil Inclination on an hourly basis to stay in line with Judaism and the
Torah! The convert is constantly perfecting himself and getting closer to
Hashem. The Ben Ish Hai adds beautifully and explains that the Gemara;s story
between Rabi Akiva and Rabi Eliezar.
One time there was a decree on the Jewish people in the
times of the Talmud and Rabi Eliezer prayed for the nation and nobody saw
salvation or any rescue in sight. When Rabi Akiva began praying RIGHT AWAY
everything worked out! The Gemara explains that because Rabi Akiva ma’avir al midotav is an individual who
is of great ba’al middot and keeps on surrendering his anger, stubbornness,
impatience, etc, his tefillot (prayers) are answered. The Ben Ish Hai explains
that because Rabi Akiva was a son of converts he also had to change his nature to become a better
person, unlike Rabi Eliezer who was from a righteous family!
How much more can we say about the typical ba’al teshuva (an individual who changes
his/her entire life to get close to G-d and tries to observe the Torah)?! I
think today we can say that a person who goes to yeshiva, who begins putting on
tefillin every morning, who decides to start wearing more modest skirts, who
says I will wear a kippa today: these individuals are the most precious in the
eyes of G-d! B’H we should understand that TODAY is the time to make these life
changes and set spiritual goals and a new direction and not after we are
married or when we need to start parenting our children. Shabbat Shalom!
Judaism=Think.
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