כִּי֩ יְרַחֵ֨ם יְהוָ֜ה אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֗ב וּבָחַ֥ר עוֹד֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהִנִּיחָ֖ם עַל־אַדְמָתָ֑ם וְנִלְוָ֤ה הַגֵּר֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְנִסְפְּח֖וּ עַל־בֵּ֥ית יַעֲקֹֽב׃
Sapagkat kahahabagan ng Walang-Hanggan ang Jacob, at muli Niyang pipiliin ang Israel, at patitirahin Niya sila nang panatag sa kanilang sariling lupa; at ang dayuhan ay makikiisa sa kanila, at sila'y sasama sa sambahayan ni Jacob.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Fol. 47) Our Rabbis were taught: When a proselyte comes and desires to be converted to Judaism nowadays, he is asked: "What is your reason for desiring to be converted to Judaism? Are you not aware that Israel is broken down nowadays [under persecution] driven around [from one place to another], covered in mourning and tossed about, subject to so much affliction?" If he say: "I am aware of the fact and am not worthy even as they are," he is immediately accepted into Judaism. (Ib. b.) He is then informed concerning some of the light commandments, and some of the vigorous commandments [requiring self-denial], so that if upon such information, he desires to withdraw, he may do so. Because, R. Chelbo said: "Proselytes are as bad to Israel as a sore (Sappachath) is on the skin, for it is written (Is. 14, 1) And the strangers shall be joined unto them (V'nisspechu), and they shall attach themselves to the house of Jacob." He is then informed of the sin of [neglecting] Leket, Shik'cha, Peah, and Thites for the poor. Why these commandments? R. Chiya b. Aba said in the name of R. Jochanan: "Because the penalty of a Noahide for stealing a thing to the amount of even less than the smallest coin is death," [and thus upon observing that the poor take grain from his field, he might kill them for it.] The proposed proselyte is then informed concerning the punishment for [transgressing] the positive commandments; i.e., he is told: "You should be aware of the fact that prior to your conversion, when you had eaten fat [designated for the altar] you were not subject to Divine [capital] punishment; or if you had profaned the Sabbath [by doing any forbidden labor] you were not subject to the penalty of being executed by stoning; but henceforth if you eat the fat you will be subject to Divine [capital] punishment, and if you violate the Sabbath you will be subject to the penalty of stoning." Just as he is informed concerning the punishment [in the event of failure to observe] these commandments, so is he also informed concerning the reward [upon the fulfillment] of these commandments. He is told: "You shall be aware of the fact that the future world has been created for none else than the righteous, and that Israel nowadays is capable of withstanding the trials neither of much wealth nor of much retribution." No further [aversion] is to be used for him and no particular attention is to be paid [to his knowledge]. R. Elazar said: "What is the passage from whence we infer the above? It is written (Ruth 1, 18) When she thus saw that she was persisting to go with her, she left off speaking unto her. This means that Na'omi said unto Ruth: 'We are subject to Sabbatical limitations.' Whereupon the response came (Ib.) For whither thou goest, will I go. 'We are subject to the prohibition of privacy between a man and woman.' (Ib.) Where thou lodgest will I lodge. 'We are instructed to live in accordance with six hundred and thirteen commandments.' Whereupon Ruth replied (Ib) Thy people shall be my people. 'We are warned against idolatry.' (Ib) And thy God is my God. 'We are under jurisdiction of the court which has the right to execute us with either of the four kinds of capital punishment. (Ib.) Where thou diest shall I die. 'The court has even the right to bury one upon one of the two cemeteries it chooses.! (Ib) And there will I be buried, came again Ruth's reply. Immediately after this the passage said: When she thus saw that she was persisting to go," etc.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
Rabba b. Huna said: "There is one great preference between an Israelite and a Proselyte. Concerning the Israelite the passage reads (Ez. 37, 27) And I will be their God, and they shall be My people, but concerning a Proselyte it is written (Jer. 30, 21) For who is this that has pledged his heart to approach unto Me?" R.Chelbo said:"Proselytes are as bad to Israel as a sore on the skin; for it is written (Is. 14, 1) And the stranger shall be joined unto them, and they shall attach (V'niss'pechu) themselves to the house of Jacob. It is written here [in the Text] V'niss'pchu, and it is written [concerning leprosy] the same expression (Lev. 14, 56) And for a swelling and for a rising (Sapachath)." R. Chama b. Chanina said: "At the time when the Holy One, praised be He, (Fol. 71) will purify the tribes He will commence with the tribe of Levi first, as it is said (Mal. 3, 3) And He will sit as a melter and purifier of silver; and He will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Impure families who joined Israel through the influence of their wealth, will be purified, as it is said (Mal. 3, 3) And He will sit as a melter and purifier of silver. What does the passage (Ib.) That they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, mean? Said R. Isaac: "Righteousness has the Lord done with Israel that every family which was mixed up beyond recognition is considered pure."
Shemot Rabbah
Another interpretation: “This is the statute of the paschal offering [no foreigner shall eat of it]” – that is what is written: “The foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord shall not speak, saying: The Lord has separated me from His people” (Isaiah 56:3).6The verse quoted prohibits foreigners from partaking of the paschal offering. However, a later verse presents the possibility of that foreigner joining himself to Israel and then partaking of the offering: “When a stranger will reside with you, and will perform the paschal offering to the Lord, circumcise all his males, and then he may draw near and perform it; and he will be like a native of the land; and all uncircumcised shall not eat of it. There shall be one law for the native, and for the stranger who resides with you (Exodus 12:48–9). Job said: “The stranger shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32). The Holy One blessed be He does not reject any creature, but rather, He accepts everyone. The gates open at all times, and anyone who seeks to enter may enter. That is why it says: “The stranger shall not spend the night outside,” corresponding to: “The stranger who is within your gates” (Deuteronomy 31:12). “I opened My doors to the road” (Job 31:32), [is said] of the Holy One blessed be He, that He tolerates His creations.
Rabbi Berekhya said: Corresponding to whom did He say: “The stranger [hager] shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32)? Rather, converts [gerim]7The Biblical word for stranger, ger, also means convert in Rabbinic Hebrew. are destined to be priests serving in the Temple, as it is stated: “The stranger [hager] will join himself with them, and they will be appended to the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1). Appended [venispeḥu] means nothing other than priesthood, as it is stated: “Append me [sefaḥeni], please, to one of the priestly watches” (I Samuel 2:36). They are destined to partake of the showbread, for their daughters will marry into the priesthood.
And so did Akilas the proselyte ask our Rabbis. He said to them: ‘That which is written: “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – are all the promises that He promised to the stranger that He would give him food and clothing?’ One [of the Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is what Jacob, whose name is Israel, requested from the Holy One blessed be He: “…and will give me food to eat, and clothing to wear” (Genesis 28:20). You, who have come among us, it is not enough for you that you are like us, but it should be sufficient for you to be like Jacob, the firstborn of the Holy One blessed be He.’ Ultimately, you should not suppose that Jacob requested food and clothing. Rather, Jacob said: The Holy One blessed be He promised me that He will be with me, and that He will establish the world from me. When will I know that He is with me and that he is protecting me? When He establishes from me sons who are priests partaking of the showbread and wearing priestly vestments, as it is stated: “And will give me food to eat,” that is the showbread; and clothing to wear, those are the priestly vestments, as it is stated: “You shall clothe Aaron in the holy vestments” (Exodus 40:13). Here, too, “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” – in other words, He provides children to the stranger who will eat showbread and wear priestly vestments. That is, “the stranger shall not spend the night outside.”
The Holy One blessed be He said: After all the honor that I am destined to accord to the penitents, you are complaining? That is: “The foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord, shall not speak…” (Isaiah 56:3). Alternatively, “the foreigner…shall not speak” – that is what is written: “Sing and rejoice daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14), and it is written: “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord” (Zechariah 2:15). The Holy One blessed be He said: If I say so about converts, all the more so about Zion and Israel. “The foreigner…shall not speak.” The Holy One blessed be He said to the converts: You are concerned because I disqualified you and said regarding the paschal offering: “No foreigner shall eat of it?” Why don’t you ask the Givonites how I acted favorably to them? They are people who behaved deceitfully; acting out of fear [they] approached My children and took an oath to them. [Nevertheless,] what did I do to Saul and his household because he sought to kill them [the Givonites]?8See II Samuel 21:1 and Yevamot 78b. They [the Givonites] killed seven of his descendants, as it is stated: “The king took the two sons of Ritzpa…and the five sons of Mikhal” (II Samuel 21:8).9These descendants of Saul were handed over to the Givonites to be executed. The Holy One blessed be He said: If regarding the Givonites, who were Emorites, who acting out of fear behaved deceitfully with Israel, I accepted them, acted favorably to them, and I gave them satisfaction from My children; the converts who come in love, and serve for the sake of My name, won’t I accept them and exalt them?
Therefore, “the foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord shall not say” (Isaiah 56:3) – these are the circumcised converts. The idolaters, however, have uncircumcised hearts, for thus the Holy One blessed be He disqualifies those with uncircumcised hearts and takes them down to Gehenna, as it is stated: “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and take them down” (Ezekiel 32:18). Likewise, Isaiah says: “Therefore, the grave expanded itself, and opened its mouth without measure [ḥok]” (Isaiah 5:14) – for an idolater who scorns the statute [ḥok] of circumcision, as it is stated: “He established it for Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalms 105:10). Israel, who are circumcised, do not go down to Gehenna.
Rabbi Berekhya said: In order that the heretics and the wicked of Israel will not say: ‘Since we are circumcised, we will not descend to Gehenna,’ what does the Holy One blessed be He do? He sends an angel who extends their foreskin [rendering them uncircumcised] and they descend to Gehenna, as it is stated: “He extended his hands…profaned his covenant.” (Psalms 55:21). When Gehenna sees that the foreskin is connected to them, it opens its mouth and consumes them in fire; that is: “And opened its mouth without measure [ḥok].”
Rabbi Berekhya said: Corresponding to whom did He say: “The stranger [hager] shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32)? Rather, converts [gerim]7The Biblical word for stranger, ger, also means convert in Rabbinic Hebrew. are destined to be priests serving in the Temple, as it is stated: “The stranger [hager] will join himself with them, and they will be appended to the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1). Appended [venispeḥu] means nothing other than priesthood, as it is stated: “Append me [sefaḥeni], please, to one of the priestly watches” (I Samuel 2:36). They are destined to partake of the showbread, for their daughters will marry into the priesthood.
And so did Akilas the proselyte ask our Rabbis. He said to them: ‘That which is written: “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – are all the promises that He promised to the stranger that He would give him food and clothing?’ One [of the Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is what Jacob, whose name is Israel, requested from the Holy One blessed be He: “…and will give me food to eat, and clothing to wear” (Genesis 28:20). You, who have come among us, it is not enough for you that you are like us, but it should be sufficient for you to be like Jacob, the firstborn of the Holy One blessed be He.’ Ultimately, you should not suppose that Jacob requested food and clothing. Rather, Jacob said: The Holy One blessed be He promised me that He will be with me, and that He will establish the world from me. When will I know that He is with me and that he is protecting me? When He establishes from me sons who are priests partaking of the showbread and wearing priestly vestments, as it is stated: “And will give me food to eat,” that is the showbread; and clothing to wear, those are the priestly vestments, as it is stated: “You shall clothe Aaron in the holy vestments” (Exodus 40:13). Here, too, “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” – in other words, He provides children to the stranger who will eat showbread and wear priestly vestments. That is, “the stranger shall not spend the night outside.”
The Holy One blessed be He said: After all the honor that I am destined to accord to the penitents, you are complaining? That is: “The foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord, shall not speak…” (Isaiah 56:3). Alternatively, “the foreigner…shall not speak” – that is what is written: “Sing and rejoice daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14), and it is written: “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord” (Zechariah 2:15). The Holy One blessed be He said: If I say so about converts, all the more so about Zion and Israel. “The foreigner…shall not speak.” The Holy One blessed be He said to the converts: You are concerned because I disqualified you and said regarding the paschal offering: “No foreigner shall eat of it?” Why don’t you ask the Givonites how I acted favorably to them? They are people who behaved deceitfully; acting out of fear [they] approached My children and took an oath to them. [Nevertheless,] what did I do to Saul and his household because he sought to kill them [the Givonites]?8See II Samuel 21:1 and Yevamot 78b. They [the Givonites] killed seven of his descendants, as it is stated: “The king took the two sons of Ritzpa…and the five sons of Mikhal” (II Samuel 21:8).9These descendants of Saul were handed over to the Givonites to be executed. The Holy One blessed be He said: If regarding the Givonites, who were Emorites, who acting out of fear behaved deceitfully with Israel, I accepted them, acted favorably to them, and I gave them satisfaction from My children; the converts who come in love, and serve for the sake of My name, won’t I accept them and exalt them?
Therefore, “the foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord shall not say” (Isaiah 56:3) – these are the circumcised converts. The idolaters, however, have uncircumcised hearts, for thus the Holy One blessed be He disqualifies those with uncircumcised hearts and takes them down to Gehenna, as it is stated: “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and take them down” (Ezekiel 32:18). Likewise, Isaiah says: “Therefore, the grave expanded itself, and opened its mouth without measure [ḥok]” (Isaiah 5:14) – for an idolater who scorns the statute [ḥok] of circumcision, as it is stated: “He established it for Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalms 105:10). Israel, who are circumcised, do not go down to Gehenna.
Rabbi Berekhya said: In order that the heretics and the wicked of Israel will not say: ‘Since we are circumcised, we will not descend to Gehenna,’ what does the Holy One blessed be He do? He sends an angel who extends their foreskin [rendering them uncircumcised] and they descend to Gehenna, as it is stated: “He extended his hands…profaned his covenant.” (Psalms 55:21). When Gehenna sees that the foreskin is connected to them, it opens its mouth and consumes them in fire; that is: “And opened its mouth without measure [ḥok].”