There was once a family that converted to Judaism and moved to Eretz Yisroel. One of the children was being made fun of in school for being a ger, a convert. Some children sadly teased her about her background. It got so bad that she didn't want to go back to school. Her parents arranged for her to meet with R' Shach ztl, the gadol hador.
R' Shach said to her, "My daughter, do you know who I am?" "Yes," she said. "You are Rabbi Shach." "That's right," he said. "But there's more to that. Did you know that, like you, I am also a ger?" R' Shach smiled, took a Chumash, and showed her the pasuk, "Love the ger because you were geirim in Mitzrayim." (Devarim 10:19). "You see?" R' Shach said. "All Yidden are called geirim. Me too!"
What's The Lesson?
R' Shach didn't try to convince her to ignore the teasing of others. Instead, he showed her that she wasn't less important than anyone else, and that she, too, is just as special as everyone else, and that there's nothing to be embarrassed about!
This Connects To This Week's Parshah:
We learn how Pinchas was rewarded for being brave. Hashem told him, "I will give you the blessing of peace!" In life, we all need the blessing of peace. As we enter the Three Weeks, we need to make sure that we not only avoid teasing anyone but also look for opportunities to bring peace to others. If you see someone being teased, don't just stand there; do something about it. Let us be the one who helps make the world a more peaceful place.
