זבחים סא

A high school student once approached the מלבי״ם and said that he would like to continue his studies but that it’s all but impossible for a Jew to be accepted to the university.  Accordingly, he asked, whether he could pretend to be converting, while actually continuing to remain a true Jew. “After all” he said “the little water that the priest will sprinkle on me won’t change who I am.  In my heart, I will still remain true to our faith.”  The מלבי״ם answered him: “As you know, בני ישראל are compared to dust. The פסוק says: ובמצע זרעך כעפר הארץ.  And if you sprinkle a little water on dust, like it or not, you wind up with mud.”

06/10/2021