Sarah Nurses the Nations and Eliphaz Becomes Righteous

Our Rabbis said: All the children of the Egyptian women whom Sarah nursed, all of them became proselytes; and do not be astonished at this matter. And so you find in the case of Eliphaz son of Esau: because he was raised in the bosom of Isaac, he became righteous, and he merited that the Holy Spirit rested upon him, as it is said, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Proverbs 11:30). R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon ben Yohai — R. Yose ben Halafta saw him and said to him: "You are from a root of righteous ones, yet you are not a man of Torah." He said to him: "What shall I do?" He said to him: "Do you wish to study?" He said to him: "Yes." He began to teach him one chapter, and a second, and a third. He brought him into the house of assembly. Rabbi saw him and said to him: "Is it this one whom you have brought in with you?" He said to him: "He comes from the stock of R. Simeon ben Yohai." R. Yose brought him up to Sepphoris and taught him. In another year he brought him down with him, and he entered the house of assembly, and he began to give answers there. And our holy Rabbi recited concerning him, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life." Who caused him to become a man of Torah? Was it not through R. Yose ben Halafta? So too the infants who nursed from Sarah our mother — all of them became proselytes. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world, through the righteous, individuals became proselytes; but in the world to come I will draw the righteous near, and bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence, as it is said, "For then I will turn to the peoples a pure speech, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord" (Zephaniah 3:9).