The Ramban had a very bright student called Rav Avner. Nobody knew how or why it happened, but suddenly, this student left - he left both his teacher and the Torah way of life. Using his sharp mind and talents, he made his way into the Spanish society in which he lived, and within a short time he was able to climb to a position of honor and importance.

After he had reached the high-ranking post, he sent for his former teacher on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. The Ramban hoped that he would be able to influence him to do teshuvah, so he agreed to go.

However, the former student did not seem to be thinking of teshuvah at all; quite the opposite. When the Ramban appeared, this man took a pig, slaughtered it before him, cooked it, and ate it with relish. He then turned to his former teacher and sneered, "So how many sins have I just committed which call for the punishment kares (premature death)?" he asked.

"Four," the Ramban answered.

"You are mistaken," his former student retorted. "There are five sins involved." He continued to prove that he was right by bringing sources from the Talmud and commentaries, until the Ramban had to accept his answer.

"If you are so learned and wise, why did you leave the true ways of the Torah?" asked the Ramban.

To his surprise, the man replied: "You are responsible! Once, I heard you give a sermon in which you explained that the Song of Haazinu contains detailed hints about everything that will ever occur to the Jewish people. That sounded so ridiculous to me that I lost faith in you and in the Torah."

"My statement is true, and I am prepared to prove it to you," the Ramban answered.

The man challenged him: "Where in the Song of Haazinu is there a hint about me?"

Calmly the Ramban replied: "Take a good look at the words of the passuk orfz aubtn v,hcat ovhtpt h,rnt. The third letter of each word spells out rbct wr."

Startled, Rav Avner was overcome with regret. He broke down in tears and begged the Ramban for help. "How can I atone for my sins?" he cried.

"Fulfill the advice of this passuk. The words which contain the letters of your name mean: 'I said I would scatter them and make their memory vanish from mankind...' You must travel far away - and do not leave a trace of your existence behind," the Ramban answered.

Shortly afterwards, a black-masted ship set sail from the Spanish harbors, never to return. No one ever heard from its passengers again.

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There is something quite amazing about this story. This man, the former student of the Ramban, had stopped studying Torah and did not keep mitzvos. Yet, the passuk that contains the hint to his name includes the letter reish which stands for 'Rav.' Although he was far from living like a Rav at that time, he had been a Rav in the past and had the potential, through teshuvah, to be a Rav again in the future. We can learn from the Torah how to look for the best in others, to consider what they can be and not necessarily to judge them by what they are right now.

(Adapted from Hisvaadiyos 5742, Vol. I, p. 109ff.)