In 1971, Refoel Levin (name changed) was in his dorm at Hebrew University when he heard students arguing outside. There were three Arab students, and they were arguing over who has rights to Israel. Refoel was surprised when the group came to his door. “You answer us!” one of the Arab students said.
As one of the only religious students, Refoel was a unique figure on campus. With trepidation, he opened a Chumash to the first pasuk in Bereishis and read Rashi: “If the nations of the world tell Bnei Yisrael, ‘You are robbers, for you have stolen the land of the seven nations,’ they can say, ‘The earth belongs to Hashem...He chose to give it to them, and He chose to take it from them and to 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.
“Do you wear tefillin? What about tzitzis? Kosher? Shabbos?” The Arab student rattled off a list of mitzvos. Satisfied, he said, “Since you fulfill all the commandments, I accept this answer from you. You are consistent. But the other Israelis do not observe this book. That means that they do not believe in it. Why should they be entitled to the Land?”
This dialogue points to the importance of maintaining consistency in our behavior. Our mission of kiddush Hashem places us in the position of representing the Torah to the rest of the world. It is crucial for us to make sure that all of our actions are in line with our goals.
Reproduced from A Life Worth Living by Rabbi Shraga Freedman with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
