Conversion

It is a great mitzva incumbent upon all of Israel to love the convert who comes to join the Jewish people and its destiny of bringing blessing to all the families of the earth. In addition to the mitzva “Love your fellow as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18), which includes all of Israel, converts among them, the Torah added a special mitzva to love the convert, as it is stated (Devarim 10:19): “You shall love the stranger (ger), for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” And it is stated (Vayikra 19:34): “The stranger who dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” Thus, by loving the convert one fulfills two positive Torah commandments. This love is expressed not only in the feelings of the heart but also in speech and deed: one who loves his fellow speaks in his praise and is concerned for his honor and his property just as he is concerned for his own honor and property (Rambam, De’ot 6:3-4).

God, too, loves converts with a special love, as it is stated (Devarim 10:17-18): “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty and awesome God… who loves the stranger, giving him bread and clothing.” The Sages said: The convert is more beloved than Israel. For had Israel not stood at Mount Sinai and seen the thunder, the torches, the lightning and the smoking mountain, they would not have accepted upon themselves the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven. But this convert saw none of these, yet he accepted upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven and came to complete himself and draw near to God – is there anyone more beloved than this?! (Tanḥuma, Lekh Lekha 6). The status of converts is greater than that of the righteous who love God, for of the righteous it is stated (Shoftim 5:31): “And those who love Him are like the sun going forth in its might,” whereas converts are on a greater level – God loves them! As R. Shimon bar Yoḥai said: “Who is greater – one who loves the king, or one whom the king loves? Say: one whom the king loves! Therefore it is stated: ‘who loves the stranger, giving him bread and clothing’” (Mekhilta on Shemot 22:20).

The Sages further said (Bamidbar Rabba 8:2): To what may this be compared? To a king who had a flock, and every day the flock would go out to the field and return in the evening. Once a deer entered the flock and went along with the goats. The deer would go out to graze with them and return with them. They said to the king: “This deer accompanies your flock and grazes with them every single day.” The king loved it greatly, and instructed the shepherds not to scold it or strike it, and to see to it that it drank and ate. The shepherds said to the king: “You have so many rams and sheep, goats and kids, and why do you love this deer more than all of them?” The king said to them: “The flock, whether it wants to or not, this is its way – to graze in the field all day and in the evening to come and sleep inside the pen. But deer sleep in the wilderness; it is not their way to enter human settlement. Shall we not be grateful to this one, who left the entire broad and great wilderness, the place of all the animals, and came and stood in the courtyard?!” So too, we must be grateful to the convert, who left his family, his father’s house, his nation and all the nations of the world, and came to us. Therefore God repeatedly commanded to love the convert and warned not to cause him distress.

The Sages further said (Yalkut Shimoni 645): “The Holy One, blessed be He, said: How much I toiled for Israel! I brought them out of Egypt and lit the way before them, I brought down the manna for them, I brought them the quail, I raised up the well for them, I surrounded them with clouds of glory – until they accepted My Torah. But this one came of his own accord; therefore he is as dear to Me as an Israelite and a Levite.” And for having abandoned his idols and come to cleave to God, too, one must love him. “The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is enough that he left idolatry and came to you; I warn you to love him, for I love him,” as it is stated (Devarim 10:18-19): “Who loves the stranger, giving him bread and clothing. You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Tanḥuma, Vayikra 2). In continuation of this, when the Sages established the text of the Amida prayer, they added the “righteous converts” to the berakha for the righteous, so that by mentioning them in prayer Israel would fulfill the mitzva of loving the convert every day (R. Yehuda bar Yakar and Abudarham).