Page 313 Tal. 64b
…’Who is ger toshavגר תושב
ger: “foreigner” or “alien” + toshav: “resident”,”resident alien”is a halakhic term used in Judaism to designate the legal status of a Gentile (non-Jew) living in the Land of Israel who does not want to convert to Judaism but agrees to observe the Seven Laws of Noah? Any [gentile] who takes it upon himself in the presence of three haberim Plural of Haber (lit. “fellow”, “associate”) opp. to aha-are (q.v.) one scrupulous in the observance of the law, particularly in relation to ritual cleanness and separation of the priestly and Levitical dues. not to warship idols such is the statement of R. Meir’; but sages declare: any [gentile] who takes it upon himself the seven precepts, which the sons of Noah undertook; and still others maintain: These do not come within the category of a ger toshavגר תושב
ger: “foreigner” or “alien” + toshav: “resident”,”resident alien”is a halakhic term used in Judaism to designate the legal status of a Gentile (non-Jew) living in the Land of Israel who does not want to convert to Judaism but agrees to observe the Seven Laws of Noah, but who is a ger toshav? A proselyte who eats eats of animals not ritually slaughtered, i.e., he took upon himself to observe all the precepts mentioned in the Torah apart from the prohibition of [eating the flesh] of animals not ritually slaughtered. We may leave such a man alone with wine [1] Without it’s being disqualified as yen nesek. This is not allowed with a heathen. —YEN NESEK (lit “wine of libation”) wine forbidden to a Jew because it has been handled by an idolater who may dedicated it as an offering to his deity., but we may not deposit wine in his charge even in a city where a majority of the residents are Israelites.[2] For fear that he might erroneously exchange it with his wine, which is forbidden We may, however, leave him alone with wine in a city where a majority of the residents are heathens; and his oil is like wine. How can it enter your mind to say that his oil is like his wine; oil can become Nesek!
[The wording must be amended to] his wine is like oil, [3] i.e., just as his oil may be used by Jews so his wine be used by them. but in every other respect he is like a heathen? Rabban Simeon says: His wine is a yen nesek (lit. “wine of libation”) wine forbidden to a Jew because it has been handled by an idolater who may dedicated it as an offering to his deity.. Another version (of Rabban Simeon’s statment) is: “It is allowed to be drunk (by Isaelites)”. At all events it teaches that “in every other respect he is like a heathen”. For what practical purpose (is this mentioned)? Is it not that he can annul an idol in the same manner as an idolater?- R. Nahman b. Isaac said “No; it is in connection with his power to transfer or renounce ownership, [4] of a piece of land to combine it with the property of a jew for the purpose of uniting them to enable an article to be carried from one place to another within that area om the Sabbath. : as it has been taught: an apostate Israelite who publicly observes the Sabbath [5] Whatever he may doin private. The fact that he observes it publicly indicate that his Jewish sensibility has not been completely suppressed. may renounce his ownership, but if he does not observe the Sabbath publicly he may not renounce his ownership because 9the Rabbis) said: An Israelite may transfer or renounce his ownership, whereas with a heathen this can be done by renting (his property). In what way? – (One Israelite) can say to another (Israelite), My ownership is acquired by you; my ownership is renounced in your favor and the latter has thereby acquired (the property) [6] By the mere declaration, without the purchase money having been first paid. without the necessity of formal assignment.
More On Converts
- Abodah ZarahPage 313 Tal. 64b …’Who is ger toshavגר תושבger: “foreigner” or “alien” + toshav: “resident”,”resident alien”is a halakhic term used in Judaism to designate the legal status of a Gentile (non-Jew) living in the Land of Israel who does not want to convert to Judaism but agrees to observe the Seven Laws of Noah? Any […]
- ProselytesThe Second Temple era was a time when many people converted to Judaism as noted in the Encyclopaedia Judacia 13:1182. It is interesting to know that during this period, the term “ger,” which means stranger or alien, became associated with proselyte. The book of Matthew in the New Testament mentions Pharisees who “compassed sea and […]
- YebamothTalmud 47b The Master said, “If a man desires to become a proselyte… he is to be addressed as follows: ‘What reason have you for desiring to become a proselyte..’ and he is made aquainted with some of the major commandments.” What is the reason? — In order that if he desires to withdraw let […]
- Proselytes (law of conversion)From The Encylopaedia Judacia 13:1183-1184 The procedure, established by the tannaim, according to which a non-Jew may be into the Jewish faith, was elucided as follows: “in our days, when a proselyte came to be converted we say to him: ‘What is your objective? Is it not known to you that the people of Israel […]
- ProselytesThe Encyclopaedia Judaica 13:1182 contains a fascinating analysis that provides extensive evidence of an increasingly common trend towards the conversion to Judaism during the Second Temple period. This period, especially in its later stages, witnessed a marked rise in the use of the term “ger”, previously reserved for referring to strangers or aliens, to denote […]