"You shall love the convert." Deuteronomy 10:19
"When a proselyte comes to be converted, one receives him with an open hand so as to bring him under the wings of the Divine Presence."
(Leviticus Rabbah 2:9)
"When a proselyte comes to be converted, one receives him with an open hand so as to bring him under the wings of the Divine Presence."
(Leviticus Rabbah 2:9)
"Dearer to God than all of the Israelites who stood at Mount Sinai is the convert. Had the Israelites not witnessed the lightning, thunder, and quaking mountain, and had they not heard the sounds of the shofar, they would not have accepted the Torah. But the convert, who did not see or hear any of these things, surrendered to God and accepted the yoke of heaven. Can anyone be dearer to God than such a person?"
Tanhuma (ed. Buber),Lekh Lekha 6:32
Yet, whenever the issue of conversion to Judaism is raised, it is almost invariably greeted with skepticm from Jews and non-Jews alike. Jews do not seem to encourage people to convert to their faith, and as a result, many no-Jews think that Judaism itself is institutionally apposed to conversion. In extreme cases, some people think - and a few anti-Jewish bigots have claimed - that conversion to Judaism is prohibited. This view, that Judaism is in any way institutionally apposed to conversion, is patently false. The prevalence of this view among both Jews and non-Jews is also incalculably damaging to Judaism as a religion and to the Jewish people. There are, however, very important historical reasons why this view has emerged and why it continues to hold currency.
The Exile
Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, was the first convert to Judaism. But for Abraham's choice to spurn idolatry, and to worship only God, there was nothing culturally to distinguish him from any of the other "Aramean" inhabitants of the city of Ur, where he was born in modern day Iraq. Over the generations, Abraham's family grew and more people were drawn to the faith in one God. Centuries later, the Jewish people emerged from slavery in Egypt as a nation consisting of twelve tribes. In time, these twelve tribes came to dominate the Holy Land and militarily vanquished their foes. In many cases, the members of other ethnic groups accepted Jewish sovereignty and formed alliances with the Jews, often merging with the Jewish people and converting to Judaism. Jewish sovereignty reached its apex, with all of the twelve tribes united, in the pre-modern era under the leadership of King David, and then King Solomon during the 9th and 10th centuries B.C.E. It was during the reign of Solomon, that the Great Temple in Jerusalem was built; it was destroyed and rebuilt in the 5th Century B.C.E., and its site served as the focal point of Jewish worship for the next thousand years.
During the next 900 years, the Jews saw their fortunes rise and fall on several occasions, at times losing all sovereignty and facing tremendous threats to their very existence. Yet through it all, as long as they remained faithful to the Torah and worshipped God, they managed to survive, all the while attracting converts in the lands where they lived. The last truly independent sovereign Jewish state was the Hasmonean Kingdom of Judah which lasted until the arrival of the Roman Empire in 37 B.C.E. During the Hasmonean reign many inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah converted to Judaism - one of the very rare instances in which a people were forcibly converted to Judaism occurred during this period.
When Rome arrived, it marked the first time that a power with a firmly European center of gravity came into contact with the Jews. Prior to that, the Jews had been ruled over by Hellenic powers, but Greek civilization was still oriented eastward - the primary enemy of the Greeks were the Persians, and the main portion of the Greek Empire, and its sucessor states lay in Asia and Egypt. This historic shift had a tremendous impact upon the development of Judaism and in many ways ushered in the most bitter time in Jewish history.
During the next 900 years, the Jews saw their fortunes rise and fall on several occasions, at times losing all sovereignty and facing tremendous threats to their very existence. Yet through it all, as long as they remained faithful to the Torah and worshipped God, they managed to survive, all the while attracting converts in the lands where they lived. The last truly independent sovereign Jewish state was the Hasmonean Kingdom of Judah which lasted until the arrival of the Roman Empire in 37 B.C.E. During the Hasmonean reign many inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah converted to Judaism - one of the very rare instances in which a people were forcibly converted to Judaism occurred during this period.
When Rome arrived, it marked the first time that a power with a firmly European center of gravity came into contact with the Jews. Prior to that, the Jews had been ruled over by Hellenic powers, but Greek civilization was still oriented eastward - the primary enemy of the Greeks were the Persians, and the main portion of the Greek Empire, and its sucessor states lay in Asia and Egypt. This historic shift had a tremendous impact upon the development of Judaism and in many ways ushered in the most bitter time in Jewish history.
The Jews chaffed under Roman rule and attempted to overthrow it on three separate occasions. Each revolt was put down by Roman Imperial troops, with ever increasing brutality. In 135 C.E., after the final rebellion, which had succeeded in establishing a sovereign Jewish state for a mere three years, was finally suppressed, over a half a million Jews were killed, the rebuilt Temple and multiple cities and villages were destroyed, and the survivors were expelled from Jerusalem and many parts of the Holy Land. The practice of Judaism - the teaching and study of the Torah - was banned. Many Jews were carried off as slaves to Rome and its provinces.
After the cataclysm of the destruction of the Temple, and the ensuing exile, Jews found themselves everywhere they went as "strangers in a strange land." The heart of Jewish life- the center of worship, and the holiest place in Judaism - seemingly, had died.
After the cataclysm of the destruction of the Temple, and the ensuing exile, Jews found themselves everywhere they went as "strangers in a strange land." The heart of Jewish life- the center of worship, and the holiest place in Judaism - seemingly, had died.
But the Jews survived.
They could not have imagined it at the time, that as bad as things were, they would manage to grow in number, develop a rich spiritual and cultural tradition in every place where they would live, and nearly 2000 years later, their descendants would return to the Holy Land, and reestablish a sovereign state. But they also could not have imagined, as bad as things were, that in the future, on many occasions, things would become far worse.
For the first time, Jews in significant numbers left the middle eastern part of the world that had nourished them for centuries - the "Levant", Egypt, the Fertile Crescent - and entered into the cold continental climes of Europe. With the adoption of Christianity, and later Islam, by the ruling powers in all of the lands were Jews came to live in exile, the best that the Jews could hope for, was to survive as a "tolerated" minority ; and their survival as a people depended upon maintaining a strong sense of identity and encouraging and promoting the development of Judaism within Jewish communities, and strengthening the commitment to the Torah, to fellow Jews, and to the family as an institution.
To be sure, there were some periods of great enlightenment, such as the "Golden Age" in Moorish Spain, but these periods were intermittent between periods of oppression. Christianity and Islam are missionary religions. Over the centuries, on many occasions, Christian and Muslim powers have attempted to persuade, coerce, and force Jews to abandon Judaism. Although some did convert, far more refused to do so, and either lived as second class citizens, fled, or died a martyr's death. By and large oppression against Jews was far worse in Europe - the world of "Christiandom" - than in Muslim lands.
Regardless of the relative level of persecution that they faced, in virtually every nation where they lived, although missionary activity towards Jews was not only accepted, but often a matter of policy, missionary activity by Jews, towards non-Jews, was deemed a crime, frequently punsihable by death. Punishment usually would be meted out not only towards the Jews who were adjudged to have sought out a non-Jewish convert, but also to the convert, himself. Moreover, the local Jewish communities would be all too likely to feel the wrath of collective punishment - rape, beatings, mob violence, murders - in response to a claim of Jewish proselytizing.
Additionally, from the 10th century C.E. onward, Jews faced mass expulsions from many communities where they lived throughout Europe. The expulsions were usually accompanied by the expropriation of any property, goods and land they might have owned. It obviously would be quite difficult to persuade anyone to convert to Judaism when Jews were struggling merely o survive as they fled from one city and nation to the next. Moreover, seeing this wretched existence, who wouldn't thank God that they were not a Jew, let alone consider becoming a Jew?
They could not have imagined it at the time, that as bad as things were, they would manage to grow in number, develop a rich spiritual and cultural tradition in every place where they would live, and nearly 2000 years later, their descendants would return to the Holy Land, and reestablish a sovereign state. But they also could not have imagined, as bad as things were, that in the future, on many occasions, things would become far worse.
For the first time, Jews in significant numbers left the middle eastern part of the world that had nourished them for centuries - the "Levant", Egypt, the Fertile Crescent - and entered into the cold continental climes of Europe. With the adoption of Christianity, and later Islam, by the ruling powers in all of the lands were Jews came to live in exile, the best that the Jews could hope for, was to survive as a "tolerated" minority ; and their survival as a people depended upon maintaining a strong sense of identity and encouraging and promoting the development of Judaism within Jewish communities, and strengthening the commitment to the Torah, to fellow Jews, and to the family as an institution.
To be sure, there were some periods of great enlightenment, such as the "Golden Age" in Moorish Spain, but these periods were intermittent between periods of oppression. Christianity and Islam are missionary religions. Over the centuries, on many occasions, Christian and Muslim powers have attempted to persuade, coerce, and force Jews to abandon Judaism. Although some did convert, far more refused to do so, and either lived as second class citizens, fled, or died a martyr's death. By and large oppression against Jews was far worse in Europe - the world of "Christiandom" - than in Muslim lands.
Regardless of the relative level of persecution that they faced, in virtually every nation where they lived, although missionary activity towards Jews was not only accepted, but often a matter of policy, missionary activity by Jews, towards non-Jews, was deemed a crime, frequently punsihable by death. Punishment usually would be meted out not only towards the Jews who were adjudged to have sought out a non-Jewish convert, but also to the convert, himself. Moreover, the local Jewish communities would be all too likely to feel the wrath of collective punishment - rape, beatings, mob violence, murders - in response to a claim of Jewish proselytizing.
Additionally, from the 10th century C.E. onward, Jews faced mass expulsions from many communities where they lived throughout Europe. The expulsions were usually accompanied by the expropriation of any property, goods and land they might have owned. It obviously would be quite difficult to persuade anyone to convert to Judaism when Jews were struggling merely o survive as they fled from one city and nation to the next. Moreover, seeing this wretched existence, who wouldn't thank God that they were not a Jew, let alone consider becoming a Jew?
All of these circumstances understandably lead to great reluctance on the part of the Jewish people to proselytize and a disdain for seeking converts to the faith. The key to Jewish survival for nearly 2000 years has been to strengthen communal bonds and religious observance from within, but never to try to gain new Jews through inducement to convert; such efforts were always perceived as counterproductive and far more likely to lead to a tragic end both for the Jews, and the potential converts. Judaism now contends with this vestigial "galut" mentality.
The unfortunate but not unforeseeable result of this attitude is that many sincere seekers of truth and potentially devout followers of the Torah have been turned away. Jews are smeared as tribal, racist and ethnocentric. And in the end, people who could have been greatly enriched by the ethical and spiritual treasure trove of Judaism are no better off, and Jews are alone and isolated, as always.
Communal disinclination to encourage converts not only deprives the Jewish people of much needed human fellowship, but it also deprives our fellow man of exposure to a way of life, a system of ethics and cultural tradition that has sustained the Jewish people during the hardest of times, and which could be a powerful force for good and empowerment for those who open their hearts. There are many people in this world for whom the promise of other religions has not been fulfilled. There are still more - millions - who other religions have simply left behind. The victims of genocide in Africa, the degraded Al Akhdam of Yemen, the 250 million victims of the 4000 year old abomination called "untouchability" in India, Nepal, and other South Asian countries are but a few examples. How better to sanctify the Holy Name, than to uplift these people, all made in the image of God, by bringing them to the Torah?
Communal disinclination to encourage converts not only deprives the Jewish people of much needed human fellowship, but it also deprives our fellow man of exposure to a way of life, a system of ethics and cultural tradition that has sustained the Jewish people during the hardest of times, and which could be a powerful force for good and empowerment for those who open their hearts. There are many people in this world for whom the promise of other religions has not been fulfilled. There are still more - millions - who other religions have simply left behind. The victims of genocide in Africa, the degraded Al Akhdam of Yemen, the 250 million victims of the 4000 year old abomination called "untouchability" in India, Nepal, and other South Asian countries are but a few examples. How better to sanctify the Holy Name, than to uplift these people, all made in the image of God, by bringing them to the Torah?
Encouraging conversion is not inimical to Judaism; rather, it is concomitant with the practice of Judaism. "Tikkun Olam" - is not an empty platitude, it is a moral imperative conferring honor and blessings upon those who pursue it. In pursuing "Tikkun Olam" we seek to repair that which is broken, for our own sake, and for the sake of humanity.
In closing I would like to point out a syllogism that I have observed. Those suffering from the inhumanity of untouchability are known as "Dalits". In Hindi, "Dalit" means "broken people". In Hebrew, "Dalit" means "to draw water", as Rebekah did for Eliezer in the famous biblical example of loving kindness, the mitzvah of "chessed". There can be no clearer sign. Perhaps it was for this purpose that God gave us the very notion of "Tikkun Olam", and perhaps the Dalits were placed on this earth so that we could meet and work together to perfect God's world.
In closing I would like to point out a syllogism that I have observed. Those suffering from the inhumanity of untouchability are known as "Dalits". In Hindi, "Dalit" means "broken people". In Hebrew, "Dalit" means "to draw water", as Rebekah did for Eliezer in the famous biblical example of loving kindness, the mitzvah of "chessed". There can be no clearer sign. Perhaps it was for this purpose that God gave us the very notion of "Tikkun Olam", and perhaps the Dalits were placed on this earth so that we could meet and work together to perfect God's world.
The great sage Hillel said:
If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? (Pirkei Avot 1:14)
If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? (Pirkei Avot 1:14)
Indeed, if the Jewish people do not take care of themselves, clearly, no one will, but if we do not reach out to others, to bring the light of the Torah and the Laws of God - to increase our fold, what kind of people are we - what kind of future do we have? And if we do not do it now, when we have strong communities in many nations and also sovereignty in our land, when will we ever be able to do it?
If at some point in the future, we have failed to reach out, and there are hundreds of millions of people throughout the world who suffer, and to whom we could have given a voice through Judaism, and to whom we could have given dignity through Judaism, and whose allegiance and goodwill we could have nurtured through Judaism, and they fail to take our side when we are unfairly and selectively prosecuted for something, and our very existence is under threat, as we search in vain for allies and freinds will we really have anyone but ourselves to blame for our isolation?
