The Attitude toward the Convert
היחס לגר
The laws of converts are among the most wondrous laws of the Torah. Unlike the proponents of racial theory, who hold that a person has no possibility of changing his people and identity, from the laws of converts we learn that any gentile who truly and sincerely wishes to join the people of Israel can do so. The Sages said that at the time of conversion the convert reveals that the root of his soul is in Israel, for all the souls of Israel and the root of the souls of converts took part in receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai (Shabbat 146a).
The attitude toward one who comes to convert seems at first glance incomprehensible: on the one hand there is appreciation for his good desire to convert, and on the other hand one tries to push him away and not accept him. But the truth is that the attitude toward converts is entirely positive, and the attempt to push him away is in order to clarify thoroughly whether his soul truly longs to join the people of Israel and accept upon himself the yoke of Torah and mitzvot, or whether this is a momentary desire that will fade and pass after a few years.
After the convert converts, he is like a Jew in every respect, and one must be more careful with his honor than with the honor of a Jew from birth, because of the enormous difficulties facing him. For he left his people, his land and his mother tongue, and came to join a people with an ancient tradition that is not easy to absorb even over many years of study. This radical transition demands enormous emotional effort, and any insult, even the slightest, may undermine his confidence and cause great sadness. Therefore the Torah was stringent and determined that anyone who distresses a convert transgresses three negative commandments (Bava Metzia 59b). First, he is like an ordinary Jew, and anyone who distresses him transgresses the prohibition “You shall not wrong one another” (Vayikra 25:17). And the Torah added two more negative commandments for one who distresses a convert, as it is stated (Shemot 22:20): “You shall not wrong a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” And it is further stated (Vayikra 19:33-34): “And if a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who sojourns 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.”
On the positive side too, we were commanded to love the convert with two mitzvot (Rambam, Hilkhot De’ot 6:4). First, like every Jew, as it is stated (Vayikra 19:18): “Love your fellow as yourself.” And another special mitzva was given regarding the convert, as it is stated (Devarim 10:19): “Love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Indeed, the convert is worthy of double love, since of his own free will he left his people and homeland and chose to join the people of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, too loves converts, as it is stated (ibid. 18): “And loves the stranger, giving him bread and clothing.” May we all merit to love and draw converts near, to embrace them warmly, and thereby reveal the wondrous uniqueness of the people of Israel.