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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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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(How) did the South African rabbinate deal with non-white conversion candidates during apartheid?
As I understand it, during apartheid, the South African government treated the Jews as "white."
Did it ever happen that someone in a different racial group expressed interest in converting to Judaism ...
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Is there a halachic preference for milah over hatafas dam bris?
While hatafas dam bris is clearly valid for a convert who is already circumcised, is this considered bedieved? Suppose a man who is not already circumcised intends to convert.
Suppose he is also ...
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Field owned by nobody?
I feel like I should have seen this discussed somewhere, but I have no memory of it.
If someone dies with no sons and his daughters inherit his fields, one of the daughters marries a convert, and ...
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Does a Ger have a Chiyuv to get an Aliya?
Inspired by the comments to my answer about (pseudo) 2nd Bar Mitzvahs.
Both the Magen Avraham in 282:18 and the Biur Halocho in 136:1:1 mention that the reason a Bar Mitzva boy has a high priority to ...
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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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Halacha to discourage a convert once every 6 months?
A friend of mine told me that the halacha of discouraging a convert three times has a little nuance - the convert has to make the second and third attempt (to persuade the rabbi to let him convert) at ...
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When did Rus bring a korban?
(Inspired by this answer.)
The gemarah in krisus [8b-9a] discusses the requirement for a convert to bring a korban (sacrifice) to enter into the community. If this is the case, how could Rus have ...
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What if a convert later finds out he was already Jewish?
If someone converts to Judaism, but later credible evidence is found that he was already Jewish (say, due to a distant matrilineal ancestress), is he still treated as a convert for halachic purposes?
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Are all conversions to Orthodox Judaism (Haredi, Hasidic and Modern) recognized in Israel?
I am ready to convert to Judaism, but I am curious about how conversions performed under Orthodox auspices are perceived in Israel. For example, I understand that the current Israeli government is run ...
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Parent/child relationship : how does adoption compare to geirus?
Take a father and daughter who both underwent geirus. Now take a Jewish man who adopted a baby girl of unknown (Jewish) parents. In both situations, the father raises the child since birth. Are the ...
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Convert without accepting mitzvos?
Conversion is always a hot topic, especially here in Israel. Many times conversions take place where the Ger (convert) didn't have the intention to be m'kabel (accept) the mitzvos. People scream and ...
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Can a woman convert to Judaism to marry Kohen due to the concept of sfeik sfeika?
A Rabbi involved in conversions recently told me a story about a conversion he took part in. He came to the Mikvah to take part in the Beis Din (Modern Orthodox Beis Din) and lo and behold he finds ...
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If a convert converted without knowing that their conversion would be permanent
Hypothetically, if a convert converted without knowing that their conversion would be permanent (i.e., cannot convert out), does that make the conversion invalid?
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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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On the occurence and existence of mass conversions to Judaism after antiquity
I've been reading up on conversions to Judaism/the Jewish people and most conversions have been (and are) of an individual nature.
But there seem to have been a few mass conversions along the way.
I ...
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Why did the sea travelers in Yonah 1 proselytize instead of becoming righteous gentiles?
We read in Yonah 1 about the men who traveled on a boat with Yonah. When the sea ceased storming we read:
"And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they made sacrifices to the Lord and made vows."...
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How do we know the maternal line is pure?
This question may seem abstract and strange, but it is genuine.
We obviously don't have ketubot of every marriage and certificates of every conversion, but yet, our assumption is that the Jewish ...
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How can someone prove they converted without the original conversion document?
A parent and child converted many years ago but did not receive any documentation at the time. Since then the Rabbi they were in touch with had died. How could they obtain the appropriate ...
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Believing loshon hara from before conversion
There is a negative commandment forbidding believing negative things about Jews (whether it is permissible to believe about non Jews is a point of contention, and for the purposes of this question let'...
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Is it a sin to deceive one's converting Beis Din?
I am asking about the situation about a convert-in-progress who lies at some point during the conversion process, either--more to-the-point--in response to the prefatory questions about personal ...
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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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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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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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Calling a convert up to the Torah as "Ben Avraham Avinu"
I hear sometimes people being called up to the Torah as "Ploni Ben Avraham Avinu"
I assume that these are people who - by their own choice - wish to advertise that they are converts. (I also ...
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Can a male child be forced to convert?
I have read that an adoptive parent (for example) can convert a minor child as the change in status is considered to the advantage of the child so it does not need his consent. This child can renounce ...
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Why does a Na'arah Me'orasah convert who has illicit relations not receive Skilah?
Kesuvos 4:3:
הַגִּיּוֹרֶת שֶׁנִּתְגַּיְּרָה בִתָּהּ עִמָּהּ, וְזִנְּתָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ בְּחֶנֶק. [...] הָיְתָה הוֹרָתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא בִקְדֻשָּׁה וְלֵדָתָהּ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, הֲרֵי זוֹ בִסְקִילָה. [...] הָיְתָה ...
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Can a convert be considered in-law after the conversion?
I was taught that a convert loses his relations after conversion:
"גר שהתגייר כתינוק שנולד".
First, after Tzipora allegedly converted Yitro is no longer her father in relation to anything Halachic, ...
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If lending a Goy money on the condition that he converts to Judaism, considered receiving ribbis (interest) from a goy or from a Jew?
If someone tells a non Jew I will lend you money on the condition that you convert to Judaism, (and the lender derives personal benefit from the conversion itself), Would this be considered receiving ...
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Is conditional or future geyrus (conversion to Judaism) possible?
If someone goes through the process of geyrus (conversion to Judaism), and (prior to the conversion) he says "I'm only interested in becoming Jewish if-so-and-so happens tomorrow", Is his geyrus ...
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Is there a biblical source for pushing away a potential convert?
From what I understand, partially based on Yevamot 47b and Rambam Hilchot Issuray Biah end of chapter 13 and beginning of chapter 14, when a potential convert first expresses an interest in converting ...
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If someone is in a conversion process are they required to break shabbat?
If someone is in the middle of an orthodox conversion do they HAVE to break shabbat?
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Are gentile circumcisions a sign from God?
A ger tzedek friend of mine told me that he had been circumcised long before his conversion. Another question on bris milah through MY mentioned 55% of non-Jews are circumcised at birth. He mentioned ...
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Do you get to keep your old nefesh and ruach when you convert?
According to our tradition, converts acquire a "new soul" in, or upon emergence from, the conversion mikvah. (Not sure of the original source for this--it may be the Zohar--but there are countless ...
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Is a non-Jew who was Sandek in non-Orthodox brit allowed to be sandek again after conversion?
A few articles like here speak of a custom amongst non-religious groups allowing non-Jews, women, and otherwise to be sandek despite halacha or minhag. It happens whether unfortunate or not. But if '...
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Souls (Neshamos) of converts
When I was in Yeshiva many years ago I heard one of the rebbeim (teachers) of the yeshiva speaking to a young man that had converted to Judaism and that was very successful in learning about "his ...
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How could Haman be a gilgul of Eisav?
The Arizal in Sefer HaGilgulim ch. 35 says that Haman was a gilgul (reincarnation) of Eisav. How is that possible being that Eisav had the din (status) of an Yisroel meshumad (apostate Jew Kidushin ...
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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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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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Who did Shalshelet Hakabblah think Onkelos was?
Rabbi Gedalyah Ibn Yechiyah in Shalshelet Hakabbah wrote:
"In the fourth year of the previously mentioned emperor [Trayatzo (/Trajan?)]...there was a noble priest called Eccasia [אכקזיה] and in ...
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Where does it say that a convert's yetzer hara becomes stronger?
I hear this from many authoritative sources but where is it from Torah she beal peh?
Is it merely because all the mitzvot are now obligatory or are there deeper reasons?
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Are ALL a convert's sins erased?
I've heard a convert's sins are all forgiven when they convert. Are even sins between men erased?
If, G-d forbid, a non-Jew said "I will sin now, and the sin will be forgiven when I convert" ...
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How could Batya convert without a Jewish court?
A follow up to "how-did-batya-know-that-tevilah-is-part-of-conversion".
Rashi in place (Sota 12b) proposes that by dipping in the Nile Batya converted (presumably to Judaism).
For Rashi, how ...
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Jewish Amalekites?
Can an Amalekite convert to Judaism? The Mechilta says no:
Rabbi Eliezer says: The Lord swore by His throne of glory: If a gentile comes to convert to Judaism, he will be accepted. But Amalek and ...
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If someone has children from a non-Jewish woman, should he try to convert the kids?
Suppose a man has children from a non-Jewish woman, though of course the marriage was forbidden. Should he try to convert the kids? Please provide arguments based on Judaism, or Jewish sources that ...
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Another view on halachic conversion
The Shulchan Aruch says that candidates for conversion must do "Kabbalat Mitzvot". In this article, the author argues that this can be fulfilled by asking the candidate "Do you accept liability for ...
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Yechezkel 42:22-23
Yechezkel 42:22 and 23 speaks of the stranger that sojourns with the Israelites that eventually converts and is allowed to receive the tribal inheritance. How does this work if they are not members of ...
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Conversion in Egypt?
I found this quote from Bereshit Rabbah 84:4: Ya'akov, his father, made many converts in Egypt. And another in Shemot Rabbah 18:10 G-d made a joyous occasion for Israel, since He redeemed them - ...
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Why is "ahavas haGer" commanded at least 36 times?
We know that even in respect of gerim tzadikkim, many born Jews were distracted by concerns like "yichus"/race/background/minhagim and value those aspects of personality more than the middot and Torah ...
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Thought and emotional processes in converting?
Seeking written material on the cognitive and affective aspects of converting to Judaism. Are there commonalities among many or most converts to Judaism? What motivates one to convert? Are there ...
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