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So from all my times learning i've basically come to the conclusion that nobody simple becomes great in a certain way, the protagonist, if you will, is pretty much born with the gift. or inhabits that potential.

I've learned this out from the Chumash, Tanakh etc all of our forefathers, judges, prophets... etc or the ones that I've read about either started out rich, highly intelligent,or VERY mighty showing great potential etc.. so that they could have been anointed by a prophet for something great etc.. I can think of one person that became very wise from another prophet and that was Elisha, when Elijah threw his cloak onto him. but even Elisha, it seems like he came from a wealthy background.. am i wrong?

So my question is as follow, has there ever been a prophet or somebody
1. that started from absolutely nothing,
2. and showed no potential or anything of that sort that became a great person from Jewish History?

And when I say started out from scratch i mean it, from the bottom of the barrel, literally, and became great either, in wisdom, wealth, lordship, or anything that we affiliate with greatness without being a bad person in obtaining what he/they/she obtained?

Looking forward in reading the answers. Thank you.

kouty
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TheTribeOfJudah
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    Two subjects must be treated separately 1- gifts. Deduction, geometric spirit, abstraction, memory . 2 the course of the life. You perhaps already seen person less intelligent than you but who reach greater degrees. So me people at end found great capacity inthemselve. The legend of the natsiv is known. To go up every time is called to grow – kouty Nov 08 '16 at 19:13
  • In Pri Haaretz is written that HaShem want avoda at teach level – kouty Nov 08 '16 at 21:37
  • One of the prerequisites of prophesy is wealth -- http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/17744/how-can-r-yochanan-derive-from-moshe-that-wealth-is-needed-in-order-for-someone – Menachem Nov 08 '16 at 23:00
  • Edited title to match it with content. – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 00:18
  • @Menachem That's just an aggada, so presenting it as a fact is a bit misleading. If I recall, Rambam interprets it non-literally anyway. – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 00:21
  • @mevaqesh: see a discussion here: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/12751/why-must-prophets-be-wealthy#comment20414_12757 – Menachem Nov 09 '16 at 00:32
  • @Menachem Regardless of Rambam's view in particular, my main point, about the presentation of aggadot, stands. || It happens to be that the statement you link to is incorrect. Rambam there isn't addressing the requirement to be rich, and just mentions it in passing. In reality, he holds that in context, rich just means satisfied with one's lot, as he writes explicitly in Shemonah Ferakim (7): "אין הנבואה שורה אלא על חכם גיבור ועשיר". אמנם...'עשיר' היא ממעלות המידות, רצוני לומר: ההסתפקות...והוא אומרם בגדר העשיר: "אי זה הוא עשיר? השמח בחלקו", – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 00:57
  • @Menachem I admit that before this back and forth, I remembered neither his comments in SHP, nor his comments in his intro. to PHM, so thank you. Our comment should be moved to chat. – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 01:02
  • See the wonderful letter by Rav Yitzchak Hutner, in Igrot uKetavim #94, where he explains how no one ever becomes great without going through the pains of growth, regardless of their starting point. – Chaim Nov 09 '16 at 15:17

2 Answers2

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The answer that comes to mind immediately is Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva was one of the greatest of the tannaim but he grew up a poor, uneducated shepherd until he famously began learning Torah at the age of 40.

Another example (though perhaps not exactly what you're looking for) is King Yoshiahu. While Yoshiahu was indeed the son of a king, his parents were evil people. He managed to overcome such an upbringing and bring Judaism back to the Kingdom of Judah.

Daniel
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  • For Rabbi Akiva the problem was environmental – kouty Nov 08 '16 at 19:15
  • You answered very clearly the socioeconomic sid but the cognitive side seem included in the question. Every body imagine Rabbi Akiva as a low average IQ person – kouty Nov 08 '16 at 21:22
  • To amplify, didn't Rabbi Akiva have to start, at 40, by learning to read? – Monica Cellio Nov 08 '16 at 22:01
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    Sources for the history of R. Akiva would improve this answer. – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 00:21
  • Avot deRabbi Nathan contains a large text about Rabbi Akiva. Concerning cognitive level. Nothing show that he was not high but he was in very law pedagogical milieu – kouty Nov 09 '16 at 03:45
  • Aish hatorah also has some additionele material to further build this answer. http://www.aish.com/sp/pg/Why-Rabbi-Akiva-is-My-Hero.html – RonP Nov 09 '16 at 06:11
  • If someone was measurin IQ of Rabbi Akiva before he began to learn how much would it be? – kouty Nov 09 '16 at 14:23
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King David is a shining example.

Yishai, David's father, thought that he was a mamzer, and that's why David was always in the field shepherding the flocks. (See Shmuel Alef 16:11) Yishai was embarrassed to have him in the public. Also, David had red hair, which resembled Esav's red hair. (Shmuel Alef 16:12 mentions he had red hair; look at the Hebrew!) This also embarrassed Yishai. (Both of the things are the reasons Yishai did not initially show Shmuel HaNavi David when he came to see his sons.)

But we know that King David was one of the most important personalities in the entire Tanach. He even merited having the Messiah come from his line!

I would say this was a good example of a seemingly nobody becoming someone everyone remembers and respects and regards as righteous.

Here's a Chabad article about the whole thing: David's Birth

It should be noted though that Yishai had a brilliant Yichus, and he served on the Sanhedrin during his time. The reason why David is a nothing to something is because of the reasons listed, not because of his lineage. PLEASE SEE CHABAD ARTICLE.

ezra
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