Questions tagged [conversion-to-judaism]
Conversion to Judaism. This entails acceptance of the mitzvos, tevila (immersion), and for men, bris milah (circumcision).
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Why does a convert receive bris milah before the mikvah?
Why does the convert have his bris before the mikvah rather than afterwards as a Jew? Seemingly the bris done before is not a mitzvah so why not have him do bris milah after the mikvah?
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Lifnei iver and converts
Is it lifnei iver if you enable someone to violate a strict interpretation? this question asks a related question about Lifnei iver about machlokets. The answer seems to be you can’t have someone ...
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How does one reconcile the fact that Avraham Avinu proselytized to non-Jews and yet Judaism is not a proselytizing religion?
I've read that Avraham Avinu proselytized to anyone he encountered, encouraging them to acknowledge HaShem as the Master of the Universe and express gratitude to Him. Yet, it is generally understood ...
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Half Jew half Gentile
I always thought it was a misconception to be "half-Jewish". Usually the speaker means one of their parents are Jewish, making them either fully Jewish or fully Gentile.
However, I saw today that the ...
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Proselytizing the covenant?
https://youtube.com/shorts/RuNO7R0885c?si=Fwc-02_yqnv-LfDi in this, rabbi Asher Meza of “Torah Judaism international” seems to claim that proselytization is not only allowed, but even a good thing to ...
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I don’t know if I accept my mother's conversion [closed]
My parents were married before I was born and my father had my mother convert before they got married. The place of my mother's conversion was Conservative I would say and it took my mother 2 years to ...
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Can a convert be a prophet?
I don't think there were any gerim amongst the nevi'im, but would it have been possible?
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Royal convert, still royal?
What is the situation with royal converts, i.e., converts who come from royal blood or are of royal relatives? Are they still royal? Do we have to stand for them as with any royal, do we not have to ...
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If a woman is converted as a child and never learns this, what are her children’s status?
A woman is converted as an infant, but was never told of her conversion. She lives her life, marries, has children and grandchildren, and eventually passes away, never knowing the truth. One of her ...
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The origins of Rabbi Akiva
In this lecture, historian Gershon Bar-Kochva recounts the story of how Rabbi Akiva's parents met.
In short, his mother, Sarah, was an orphan living in Lod. Her neighbor was a non-Jew who was ...
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Convert Fanaticism [closed]
Okay. I am not Jewish at all, but I follow the 7 Noahide laws.. my question comes why do some Jewish converts or people that are going through conversion, seem way way over the top and way too fanatic ...
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Was Herod Jewish?
Slightly related.
This topic has been on my mind lately. According to Josephus, Herod's father Antipater was the son of Antipas, one of the Edomites converted by Yochanan Hyrcanus. I asked one of the ...
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If one has reasons to think that their mom is Jewish but still lacks hard proof, should they celebrate Jewish holidays (e.g Yom Kippur) just in case? [closed]
Say one has reasons to suspect that their mother is Jewish and thus, they too would be Jewish but they lack hard proof, should they celebrate Jewish holidays just in case?
Are they halachically ...
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Can deaf people convert?
I read an opinion piece on this topic on Ynet and have also found information about this halachic topic referenced as being in R. Shemuel Balmas's Mishpat Gerim Vol. 1, Ch. 3 Sec. 3, p. 168.
From what ...
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Can a conversion be deemed invalid because of something a rabbi on the beit-din once said?
I've read a post where a person's conversion was deemed inappropriate because one of the Rabbis once said, when asked, 'would you officiate a mixed marriage?' The Rabbi, a distinguished knowledgeable ...
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What's the source of Gerut Lechumra and what is it
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I heard there is a concept called Gerut Lechumra. What does this mean and what are the sources of this in Shulchan Aruch, Rambam and Gemara?
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Did the Himyarite Kingdom (Jewish state from c. 380 CE till 530 CE) have the Talmud/Oral Torah? If they converted without it, are they valid converts?
The Himyarite Kingdom became a Jewish kingdom in what is today Yemen, from around 380 CE at the earliest and continued to be Jewish until around 500 CE with the 530 CE date being the very latest date ...
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Can i convert if I'm pregnant? [closed]
I was late 3 days and my biyfrend was concerned that his familly wouldnt accept the baby because i haven't started the conversion process, i dont even know how to start,Is it possible to have a speedy ...
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Conversion by presumption
This document, in the section running over page 11 onto page 12, refers to Rav Feinstein's chiddush that it is possible to 'convert' to Judaism by chazakah alone, and without a formal beit din. The ...
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R Yitzchak Yosef on kiddushin with ger toshav
Page 31 of this paper gives a Hebrew extract from Shulchan ha-Ma’arechet by R Yitzchak Yosef, in which the author argues that kiddushin is possible between a Jew and a ger toshav. Apparently it comes ...
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Can a convert (ger) become a chabad shliach?
"A convert may not hold a position of Jewish communal authority." (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim 1:4)
The Tzitz Eliezer ruled that a convert may not serve in a lone communal position but he may ...
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Why do I need thousands of dollars to convert to Judaism? [closed]
Shalom. I'm a goy & I've been studying Torah for 4 years.
If a person wants to convert to Judaism, he has to move into a Jewish community. But in my country, I cannot afford doing that. Because ...
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Can someone call himself Jewish if he is in the process of converting?
Shalom! If one is in the final stages of conversion to Orthodox Judaism, is not a Noahide, does not belong to any religion, is it appropriate for him to say he is Jewish? He does not want to tell ...
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Ben Avraham after conversion with jewish father
Are converts with a Jewish father (let's say Shmuel) also called ben Avraham (instead of ben Shmuel)?
Is this so, since your gentile descent is kind of wiped out through the act of conversion?
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Would those of the lost tribes lose their status of Israelites after converting?
Jewishness is determined by matrilineal descent, so those of the lost tribes would have to convert.
But is not tribe determined by patrilineal descent? Being an Israelite means being a “son of Israel”,...
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Is it possible to have non-Jews who are converting (or non-Jewish relatives) over for Yom Tov?
There is a very clear halacha that one is not allowed to invite non-Jews on Yom Tov specifically. See SA OH 514, Yalkut Yosef 512. The only solution presented in the halacha is if they turn up ...
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Is a pre-convert considered a Noahide?
If a non-Jew [ex-Muslim] is working with the Beit Din for an Orthodox Conversion to Judaism, is he still considered to be a Noahide as he does not yet have a status of being Jewish?
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Sefer on Conversion in Halacha
I am looking for a sefer in either english or hebrew that provides a comprehensive discussion on the halachos of conversion. I'm specifically looking for how it has evolved throughout history and the ...
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A Convert taking on customs of ashkanazim or sephardim
When someone converts is there any determining factor on what minhagim (customs) they will take upon themselves in terms of Ashkanazim or Sephardim? Should it be dependent on the Beis Din they ...
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Can a Noahide persuade a non-Jew not to convert to Judaism?
Can a Noahide rebuke and strongly and repeatedly persuade a non-jew [a complete stranger] who is in the process of converting to Judaism, not to covert and rather remain a Noahide and keep the seven ...
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Wives of the Shevatim
Do any midrashim etc detail the names and background of each the wives of the sons of Jacob?
I know the book of Jubilees does, but that is not considered 'canonical'.
Besides that, I only know of the ...
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How would Gentiles come to faith and be accepted as believing Jews?
From the time of the exodus out of Egypt, a great mixed multitude went up with the Hebrew people, bringing their flocks and cattle with them, a mixture of nations of proselytes (see: Where did the ...
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Maintaining A Convert's Privacy
Bava Metzia 58b one is not allowed to remind a convert that they converted. However, they are given the name "Ben Avraham Avinu/bat Sarah Immenu" which makes them stand out and is a constant ...
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Do you call a yid who's had a giyur LECHUMRA "Ben/Bat Avraham Avinu"?
Do you call a yid who's had a giyur LECHUMRA "Ben/Bat Avraham Avinu"?
So basically if a yid grows up with the Hebrew name Shlomo ben Chaim or something like that then finds out his yichus is ...
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Does a child who is adopted by a Kohen inherit Kohen status? [duplicate]
Would such a child (non Jewish) who is adopted and converts inherit any status from his father? Has any posek ruled on this? Is there halacha for this?
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What song did Avraham ben Avraham sing before he was killed?
Avraham ben Avraham or Count Valentine Potocki, converted to Judaism and was burned at the stake for doing so by the Roman Catholic Church. Before he was killed he sang a song that was later used in ...
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Am I considered Jewish if? [duplicate]
my great-grandmother's grandparents were Russian Jews who left Russia during the programs in the early 1900s. When they came over to the United States, they had my great-great grandmother, who then ...
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Why can it not be possible that God could see the power it would have over the world, that sending part of himself to save the ones who strayed away? [closed]
My problem is I want to be Jewish, I dont understand why Jesus, cant be real. If hes able to make the majority even slightly better than luke warm, will God still spit them out? Doesnt God reward the ...
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Hakhel and the gerim
The mitzvah for Hakhel (lit. to gather or to assemble) can be found in sefer Devarim, perek 31:10.
And Moshe commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in
the time of the year of ...
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May someone risk danger and harm to convert?
Historically there have been times where converting to Judaism was a crime punishable by the local rulers. The severity of the punishment in some instances was as extreme as being put to death.
I ...
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Convert taking name of his adopted father
According to some opinions, an adopted convert can go by ben-his adopted father's name (in terms of calling to the Torah for instance), would this apply only to people adopted under a certain age?
If ...
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What commandments can a gentile take on?
I'm currently a gentile who believes that Judaism is true. I understand that I don't need to be Jewish to share in the world to come, and I understand that being a Noahide is much easier, however, it ...
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Can a Gentile Convert to Judaism AFTER the Coming of the Moshiach?
As a non-Jew, I have been wondering whether or not it would be better for me to convert to Judaism or to keep the seven mitzvot. This decision is a difficult one for me. On the one hand, I can remain ...
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May a non-Jew who has not undergone gerus teach Torah to Jews?
Shalom.
I recently gave answer on Mi Yodeya here:
Does coming to God near death count less than coming to God when times are good?
I took a chance on this. I wasn't sure this was lawful. As explained ...
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Tefillin & Shabbos for a giyur lchumra? [closed]
Should someone’s whose yiddishkeit is questionable wear tefillin and keep Shabbos?
Should someone who’s in the process of conversion do so as well?
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Does a convert say kaddish for his parents when they pass? [duplicate]
Does a convert say kaddish for his parents when they pass? If yes is this limited to a Jewish parent (father) or does this include a non Jewish parent? If it does include a non-Jewish parent would it ...
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Are there any poskim who rule that Karaites require geirus l'chumra?
I was reading that the reason the Tzitz Eliezer considered the status of Ethiopian Jews to be a safek was the fact that the Radbaz mentioned in one of his teshuvos on the subject of Ethiopian Jews ...
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Question on Maran Ovadia Yosef's ruling for Ethiopian Jews
Given that it is well established both in the writings of the Radbaz on this matter and the oral traditions of Ethiopian Jews themselves, that it was a common occurrence for Christians from the ...
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should i even look for my soulmate? [closed]
shalom everyone,
my question is complicated to say the least....and to be honest...even if i cant find an answer here...im hoping i can at least share a little my burden here
im a woman of 40 years ...
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Can a Jew lose their Jewish Status?
Can a Jew lose their status as being a Jew by performing any action (example: performing idolatry, disavowing core beliefs, converting to another religion, etc)? Or once a person is a Jew then they ...
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