A Little Good Goes a Long Way
'It came to pass when Pharaoh sent the people.' (Shemos
13:17)
The Midrash Tanchuma explains that as a reward for Pharaoh
escorting and sending the Jews out of Egypt, the Egyptians were
granted the rights of conversion. As it says: 'You shall not
despise an Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land.
Children who are born to them in the third generation may enter
the assembly of the Lord.' (Devarim 23:8-9)
Rav Yehudah Leib Chasman asks why should there be a reward? It
was only after the tenth plague and because of fear for his own
life, that Pharaoh finally gave in to release the Jewish people.
There should be no reward, and surely not such a great
reward.
Every human being is made up of a body and a soul. The soul of
even the lowliest person is infinite and reaches to the heights
of the heavens. Pharaoh was rewarded for the minuscule good will
buried deep in his heart during the act of letting the Jewish
people go. Most evil and immoral individuals still have some
minute redeeming qualities, which will not go unrewarded.
As it says in Gemara in Shabbos 32a: And these are man's
advocates: repentance and good deeds. And even if nine hundred
and ninety-nine argue for his guilt, while one argues in his
favour, he is saved, for it is said, If there be with him an
angel, an advocate, one among a thousand, To show unto man what
is right for him; Then he is gracious unto him, and says,
Deliver him from going down to the pit, etc. Rabbi Eliezer the
son of Rabbi Jose the Galilean said: Even if nine hundred and
ninety-nine parts of that angel are in his disfavour and one
part is in his favour, be is saved, for it is said, 'an
advocate, one part in a thousand'.
Application:
Can you see the good in the dark side of your personality?
Give 10 quick answers off the top of your head to the following
sentence stems:
If I would see the good in my darker side, I would ...
If I would see the good in every person I would ...