RAV KOOK PARSHAS TETZAVE PART 2

(PLEASE LEARN FOR A REFUA SHELAMA FOR THE GEDOLIM Rav Elyashiv -Yosef Sholom ben Chaya Musha, Rav Shteinman - Aaron Yehuda Leib ben Gitel Feiga, Rav Weiss - Yitzchak Tuvia ben Rikal, Rav Belsky - NAME ADDDED Chaim Yisroel ben Chana Tzirtel, Rav Yosef - Yaakov Chai ben Margalit And Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, Yitzchok Izak ben Trina Rivka Vizhnitzer Rebbe-Moshe Yehoshua ben Margulios for a refuah shleima b’soch kol cholei am Yisrael.)

Translated and abridged by Rabbi Chanan Morrison Parshat Tetzave The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) tells the story of three Gentiles who wished to convert. In each case, they were initially rejected by the scholar Shamai, known for his strictness, but they were later accepted and converted by the famously modest Hillel. The Convert Who Wanted to be High Priest In one case, a Gentile was walking near a synagogue when he heard the Torah being read and translated: "These are the clothes that you should make: the jeweled breast-plate, the ephod-apron..." (Ex. 28:4). His interest was piqued. 'For whom are these fancy clothes?' he asked. 'They are special garments for the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest.' The Gentile was excited. 'For this, it is worth becoming a Jew. I'll go convert and become the next High Priest!' The Gentile made the mistake of approaching Shamai. 'I want you to convert me,' he told Shamai, 'but only on condition that you appoint me High Priest.' Shamai rebuffed the man, pushing him away with a builder's measuring rod. Then he went to Hillel with the same proposition. Amazingly, Hillel agreed to convert him. Hillel, however, gave the man some advice. 'If you wanted to be king, you would need to learn the ways and customs of the royal court. Since you aspire to be the High Priest, go study the appropriate laws.'