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R. Frand mentions that the sentences describing the forebearers of Israel's redeemers begins vague and anonymous:'"A man went from the Tribe of Levi" brought about the first redeemer (Moshe) and the pasuk "A man went from Bethlehem Yehudah" led to the final redeemer (Moshiach - who will descend from King David, a descendant of Rus)...One does not necessarily need to be great himself or have superior lineage or wealth or power. Any anonymous Jew can potentially produce the future leader of the Jewish people.'
So here's the rub folks. What's with all these 'frumma' people who are so insistent upon good yichus, lineage, background etc. If the greatest of our people can come from anonymous beginnings, why should we expect better results from yichus? Is good middot genetically passed on? Aren't there many off-the-derech individuals from great yichus? And conversely aren't there truly erlecha individuals of humble origins?
Me thinks that those demanding yichus are really seekers of kavod, desirous of status or the ability to connect and identify with greatness. It's all ego and it's all about, yeech, us.
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