By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times
This past Shavuos we read the Megillah of Rus.
Rus, of course, is the quintessential Giores Tzeddek, who accompanied her mother-in-law to Eretz Yisroel and eventually became the progenitor of Dovid HaMelech and the forerunner to Mashiach.
All this brings us to some fundamental questions about both Rus and about Gerim.
How could Machlon and Kilyon, the sons of Elimelech, have married gentile women? The Gemorah in Bava Basra 91a states that Machlon and Kilyon were Gedolei haDor. Did they convert them beforehand? Did Rus convert later?
There seems to be a fundamental debate between Rashi and the Ibn Ezra as to whether they converted or not. Rashi says that Rus and Orpah did not convert. This is also what seems to be the view of the Midrash on Rus Rabbah (2:9). The Ibn Ezra, however, writes that this is inconceivable.
There is a fascinating Rambam (Issurei Biah 13:14-17) that discusses how it was the Shimshon and Shlomo HaMelech had apparently married gentile wives. He explains that the official Batei Dinim that were extant in those days did not accept converts out of concern that they were not converting out of legitimate reasons. However, other unofficial Batei Dinim did preside over these conversions. Candidates who did so were regarded at the time as safek Jews – possible Jews or possible gentiles. Only time would tell if they truly had intent to convert for the right reasons rather than for social advancement.
This understanding fits very well into the conversion of Rus and Orpah (see also Zohar Chadash on Rus 180-182). Rus’s conversion turned out to be completely legitimate. Orpah’s did not. Indeed, Naomi’s discouraging questions could be understood as a test of sorts to determine the validity of their conversions before they would enter into Eretz Yisroel.
MUST THEY DO TESHUVAH ON PAST SINS?
Rus started off as a Moabite princess. If Rus, or any ger or giores had done aveiros before they had converted, must they do Teshuvah on the Aveiros that they had done before they converted? The Gemorah in Yevamos 62a tells us that a Ger who had converted is likened to a newborn child. But does this wipe his or her slate clean?
The Minchas Shmuel, a new Sefer by Rav Shmuel Khoshkrman, a Talmid of Yeshiva Ner Yisroel cites Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein’s Chasukei Chemed on Bechoros 30b who answers that the Ger or Giores must, in fact, do Teshuvah on violations that he or she may have violated of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, but has no such obligation on any of the other mitzvos (See also Birchei Yoseph CM 34:24).
WHAT MUST THEY KNOW AND BELIEVE?
What did Rus have to know and believe in before she converted? She had to know and believe in essentials of Judaism and it seems that she had to be aware of the process that she was undergoing. The Chazon Ish (YD 119:2) writes that all Geirim must know and believe in the following five concepts. Indeed, if they do not believe in them, the Geirus is invalid. They are:
1] That Hashem commanded the Jewish people with Chukim (laws with no understandable reasons) and Mishpatim (laws with understandable reasons).
2] That Hashem commanded these Chukim and Mishpatim through Moshe Rabbeinu.
3] That the Jewish nation was set apart from all the other nations.
4] That Hashem informed the Jewish people that they can accept Geirim from all of the other nations.
5] That the method of becoming a Ger is through Milah (for men), Tvila (immersion in a Mikvah) and the acceptance of Mitzvos.
If the Ger does not believe in these then he is not a valid Ger, according to the Chazon Ish.
IS THERE A PROHIBITION OF YICHUD?
Generally speaking, we say that a Ger becomes a new person. If Rus went back to her family members would there be a prohibition of Yichud between her and her family members? In the new additions to the Sefer Dvar Halacha quoted by the Minchas Shmuel Rav Elyashiv is cited as permitting it.
RECENT HISTORY
A number of years ago, an organization arose which somehow began to wield remarkable influence among the Yeshivos and seminaries in Eretz Yisroel. This organization attempted to invalidate the conversions that were performed by hundreds of leading Orthodox Poskim throughout the United States and subsequently declared that only a handful of Batei Dinim (that this organization approved of) were valid. Roshei Yeshiva in America were unable to get some of their top students into yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel. Seminaries refused students, and even Kollels refused entry to yungeleit until their wives dipped again under a Bais Din of which the organization approved of.
Thankfully, Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita of the Eida Chareidis, and leading Roshei yeshiva in America were instrumental in putting a stop to this organization. The organization made declarations and rulings that were against the rulings of the leading Poskim of previous generations. For example, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinksy zt”l rules in Achiezer Vol. III #26 that if a candidate accepts all Mitzvos but thinks that he or she may violate certain Mitzvos l’tayavon – this does not undermine Kabalas Mitzvos. The organization declared Rav Chaim Ozer’s position incorrect (notwithstanding Dayan Weiss’s view in Minchas Yitzchok Vol. VI #107).
It is interesting to note that it very well could be that Rus did, in fact, convert a second time after being vetted by Naomi. The Midrash on Rus 2:12 cites Rabbi Chassa as repeating the fact that Rus had come under the Kanfei HaShechina. This could be an allusion to a second conversion and would explain how we learn that a candidate for geirus should be initially discouraged from Naomi’s words when, ostensibly, Rus had already undergone one conversion. The Gemorah in Yevamos (47b) derives most of the halachos of how we treat Geirim when they first approach us to convert from Naomi’s actions. The idea of a second conversion backs this up.
FINAL THOUGHT
One last thought. The very name Rus informs us of her conversion to observing Taryag Mitzvos, according to the Vilna Gaon. How so? Originally she observed the sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach. The Gematria of RUS is 200+6+400, or six hundred and six. If you add that to the original 7 mitzvos of Noach that she had originally observed that equals 613!
Which brings us back to our second point – Rus did not have to do Teshuvah, because she had kept the seven Mitzvos Bnei Noach.
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One Response
You left out a clear Midrashic position on whether Ruth and Orpah had converted, namely that of Rabbi Meir (Midrash Rabba Rus 2:9), who suggests that Machlon and Kilyon died because Ruth and Orpah didn’t convert before marriage.
You also failed to mention the Rambam’s psak, based on the Gemara Yevamos 47b and codified in Shulchan Aruch, about what the Ger has to know before converting. A clear reading of Hilchos Issurei Biah 14-1:2 makes it evident that the Ger does NOT need to know many fundamentals or laws of Judaism; indeed, Rambam says we inform them of those things only AFTER we accept them as a Ger, just before we give them a Bris and mikva immersion.