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Do the Baraitot brought down by Masechet Kutim and other random halachot in the Talmud that were said about "kutim" apply to the 750 remaining Samaritans in the world today (who currently live in Eretz Yisrael), or are these people just as "non-Jewish" as all non-Jews are?

Cf. Second Kings chpt. 17

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    This question, while a good one, needs a lot more background included in the post, or at least some easily accessible links.
    – Double AA
    Commented Jul 22, 2012 at 21:45

1 Answer 1

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The Shulchan aruch Orach Chaim 215,2 says:
אם היה המברך אפיקורוס או כותי או תינוק, או היה גדול ושנה ממטבע הברכות, אין עונין אחריו אמן
If a Kuti makes a Brocho we don't answer Amein afterwords

The Mishna Berura says:
ואע"ג דבגמרא אמרינן שאף בכותי עונין אם שמע כל הברכה מפיו היינו קודם שמצאו להן דמות יונה בהר גרזים שהיו עובדין לה אבל אח"כ לא דכונתן להר גרזים
Even though the Gemora talks about Theoretical cases of Kutim (which are also quoted in Maseches Cutim) this was before an idol of a dove was found on Mount Gerizim which they were worshipping but after (e.g nowadays) they are idol worshippers and not Jewish

It seems has converted them to judaism yet especially as Ezra made a ban in Pirkei derabbi Eliezer Ch38 at the end that they cannot ever convert to Judaism:

מה עשה עזרא וזרובבל בן שאלתיאל ויהושע בן יהוצדק קבצו כל ישראל אל היכל ה' והביאו שלש מאות כהנים ושלש מאות שופורות ושלש מאות ספרי תורות והיו תוקעים בהם והלויים משוררין ומזמרין ומנדין את הכותיים בסוד שם המפורש בכתב הנכתב על הלוחות ובחרם בית דין העליון ובחרם בית דין התחתון שלא יאכל אדם פת כותיים עד עולם מכאן אמרו כל האוכל בשר משחיטת כותי כאילו אוכל בשר חזיר ואל יתגייר אדם כותי ישראל ואין להם חלק בתחיית המתים שנ' לא לכם ולנו לא בעה"ז ולא בעה"ב ועוד שלא יהיה להם חלק ונחלה בירושלם שנ' ולכם אין חלק וצדקה וזכרון בירושלם ושלחו החרם אצל ישראל ועוד הוסיפו עליהם חרם על חרם והמלך כורש קבע עליהם חרם עולם שנ' ואלהא די שכן שמיא תמן.

So no, shomronim are not Jewish whatsoever

But if someone can bring recorded evidence of a conversion of a specific samaritan with Halachic explanation why the Pirkei Derabbin Eliezer doesn't apply then all the minus points would be legitimised . Though Here is proof that they think they are Jewish already and have tried to bypass the Rabbanut and to be recognised as Jews by the government so it is extremely unlikely any of them actually have considerred conversion at all. books.google.co.il/…

And in the very unlikely case they go to the Rabbanut, they are probably check whether they are really "samaritan" or simply arabs that have joined over the years who are fond of their Rittuals (which probably most of them are given assimilation over 2500 years), in which case there is no question that they can convert as they are not the Kutim reffered to in the Gemora. I thank you all for your supportive comments.

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    You already wrote this elsewhere on MY and as I informed you, there is no idol today on Mount Gerizim. Since this question applies to today's Samaritans it would be more honest intellectually to mention that the situation might have changed in the last 84 years...
    – mbloch
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 14:44
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    @mbloch noone has converted them to judaism yet especially as Ezra made a ban that they cannot convert (see my answer there) so if you are saying they are jewish maybe you ought to look up hilchos geirus and speak to the Rabbanut in Israel your minus point is illegitimate as the questioner ask whether they are jewish in the way described in cutim and i said no which is right
    – user15464
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 14:52
  • Remember to include any relevant information in the post; not in comments.
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 15:10
  • @user15464 Maybe he only banned them as geirim so long as they remained idolaters, but now that they are monotheists (as per the discussion on your other answer) they are allowed. Can you provide a source that this is not the case? (Please don’t say something that equates to “that’s just stupid.”)
    – DonielF
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 15:12
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    @user15464 I never said they were Jewish. I actually wrote explicitly they are not Jews. My reaction was when you wrote again that an idol was found and thus they are idolaters. I reacted to say this was not true nowadays. The OP question was whether Samaritans were "regular non-Jews" or whether the "kutim halachot" applied to today's Samaritans. I see nothing in your answer that addresses today's Samaritans. So I don't think your answer answers the question.
    – mbloch
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 15:38

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