In 1971, Refoel Levin was in his Hebrew University dorm room when he heard students arguing outside. At the time, there were only three Arab students in the university, and they were arguing with some Israelis over who has the rights to Israel. Refoel was surprised when the group suddenly came to his door.
“You answer us!” one of the Arab students said. One of the few religious students on campus, Refoel was a unique figure, eating kosher, wearing tzitzis, davening and learning. He had earned the respect of the Arab students by greeting them regularly, though they were shunned by the other Israelis.
Refoel opened a Chumash. He read Rashi on the first pasuk in Bereishis: “If the nations of the world tell Bnei Yisrael, ‘You are robbers, you stole the land of the seven nations,’ they can say, ‘The earth belongs to G-d...He chose to take it from them and give it to us.’”
The Arab student gazed at Refoel intently. “Is this a holy book?” he asked. “Is everything in it true?”
“Yes,” Refoel said.
“Does it say to wear tefillin? Do you wear tefillin? What about tzitzis? What about kosher? Shabbos?”
Satisfied, the Arab student said, “Since you keep the commandments, I accept this answer from you. You are consistent. But the other Israelis do not observe the laws in the book. They do not believe in this truth. Why should they be entitled to the Land?”
This story points to the importance of maintaining consistency. We represent the Torah to the rest of the world. It is crucial for us to make sure that our behavior is in line with our goals.
Adapted from A Life Worth Living by Rabbi Shraga Freedman, with the permission of the publisher.
