Category: Proselyte

Abodah Zarah

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 Torahתּוֹרָה‎ Tōrā,/ˈtɔːrə, ˈtoʊrə/; law, teaching, direction, instruction – The first five books of the Bible or also called “the books of Moses” comes from an archery term meaning to shoot. 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 doing 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 Sabbathשַׁבָּת‎ romanized: Šabbāṯ, [ʃa’bat], lit. ’rest’ or ‘cessation’) is Judaism’s day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the creation of the heavens and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt, and look forward to a future Messianic Age. Since the Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday For more info click here publicly he may not renounce his ownership because (the 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. See the Babylonian Talmud

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Proselytes

The 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 land to make one proselyte” in Matthew 23:15. However, it is possible this might have been an exaggeration by the rabbis. They took this claim as an opportunity to assert that their most prominent figures were descended from proselytes. What is particularly fascinating is the differing approaches of Hillel and Shammai to teaching potential proselytes the principles of Judaism. We can see this in various incidents such as in Shabb.31a. These incidents highlight the fact that religious conversion was a crucial and prevalent topic during the era of the Second Temple, making it a fascinating time to study.

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Yebamoth

Talmud 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 him do soLit., ‘that if he separates let him separate, for R. Helbo said: ProselytesE.V. stranger areas hard for Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל Transliteration: yiśrā’ēl The name Israel (Septuagint Ancient Greek: Ἰσραήλ, Israēl, “El (God) persists/rules” or “God prevails”) refers to the patriarch Jacob who, according to the Hebrew Bible, was given the name after he successfully wrestled with the Angel of the Lord. The earliest known archaeological artifact to mention the word Israel as a collective is the Merneptah Stele of ancient Egypt (dated to the late-13th century BCE) for more info click here [to endure] as a sore they will be like a sore, because it is written in Scripture , And the proselyte shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob CF Kid, 70b, Did. 13a infra. 109b An influx of proselytes tend lower the moral standards of Judaism. ‘He is informed of the sin [of neglect of the commandment of] Gleanings, the Forgotten Sheaf, the Corner and the Poor Man’s Tithe.’ What is the reason? R. Hiyya b, Abba replied in the name of R. Johanan: Because a Noachide would rather be killed than spend so much as a perutah the smallest coin which is not returnable Hence he is informed of the laws of yearly gifts to the poor. On learning of the Israelite’s financial obligations to the causes of charity would either resign himself to the inevitable or withdraw altogether from his intended conversion.. He is not, however, to be persuaded or dissuaded too much. R. Eleazar said: What is Scriptual proof? – It is written, and when saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her she left off speaking unto her. We are forbidden, Naomi told Ruth, [to move on the Sabbath beyond the] Sabbath boundaries A distance of two thousand cubits in every direction from one’s town, abode or resting place which one is permitted to move on the Sabbath.! — ‘Whither thou goest‘  [the other replied] ‘I will go’ ‘We are forbidden private meeting between man and woman’ ‘Where thou lodgest, I will Lodge.’ – ‘Thy people shall be my people.’ ‘We are forbidden idolatry!’ – ‘And thy God my God.’ ‘We have been commanded 613 commandments!’ Four modes of death penalties for various offenses. were entrusted to Beth din ‘Where thou diest, I will die‘ ‘Two graveyard were placed at the disposal of the Beth’ – And there will I be buried. Presently she saw that she was steadfastly minded etc. Read more here

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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 are wretched, driven about exiled, and in constant suffering?’ If he says : ‘I know of this and I do not have the merit’ we accept him immediately and we inform him of some of the lighter precepts and some of the severer ones… We inform him of the chastisements for transgression of the precepts and we also inform him of the reward for obcepts… and we also inform him of the reward for observing these precepts… we should not overburden him nor be meticulous with him.” (Yev. 47a: CF. Ger. 1 in: M.Higger, Sheva Masskhott Ketannot (1930, 68-69) R. Eliezar and R. Joshua disagreed as to whether someone who immersed himself but was not circumcised or vice versa could be considered a proselyte. According to R. Eliezer, he is a proselyte, even if he performed only one of these commandments. R. Joshua, however, maintained that immersion was indispensable. The halakhic conclusion is that “he is not a proselyte unless he has both been circumcised and has immersed himself” (Yev.46) The act of conversion must take place before a betdin, consisting of three members; a conversion carried out the proselyte when alone is invalid (Yev. 46b -47a). There is a suggestion that the three members of the bet din must be witnesses only to his acceptance of the precepts but not the immersion. Maimonides however decided (Yad, Issurei Bi’ah 13:7), that a proselyte who immersed himself in the presence of two member only is not a proselyte. The schools of Shammai and Hillel differed on the issue of proselyte who had already been circumcised at the time of his conversion: “Bet Shammai states ‘One need not draw the blood of circumcision from him” (Tosef., Shab 15:9 TB, Shab. 135a; Maim. Yad. Issure Bi’ah 14:5 Sh. Ar YD 268:1) and “who have sanctified us with your commandments and have commanded us to circumcise proselytes and to draw from them blood of the covenant.” (Shab. 137b)is said in the circumcision benediction of the proselytes. A proselyte must observe all the precepts that bind Jews. The statement: “There shall be one law for the citizen and one for the stranger that dwells amongst you” (Ex. 12:29).which refers to the paschal lamb, the sages interpreted to mean that the stranger (proselyte) was the equal of the citizen concerning all precepts of the torah (Mekh. Pisha, 15) They tried to equalize the status of the proselyte and that of the Jew; Certain differences stemming from the origin of the convert, however, remained.

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Proselytes

The 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 proselytes. Further evidence of proselytization activity is documented in “Strangers and Gentiles”, contradicting claims that this practice was limited. Although Matthew 23:15’s claim that the Pharisees “compass sea and land to make one proselyte” may appear exaggerated, a significant spike in conversion cannot be denied. Fascinatingly, some of the most esteemed Jewish leaders were descendants of proselytes, exposing a welcoming attitude. The enthusiastic approaches of Shammai and Hillel in teaching prospective proselytes about Judaism, as recorded in Shabbat 31a, offer an example of differing acceptance methods. This intricate dynamic presents both welcoming and dissemination of Jewish beliefs.

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