40
votes
Accepted
"Am I Jewish?"
According to traditional Judaism, you are Jewish if and only if you yourself have validly converted to Judaism OR your birth mother was Jewish at the time of your birth (Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer 7:...
- 96k
14
votes
Does the gentile seeking conversion have more obligations than a Noahide Person?
God expects Jews to follow the torah and gentiles to follow the Noachide laws. Until you've converted you're still a gentile and don't have additional heavenly obligations.
Perhaps you have heard of ...
- 56.1k
14
votes
Accepted
When is a convert's Hebrew birthday?
Dinonline answers,
Although a Ger is considered to be “born anew” when becoming Jewish,
this is a halachic concept that relates to family relationship and the
like, and it is not a “biological ...
- 12.9k
14
votes
How can a Jew Exit / Leave their Religion?
I believe you have misunderstood the text. The interviewee is saying that in Islamic law it is forbidden to change from any one religion to any other religion other than Islam. So according to Islamic ...
- 24.5k
14
votes
How Do Modern Orthodox Women Typically Dress?
There is a wide variety out there. I'd recommend Googling some synagogues that you might visit post-pandemic, and often there are photos there of its members. That should give you some sense. If you ...
- 128k
13
votes
Can descendants of Amalek become Jewish?
We can see how the commandment to eradicate Amalek does not contradict the possibility of converting to Judaism, from Rambam's description of the eradication process (Hilchot Melachim 6:1-4, Touger ...
- 48.4k
13
votes
Does a transgender male convert require a Hatafas Dam Bris?
Here is an excerpt from Encyclopedia Halachit Refuit from Dr. Avraham Steinberg.
Translation (my own): A women who underwent surgery to appear like a man, even if they formed for her a male limb, ...
- 1,123
12
votes
Converts to be treated as if they were born Jewish
Does Vayikro (Leviticus) 19:34 suit?
כְּאֶזְרָח מִכֶּם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם הַגֵּר | הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם וְאָהַבְתָּ
לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי יְקוָֹק
אֱלֹקיכֶם
The ...
- 46.5k
12
votes
Can someone convert to "Messianic Judaism"?
So-called "Messianic Judaism", meaning something that claims Jesus is the aforementioned messiah, is not accepted by mainstream Judaism. It is presumably possible to "convert" to ...
- 56.1k
12
votes
Accepted
Circumcision for conversion of someone whose male genitalia have been removed
The Shulchan Arukh (YD 268:1) rules (like the Tur, quoting a Gaon; see too Tosfot Yevamot 46b) that a male whose genitals have been removed ("Nikhrat haGid") doesn't need Milah or Hatafat Dam Berit, ...
- 96k
12
votes
If I want to be a Jew, can I take any name from the Tanakh?
There is no law (halacha) requiring a convert to choose a certain name. So it would appear as well from a responsum of one of our great authorities, R. Asher b. Jehiel (§15:4).
Examples of converts ...
- 11.8k
12
votes
Halachically, must a Jewish convert sever ties with his non-Jewish family?
Unless there were extenuating circumstances at play, I think someone has gone too far here.
Maimonides Laws of the Rebel, 5:11:
הגר אסור לקלל אביו הגוי, ולהכותו ולבזהו--כדי שלא יאמרו, באו מקדושה ...
- 128k
11
votes
Accepted
Why did the son of the Egyptian and Jew have to convert?
Ramban says that by "he converted", it means he chose to live according to a Jewish lifestyle. The rest of the nations followed the patrilineal system, according to which he would have been Egyptian. ...
- 22.9k
11
votes
Does Orthodox Judaism Recognize Reform Conversions?
The issue here is essentially one of lowest common denominator. A conversion will only be accepted by Group X if they think that Group Y, who oversaw the conversion, did so appropriately and ...
- 96k
11
votes
Accepted
Tribe of Converts
No, at present male Gerim and their male children do not have an inheritance in the land of Israel. Inheritance of property comes through the male line, meaning father to son.
Male converts do not ...
- 13k
11
votes
Why are Converts required to use "Ben Avraham" instead of "Ben Ysrael"?
Abraham was the first convert. He was not born into anything but the idol worshipping traditions of his day. He recognized G-D and served Him. He also brought others to that recognition. He was the ...
- 10.6k
11
votes
Currently in a marriage with a non-observant Jewish woman and I want to convert to Orthodox
Greetings and welcome to J.SE.
Many born-Jewish couples have worked out agreements whereby one spouse's level of observance is higher than another's. Some of the biggest questions involve matters ...
- 128k
11
votes
How can geirus (conversion to Judaism) be done without the prospective convert knowing at least the basics of ALL the mitzvos?
Viewing geirut as spelling out every detail of the b'rit seems impractical. Even many Jews from birth don't know the basics of all the commandments, and while it's reasonable to have a higher bar for ...
- 56.1k
11
votes
"She may marry any Jewish man"
They meant "other than a Kohen, she can marry any Jewish man that a born-Jewess can marry"; her status as a convert poses no additional issues. (In fact, she can marry more men than a born-Jewess, as ...
- 128k
10
votes
what percentage of Reform Jews are halachically Jewish?
Non-halachic Reform Jews are those whose mother was not Jewish, yet they consider themselves Jewish because of either a heterodox conversion or patrilineal descent. We can mostly figure out the ...
- 454
10
votes
Accepted
What should a conversion candidate expect in a Reform three-judge rabbinic court (Bet Din)?
I'm a layperson (not a rabbi) who's spoken with and helped teach Reform conversion candidates. This answer is based on that experience; see also the CCAR's guidelines for conversion.
The beit din ...
- 56.1k
10
votes
Accepted
If I wanted to convert to Judaism, would I need to have my circumcision repeated?
Normally the circumcision preformed by a physician is sufficient to meet the physical requirements of "milah" (circumcision), nevertheless a process known as "hatafas dam bris" (הטפת דם ברית) is ...
- 13.2k
10
votes
Does a child born to a mother that converted when she was pregnant need Pidyon HaBen?
Yes, the child would need to redeem himself when he grows up. (Mishna Bechorot 8:1, ShA YD 305:20)
- 96k
10
votes
Accepted
Shelo asani goy- converts
The question of whether or not converts recite the blessing goes back many centuries.
Say it
Some hold that he does recite the blessing. (Cf. Ba'er Heitev (OH 46)).
Don't Say it
Abudirham (Birkhot ...
- 35.1k
10
votes
Why cannot a convert make certain statements? I feel they are being pushed away at the same time respect is being given to them
You're absolutely right to compare this statement to saying "our fathers" in tefillah. The mishnah in Bikkurim 1:4 makes the same comparison and rules that a convert can't say either one.
We don't ...
- 9,019
10
votes
Accepted
What is the source for pushing away the convert three times?
It's in the Midrash [Ruth Rabbah 2:16]:
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani said in the name of Rav Yehudah ben Hanina: Three times is it written [in the Book of Ruth] "turn back", corresponding to the three ...
- 18.4k
9
votes
Convert in Ketubah
In general, only one status is needed to be listed.
For a Jewish born virgin, besulah is written because she is due 200 zuz upon divorce/death of husband.
For a Jewish born "widow" (I'm not sure why ...
- 5,952
9
votes
Why did the son of the Egyptian and Jew have to convert?
Rav Hirsch on 24:10 states that one reason for the doubt is that he was born before the revelation. This would make it a case in which a woman converts after she has given birth so that the child is ...
- 42.5k
9
votes
When is it acceptable for a non-Jew working towards Orthodox conversion to grow peyot?
It depends.
If you mean that until now you have been completely shaving them like a crew cut, then letting them grow a bit should be fine, no one would really notice a major change. (Click here for a ...
- 289
9
votes
What is the function of a beis din in regards to a non-Jew becoming a Jew
It is a Biblical injunction that there must be 3 people involved at some point in conversion as in a monetary court decision - see the top of Kiddushin 62b, for example: גר צריך שלשה מאי טעמא משפט ...
- 57.8k
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