יום ה Date: 11 Shevat, 5776 (1/21/16) – Gittin Daf 39 {Eliezer}

REFRESHING RELATIONSHIPS

[39a bottom] R’ Ava discusses a case involving a childless Ger (convert) whose possessions become ownerless after his passing (since when one converts he is considered like a newborn child with no legal relatives to claim inheritance).
Meshech Chachma: The source for converts as being legally unrelated to previous biological relatives: After the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai, Moshe told all the men to go back to their wives. Even though many of these previous relationships were not Halachically permissible (according to the now-given laws), since they all become converts, no one was technically related to each other [and thus no marriages were incestually prohibited].

D-E-ep Thoughts: Even within our same lifetimes, we are spiritually able to re-invent ourselves. Just as converts get fresh clean slates with which to draw on, so too can we all do sincere Teshuva (returning) and come close to Hashem. Previous sins are not only able to be erased from our records, but can give us huge momentum to soar even higher with.