Page 53 - BERESHIT
P. 53
Rav Meir was able to learn Torah from Acher, despite the latter’s
nonreligious behavior, because he was able to absorb the ‘edible’
teachings and discard the ‘rind’ of bad character.
Before Adam sinned, even the bark of the tree had the same taste as its
fruit. After his sin, though, the bark lost its taste and the fruit became
surrounded with an inedible and extraneous outer peel. Our job is to
discern between the outer peel and the fruit within, and to transform that
outer layer into an edible product.
