Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots
Is there any hope that a person can change his innate nature?! No one can change his essence any more than he can change the color of his skin (hearing vultures are like the colored skins of a leopard).
("The Ethiopian will be transformed into a leopard, and his companions into a leopard. You too will be consumed by good instead of evil." - Jeremiah 13:23)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הֲיַהֲפֹךְ כּוּשִׁי עוֹרוֹ וְנָמֵר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָיו?!
Definition (Hebrew)
הַאִם יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה שֶׁאָדָם יְשַׁנֶּה אֶת אָפְיוֹ הַטָּבוּעַ בּוֹ ?! אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לְהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת בְּאֹפֶן מַהוּתִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין הוּא יָכוֹל לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת צֶבַע עוֹרוֹ (חֲבַרְבּוּרוֹת מַשְׁמָע כִּתְמֵי עוֹר צִבְעוֹנִיִּים שֶׁל הַנָּמֵר).
("הֲיַהֲפֹךְ כּוּשִׁי עוֹרוֹ וְנָמֵר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָיו גַּם אַתֶּם תּוּכְלוּ לְהֵיטִיב לִמֻּדֵי הָרֵעַ"- יִרְמְיָה יג כג)