יום א Date: 28 Shevat, 5776 (2/7/16) – Gittin Daf 56 {Eliezer}

MANIACAL MESSENGERS

[56a middle] Caesar Niron was sent to go destroy the city of Yerushalayim. Before entering, he ran into a schoolboy and asked what verse he learned in school that day. The child answered, “I will put my revenge in Rome through my Jewish people.” Niron understood from this that Hashem was going to destroy His Holy House, but wanted to wipe His hands clean of it onto a person. Thereupon, Niron converted to Judaism (as he did not want to be the one responsible for the destruction and be deserving of punishment) and even the famous R’ Meir descended from him.

D-E-ep Thoughts: G-d has a Master plan and everything that happens to us is predestined. Since people can choose to use their free will for good or bad, results may come from varying circumstances and means. Therefore, we can never be mad at people directly (as they are simply acting as Hashem’s messengers) [yes, people will directly be punished for their terrible choices, but that does not mean it would not have happened otherwise anyway]. G-d uses people as a master uses a stick to beat his slave. We should never yell at or take our frustrations out on a stick.