What is a Ger Anyways?

                             

Learn More About Ger

                                        Why it’s Just Ger

                                                                    And not today’s Noahide

It’s just Ger. This answers the question ‘what do you call a non-Jew who believes in The God of Israel and chooses to live a life according to Torah?’ It’s just Ger; it always was and always will be. Biblically, it’s just Ger. As it turns out, it’s totally, talmudically inapplicable. Let’s explain.

Many are acquainted with the term Ger Toshav – whatever that means. Some are more familiar with Ger Tzedek – whatever that means. These are Talmudic terms; the latter referring to the convert and the former being a proper Ben Noah. This begs the question; what then is the Ger Toshav? At the same time, it would be wise to find out exactly what a Ger Tzedek is, on a satisfactory level. The simple answer is that these are Talmudic terms and not Biblical terms. But what is the practical difference between these Talmudic and Biblical terms and what do they mean?

Ger Toshav could effectively be best translated as the term that technically describes an [1]authentic ‘Noahide’. That is, a Ben Noah who has properly accepted the 7 Laws of Noah. This status ideally would come by way of a personal and proper acceptance; but not limited to. A Ben Noah - Ger Toshav is fundamentally more expansive in law than today’s [goy] Noahide. But if you mention Ger Toshav today, people will quickly chime in saying, ‘but there isn’t a Ger Toshav until the time of a Jubilee Year’. Only, there kinda is.

It is intellectually dishonest to call today’s Noahide a Ger Toshav; today’s Noahide wants to be Biblical, not Talmudic. Ironically, today’s Noahide has become unprecedentedly built from Talmudics. So too, the Ger Toshav is ALWAYS Talmudic and NEVER Biblical. Ger Toshav is nothing more than a working status between Jews and non-Jews that operates under Talmudic Law and vernacular. Practically, it is a safe and just zone for a non-Jew to work with the Jewish people under Torah supervision. As stated, a proper ‘Noahide’ is called ‘Ger Toshav’ through a Talmudic perspective. The Ger Toshav keeps 7 Laws of Noah, for the sake of a Kosher working environment with Israel, and the catch is, this status only exists in a time of a Jubilee Year. The reason for Jubilee is because such a Noahide who works closely [and monetarily] with the Jewish People, requires a precise and knowledgeable oath along with exhaustive background checking. Such conditions can only exist at a time when Israel has the upper hand; a time of Jubilee. This is the Talmudic Ger Toshav, and once a Ger Toshav would be established, many new sets of laws and statutes would kick into gear, for example helping with a livelihood, living in The Land, etc.

A Ger Tzedek is a convert. The term Ger Tzedek can only be found in the Talmud, and is used when describing the rights, liberties, and shortcomings found in a full-convert to Judaism. To call a convert a full-Jew without sometimes making reference to a prior conversion can be misleading in situations like marrying a Kohen/Priest which is prohibited by the Torah or attempting to sit on a Beit Din which is also prohibited by Torah Law. 

Sometimes Ger Tzedek can refer to a Canaanite semi-convert. The Talmud contains a mapped out terrain of what it calls a Ger Tzedek, and it should not be confused with a Ger Toshav. A convert should be called a Jew under Torah protocol, but should there be a need for further clarification, the convert is equipped with an expanded vernacular, namely Ger Tzedek (Righteous Ger) and the lesser-known, Ger Gamur (a complete Ger). Ger Tzedek is a Talmudic term for a convert.

This brings us to Ger. The Ger is mentioned in the Chumash 68 times. Some are a reference to the Ger Toshav, ‘Don’t taunt the Ger’. Some are a reference to the Ger Tzedek,’ only a Ger with circumcision may eat of the Passover Offering’. Some are the stranger Ger, ‘your offspring will be strangers…’. Some are the Jews themselves, ‘ya’ll will be Gerim on your Land’. But where do we find the Ger who just believes in God, wants to keep the [Ger] Sabbath, isn’t interested in conversion or a monetary relationship with Israel, and seeks to attach to Israel? Where do we find the Ger of the Bible; the one who isn’t solely derived and super-imposed from the Talmud?

He is called the Ger in your Gates; the Ger Shaar. This term is used in roughly three crucial verses:

•         Resting the Ger in Your Gates [Shabbat]
•        The People who come to the Temple to hear         the Torah [including Ger]
•         Give the Neveilah to the Ger [in your Gates]

Many commentators equate the Ger Toshav with the Ger Shaar; this is called Lefi Pshuto, ‘superimposing the Talmudic exegesis over Biblical wisdom and vernacular’. But it would be wrong to plug Ger Tzedek into these verses. A Ger Tzedek doesn’t need to be told to keep Shabbos; he’s a Jew, and it is more than obvious that he can’t eat Neveilah. The Ger Toshav on the other hand functions the same way as a Ger Shaar does; both terms illustrate how a Ben Noah can receive sustenance from Israel. Ger Shaar and Ger Toshav are often times interchangeable, with the former being Biblical and the latter being Talmudic. The difference is that Ger Toshav is the technical term that implies privileges given to believers[2] of the 7 Laws, while Ger Shaar is the Biblical aspect for an active belief in God[3] in accordance with the appropriate Mitzvot. Ger Toshav and Ger Shaar are in fact closely related, but they are certainly not synonymous and are worlds apart.

In Torah Law a renegade slave may seek refuge in Israel. If it were a time of Jubilee, a Jew could force him into a Ger Toshav status; he would be forced to rest on Shabbat. In contrast, a Ger Shaar isn’t running away from anything; he is running toward Hashem. The Torah commands him to rest ‘in the name of Ger Toshav’[4]. The Ger Shaar keeps the 7 Laws according to Sinai, and among them is the law to reject Idolatry, even Shituf[5]. This means that he must not work for a Jew on Shabbat, lest he be considered like an idolater[6]! Talmudically he may be called Ger Toshav. Technically he is considered like a Ger Toshav. But in reality he is Biblically called a Ger Shaar, the Ger in your Gates.  

Ger Tzedek? No. Ger Toshav? No, [they are] Talmudic [and rabbinic]. Ger Shaar? Not really. It’s just Ger. He believes in the God of Israel, he’s Biblical by definition[7], he keeps the 7 Laws according to Sinai, i.e. he learns how to fulfill them to their core through Torah study. He is not an idolater nor does he believe in Shituf. He rejects Shituf; with an oath. He is not your Shabbos Goy, he can’t be. And before you say Jubilee, remember he’s not [the Talmudic] Ger Toshav; he is to be considered like a Ger Toshav[8].

But he’s not Ger Toshav, nor is he a convert or the Talmudic or today’s rabbinic Noahide. That is why, he’s free to just be Ger. 

---

[1] Today’s Noahide in terminology is a vulgar expression of Ger Toshav; a generic belief in the 7 Laws of Noah. It is not Torah-derived, nor is it prescribed to achieve any real outcome, other than serving as a kosher domain before going onto conversion. Technically, today’s Noahide is a new Shituf religion that is designed to observe the 7 Laws of Noah and promises its devotees a portion of the World to Come; a kosher belief/view in God is not mandatory. Although Noahide is endorsed by rabbinic Judaism as a kosher concept, the term Noahide etymologically does not trace back to Ben Noah; it is an entirely new term, and one without precedent. Noahide is billed as a translation of ‘Ben Noah’ but in reality it is an invented term that comes up painfully short while ironically missing the [Talmudic] point of ‘Ger Toshav’.

[2] Today’s Noahides are technically a lowest common denominator Ger Toshav (7 Laws) by choice, and in times of Jubilee the Jewish People can force Noahide belief onto its subjects. This is why we are not ‘Mekablin’ Ger Toshav today. A Noahide chooses to believe in the 7 Laws, making them partially Ger Toshav, and in certain conditions should be treated like a Ger Toshav. A Noahide can reject being considered like a Ger Toshav and can choose to remain a Noahide who is allowed to [still] engage in Shituf. The Ger Toshav status [of today] rejects Shituf, but still doesn’t carry the full Ger Toshav status which only exists in a time of Jubilee. A Ger Shaar shares many of the perks as the Ger Toshav, only he achieves it through freewill, an active belief in God alone, and does not require Jubilee in order to exist. The Ger Shaar [of today] resembles those who are to be considered like Ger Toshav [today] and thus the terms are often interchangeable in Torah commentaries.

[3] Based on the 3 Ger Shaar verses: Shabbat, Neveilah, Temple – Torah reading

[4] He is not a Ger Toshav, he is considered like a Ger Toshav [in some aspects]

[5] He keeps the 7 Laws, properly rejecting idolatry, the same way a Jew would not serve idols

[6] This is the meaning of ‘Ger Toshav” [keeping] Shabbat. He doesn’t keep it like a Jew in any way; it is a day that he doesn’t serve idols, and he achieves this by not serving as a Shabbos Goy.

[7] Conversion by definition is Talmudic, for the Talmud is the rabbinic code and conversions are governed by the rabbinic code. A Ger is a Ger by specifically not following the rabbinic code. For a Ger, the rabbinic code means either Jubilee, which doesn’t exist today, or keeping [a rabbinic] Shabbat like a Jew, which is forbidden. However, he may keep the Torah (Biblically) and this defines them. One example is to not work for a Jew on Shabbat; this is a Biblical command and one that exists today. Should he have to be reminded of this rabbinically, that would equate him with a (Shabbos Goy) Nochri, one who does not keep the 7 Laws. By keeping the command to guard against idolatry according to Sinai (rejecting Shituf), he is Biblically prohibited from working for the Jew on Shabbat, and a Jew need not rabbinically remind him, for the Ger Shaar is already commanded as such within the 7 Laws. The 7 Laws are Biblical and not rabbinic, though the Oral Torah is the source of all things Ger. That does not make Ger Shaar Talmudic; it does however make Ger Shaar decorated with wisdom. The Ger Shaar learns more about the 7 Laws in both the Written and Oral Torah’s, to strengthen his Biblical awareness of the 7. The 7 Laws are not rabbinic, i.e. Talmudic; if they were, that would make them Jewish or governed by Jewish Law, the same as a Nochri. Should a Ger wish to convert to Judaism, the conversion process embraces the desire to become Talmudic under rabbinic law. Thus the convert is Talmudically called Ger Tzedek or Ger Gamor. A Ger Toshav is rabbinic, exists strictly within the Talmud, and only in a time of Jubilee. A proper Ben Noah (non Ger Toshav Gamor) who wishes to do any of the other Mitzvot is not prevented from performing them according to the halacha, i.e. he can learn and perform Mitzvot accompanied by rabbinic doctrine and guidance. He need not remain Biblical and can incorporate Talmudic and rabbinic aspects of the Mitzvot. This allowance does not replace his Biblical identity, Biblical requirements, or make him Jewish. Nor does it constitute making a new religion, for making a new religion means to keep Shabbat like a Jew, rabbinically. The Ger Shaar is defined by his Biblical [non-idolatry] day of Shabbat.

[8] Lit. ‘In the name of Ger Toshav’

Ger and Geulah

Do Gerim Work With Moshiach

What is The World of The Ger?

Available on Amazon.com

Available on Amazon.com

The Vilna Gaon's Essential Wisdom

The Vilna Gaon

Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, commonly known as the Gaon (literally "genius") was probably the most influential Jewish leader in modern history. He never assumed any official position of leadership and spent his time in almost total isolation toiling day and night in torah study. He became the undisputed greatest torah scholar and kabbalist in modern history. 

Selected translations on Middos 

Midos Tovos (good traits) are more (important) than everything. 

As we said that the midos tovos were not written in the torah because they include the entire torah. As it says "whoever gets angry, it is considered as if he served idols." and "anyone who speaks lashon hara it is as if he was kofer beikar" (denies the essence of judaism, considered the greatest sin) and shalom is the great klal to all the midos, and it is the garment of all the midos. 

And this is what is written "the Holy One Blessed be He could not find a vessel to hold a blessing for yisrael except shalom". This means the vessel needs to be capable to receive everything. And HKBH could not find one capable of receiving except shalom, which is the garment of all the middos, and the middos are the klal (general principles) of all the mitzvos. Therefore He blessed them with shalom, so that they would be capable of receiving the torah. (Esther 10:3) 

 "Tzadik b'emunaso yichye" (a tzadik will live with his faith), which means - a tzadik is one who has hitzdik nafsho in the mida of histapkus (habituated his soul in the trait of being content with little), the opposite of chemda (covet), as it is written "the tzadik eats to sustain his spirit" (i.e. just enough). And emuna is bitachon. And bitachon and histapkus are great klalim to all the middos. (Chavakuk 2:4) 

  (Esther 5:1) Ruach hakodesh can only rest on a broken body (guf shabur).

 

Jethro the Ger

                               

 

                            Did Jethro Convert

Ger Toshav [of today; non-Yovel] is making an epic comeback. People are leaving the Church and coming to Judaism; suddenly there are Jewish options available. Today one can choose Noahide, conversion, or Ger Toshav; none of which are easy paths. Noahide is a modern invention, conversion has turned into an industry, and Ger Toshav is making rounds after having been exiled into obscurity for centuries. All three scenarios are derived from the enigmatic Biblical ‘Ger’ which makes comprehending them difficult. In an attempt at making things easy for newcomers, Ger has become synonymous with convert. This leaves Noahide as an apparent second class citizen and Ger Toshav is left as an afterthought.

Each year we read about Jethro in The Torah, and Jethro is presented as the consummate ‘Ger’. Ger usually gets mistranslated into English as convert. So was Jethro a convert? Or better yet, was he a Ger – convert? The answer is no, he wasn’t, and the ramifications have a direct effect on those seeking refuge in Judaism.

The popular belief about Jethro is that he converted to Judaism. ‘He was a regular convert, plain and simple’. This is a natural conclusion that can be made when one reads about Jethro from any English (non-Hebrew) publication. It will read each and every time that Jethro converted… Anything contrary to this understanding will face harsh criticism; the sources are clear. Ger systematically translates as convert, seemingly without exception.

But before jumping to conclusions, one needs to ask: what does the original Hebrew say, what does it mean, and can Ger really mean anything other than convert? The journey begins by digging into the original Hebrew without preconceived notions of comprehension. A pre-determined state of mind will continue to draw false conclusions.

The transliterated Hebrew says Jethro ‘became Ger’; L’heet-guy’aire. Keep in mind all sources are in Hebrew. If one assumes that Jethro converted, there is no other way to say that he converted, except through the expression ‘he became Ger’. If Jethro ‘became Ger non-convert’ perforce the same expression is used. Chazal are unanimous in saying that Jethro became Ger; the only question is which kind of Ger did he become, a full convert to Judaism or just Ger. It can only be one or the other, and the following explanation shows why he is a Ger non-convert.

There are a few different versions of Jethro’s ‘becoming Ger’ in the Oral Torah. All of them nearly identical and impart the same meaning. The primary source is found in Zevachim 116a and there it speaks about Jethro, his return, and Ger. It is surprising that the Talmud doesn’t discuss whether Jethro converted or not, nor does it discuss the nature of ‘Ger’. The Talmud only wants to know if Bnei Noah can offer a Shlamim [Peace] Offering (often thought that only Jews offer Shlamim), then looks to Jethro to find out. 

The Talmud’s question is ‘can a Ben Noah offer a Shlamim?’

Jethro brought an offering that seemingly was a Shlamim. This reveals two implications:

·         The Talmud is asking about the permitted offerings of Bnei Noah; Jethro was brought as a source.

·         The Talmud never assumed that Jethro converted, but it did assume that Jethro was a Ben Noah.

Jethro may have brought a Shlamim. The Talmud references that Jethro ‘became Ger’, but logically cannot be a reference to conversion.

Noahide Shlamim is based on Jethro, his offering, and when he came to Sinai.  These points all weight into the language of [Jethro] ‘become Ger’. The Talmud wants to know whether or not a Ben Noah can offer a Shlamim. There is no mention of whether or not Jethro converted. This leaves no possibility that he converted or that becoming Ger [here] implies conversion.

There are two scenarios in Zevachim: a) whether or not a Ben Noah can bring a Shlamim b) did Jethro come before or after Sinai [as a Ben Noah].

If Jethro came before Sinai with an offering, it can be assumed that he brought a Shlamim. By doing so this was an expression of renouncing idolatry, i.e. he became Ger in the literal sense, turning away from idols.

If he brought his offering, a Shlamim, as a Ben Noah then he came before Sinai and the ruling is that a Ben Noah can bring a Shlamim. The Talmud calls this Jethro’s becoming Ger.

If Jethro came after Sinai then one of two situations will have occurred. Either his offering [as a Ben Noah] was not a Shlamim, but rather a regularly slaughtered sacrifice. The Ger usage would be a reference to renouncing idolatry, and conversion cannot be discussed. In this case Jethro is a Ben Noah who didn’t bring a Shlamim. To say that he did bring a Shlamim requires a deeper understanding of the text(s).There is still room to suggest that Jethro did in fact convert.

So far, Jethro either came before Sinai as a Ben Noah - Ger or just after Sinai as a Ben Noah – Ger. Conversion was either inapplicable [before Sinai] or impractical [after Sinai].

The Ramban however offers an alternative view as to how he may have converted, but by doing so, this conversion has nothing to do with the Talmud Zevachim’s reasoning. 

Jethro ‘Becoming Ger’ [Zevachim] never meant conversion. The only way Jethro can be shown to have converted is if he had stayed with Israel after a long time after Sinai. This is different than saying Jethro came ‘immediately after Sinai’. The former implies Ger – renouncing idolatry, and the latter, ‘a long time after Sinai’, would entail mikvah, circumcision, and a conversion offering.

Although this is technically plausible, it can’t be the subject matter of Zevachim nor the meaning of ‘becoming Ger’. The Talmud is specific when it suggests that Jethro came either just before Sinai or just after Sinai, and gives many examples [Jethro heard the Torah, or feared Amalek who seeks to wipe out Gerim, etc.] of how both scenarios may have played out. To have come [and stayed] long after Sinai would be a completely separate issue, and is not relevant to the Jethro discussion [in Zevachim].

Ergo Jethro didn’t convert lefi pshuto [Rabbinic truth derived from textual analysis]; The Talmud specifically means non-convert ‘Ger’. Did Jethro convert much later on? Perhaps so. But if he did, the Talmud didn’t speak about it. Ger in regards to Jethro means seeking refuge within Israel after having renounced idolatry; he is compared to Naaman the Ger by Torah Commentary.

It should be pointed out, that after Jethro became ‘Ger’ he sought to make his family Gerim, and he was successful. The Kenites and Rechabites are all offspring of Jethro, and they are famous for having been distinguished as Gerim, non-converts. This should not come as a surprise, for they took after their patriarch Jethro, who became a great Ger before them.   

How Do Noahides Become Ger Toshav

                                

                                7 Laws of Brisk

The 7 Laws of Noah are a part of the Torah, and they are made available to every non-Jew in the World. Jewish Orthodox institutions can facilitate the Bnei Noah on their journey. When they can’t, they can guide them to a place/rabbi that can. Many will be surprised that the 7 Laws are an in-depth study; a Mitzvah of Talmud Torah (Torah study directed at the 7 Laws). The 7 Noahide Laws are a key path of wisdom.

Judaism teaches that The Jewish people accepted 613 Commandments, elevating them to ‘The Children of Israel’ and that The Bnei Noah were instructed to keep the 7 Laws of Noah. But what do they elevate to?

There are three core issues: a) what is the status of a Torah Ben Noah through Sinai tradition b) what is their relationship to Torah Study c) how should a Jew involve himself with the Bnei Noah?

Some answers given are: ‘A Noahide can’t learn Torah; they can only keep the 7 Laws (in their details) while reading in the Torah up to Parashas Noah. A Jew may only teach the 7 Laws and their din’.

More often than not, this is what is readily available. The most liberal will say that the Bnei Noah may learn the entire Chumash (5 Books of Moses) or learn the Tanach. It may even go as far as to say that they can study the Talmud vis-a-vis their 7 Laws. The truth be told, these are trite answers to a surprisingly massive subject matter.

Too many times it is colloquially said, ‘they say if you do and study the 7 [Laws] (in-depth) it is enough for a lifetime; so I’m doing that, and ya’ll get upset!’ In other words, the only way to achieve a lifetime’s worth of Torah Study through the 7 laws is to practice true in-depth scholarship.

Remember our three questions:

·         What is the status of a proper Ben Noah?

·         What are the parameters of Torah Study?

·         What is the role of Jewish participation?

The answers are found through ‘Brisk’, a Talmudic dynasty of the Soloveichik family, scions of the Vilna Gaon. Briskers are known as chief practitioners of the Oral Torah’s analytical process.

The Briskers are masters of learning b’iyun (in-depth) and are specifically famous for their novel study of the Rambam. Together, the Rambam (who is a prolific source of Noahide material) and Brisk (and their methodology) have perfected the halachic principles for Bnei Noah. The [halachic] path is Ger Toshav; it makes sense, showing that there is no dispute among the Sages.

Brisk teaches that the Bnei Noah are expected to be able to produce Torah solutions that pertain to their Laws, and the Jewish sage is expected to know the material well enough to be able to offer assistance. The methodology and the message is straightforward learning b’iyun.

Brisk reveals the ideology of Noahism through solving the mysteries of Ger [Toshav]. Some examples are: the relationship between Abraham and Shem son of Noah, Shabbat observance for Bnei Noah as Ger Toshav, and how to make a proper personal acceptance of the 7 Laws. In all three we see Bnei Noah growing into Ger Toshav. Torah for Bnei Noah takes a lifetime to study. The more we grow in the 7 Laws of Noah together, the more the 7 Laws of Ger Toshav will forever stay the same.  

Was Abraham a Ger?

Abraham’s Gerim

Abraham was the Father of all [subsequent] Gerim and he made Gerim. The Torah teaches that Abraham made Gerim in Haran; Abraham ‘migayered’ [made Ger; Ger’ed] the men and Sarah migayered the women. It is taught that they brought their students under the wings of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence of God. Truth be told, this is not a shocking revelation or a new innovation. What is startling about this teaching though, is that if you ask anyone what all of this means, the answer will always be the same. Abraham [and Sarah] made converts. Only they didn’t; they made Gerim, a type of conversion, a return to God’s ways. Scholarship of this subject is everything.

There is a gross misconception that Ger is synonymous with convert; don’t be fooled, it isn’t. Why do people think this way? Many amateur scholars began to think Ger means convert from the time that the English language moved into Jewish Academia. A massive effort to translate The Torah soon broke out, and people found themselves in a quandary having to choose ‘this over that’. Translators had to hastily decide whether Ger was [just] Ger, or if Ger ‘really’ meant convert. Bad translations ensued and their power to translate was misused and exploited; their efforts were easily corruptible.  

Conversion has become the main catalyst of gentiles coming to The Torah already for centuries; there isn’t much room to argue with the majority – ‘Ger means convert’ rationale. With a concrete trend to convert, the non-conversion path is regarded as largely irrelevant. Today this type of [non-convert] Ger is thought to be nothing more than a novelty item in Torah.

The Ger plight necessitates that we look to Abraham the self-proclaimed ‘Ger v’ Toshav’ and ‘Father of all Gerim’ who made Gerim in Haran, to remind us about the truth of Ger. Abraham wasn’t a convert nor did he convert people; so what did he do exactly and why?

There is a clear reason why Abraham made Gerim, not converts. A convert is someone who was born as a gentile and chooses to become Jewish. The Torah says, ‘Like ya’ll converted at Sinai, so too the convert in all future generations.

The Hebrews that came out of Egypt and descended there were from Jacob. They had the status of a Noahide – Ger, kept the 7 Laws of Noah, and were on a collision course with conversion. Just before arriving at Sinai, they received Laws at the Marah where they became officially Ger and prepared for their eventual conversion.

These Noahide – Gerim would soon enter into the Covenant of Sinai, effectively transforming a Nation into The Children of Israel; they became The Jewish People. Ergo anything or anyone that existed pre-Sinai fundamentally cannot be Jewish and it is wrong to consider them as Jews.

Abraham and his Gerim lived well before Sinai; they were not Jewish thus they were not considered as Jews. They were all Gerim, and are defined as ‘Coming under the wings of the Shechinah’. This wasn’t a religious conversion, but rather it was a spiritual transformation, empowered through Torah and devotion to God.

The Torah of Moses inherited every tradition of Ger. The Abrahamic tradition is contained within Genesis, 46 times the Torah warns about the Ger, and for those wishing to convert, the Torah is the eternal instruction. Moses got Ger, and he got it from God; that’s Sinai. However Moses received an Oral Torah as well, and it contains many laws for conducting full conversions to Judaism. What people don’t readily know, is that the Torah of Moses contains the traditions of Ger – how a gentile can return to God’s ways through renouncing idolatry while attaching to the Nation of Israel without having to convert. Those who take [conceptual] refuge of Sinai are considered ‘under the wings of the Shechinah’.

We find that there are two general categories of Gerim in Torah: converts who become Jewish, and Gerim who have come under the wings of the Shechinah. A convert is a Jew. But a Ger, who has come under the wings of the Shechinah, will always be identified as being like the Gerim that Abraham made in Haran.

The Torah’s distinctions are made without confusion, and are written in the Holy Tongue. ‘Convert’ is an English word and Ger tradition will automatically lose meaning under any translation. Perforce Abraham didn’t convert or perform covert conversions; he made Gerim, and the convert would find his place later on at Sinai.

They say if you can’t say anything nice, then it is best to say it in Yiddish, likewise, if one is to learn Torah, it must remain in the Holy Tongue Hebrew. That is the only way The Torah will ever make any sense, and the Torah has to make sense. But it doesn’t have to make converts.  

The Rebbe Gets Ger

Likutei Sichot of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zy”a, volume 31, Mishpatim:

The Rambam wrote (Hilchot Shabbat 20:14), Just as a person is commanded to cause his animals to rest on the Sabbath, so too, he is commanded that his slaves and maidslaves rest, as it states (Exodus 23:12) states: "Thus your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidslave and the foreigner (הגר) may be refreshed."

The slaves and maidslaves whom we are commanded to have rest [on the Sabbath] are slaves that have been circumcised and have immersed themselves [in the mikveh], so that they be granted the status of slaves who have accepted the mitzvot that slaves are obligated to observe. By contrast, slaves who have not been circumcised and have not immersed themselves, but have merely accepted [the observance of] the Seven [universal] laws commanded to the descendants of Noach, are considered equivalent to "Resident aliens (Gerei Toshav)" and are permitted to perform [forbidden] labors for their own sake in public as the Jews may during the week.

[One might ask:] Since a resident alien may perform [forbidden] labors on his own behalf on the Sabbath, and a convert is considered equivalent to a native-born Jew in all matters, who is referred to in the phrase, "Thus the son of your maidslave and the foreigner [הגר] may be refreshed"?

This refers to a Ger Toshav who is an employee of a Jew, such as “the son of [his] maidslave.” Such a Ger Toshav may not perform [forbidden] labors on behalf of his Jewish master on the Sabbath. He may, however, perform [such labors] on his own behalf. Moreover, even if this foreigner is a slave [belonging to a Jewish master], [this foreigner] may perform [labors] for his own sake [on the Sabbath].

 In the same manner that a man is commanded to cause his animal on Shabbat, so too he is commanded to rest his slave, as it says: “So that you shall rest your ox and your donkey and rest your slave and the Ger.” Slaves that we are commanded to rest are slaves who are circumcised and went to the mikveh in the name of slavery and accepted the mitzvoth that slaves are obligated in.  But slaves who are not circumcised and did not go to the mikveh, but rather accepted upon themselves Seven Mitzvoth that were commanded unto Bnai Noach alone, behold, they are like Ger Toshav and they are allowed to do melacha on Shabbat for themselves publicly like an Israelite on a weekday.

And this needs explaining, what is the reason that the Rambam added the din that slaves that are not circumcised and have not gone to the mikveh are allowed to do melacha on Shabbat for themselves and in the open, like a Yisrael on a weekday? And behold, also if he had written “only allowed to do melacha on Shabbat for themselves” and nothing else, i.e. without the additional phrase “in the open…” it would have been implied that this allowance would not exist at all. In simple terms, it appears that the source and the reason of this addition is according to the language of the Beraita, which is the source of the halacha.  Ger Toshav is allowed to perform melacha on Shabbat for himself like a Yisrael on chol hamoed…Rabbi Akiva says like a Yisrael on Yom Tov for food preparation…and Rebbe Yose says Ger Toshav does on Shabbat for himself like an Yisrael on a weekday.^[1]  Rabbi Shimon says one of these is Ger Toshav and one is acum. Slave toshavim do melacha on Shabbat for themselves like a Yisrael on a weekday.  And on this, Rav Ada Bar Ahava said that the halacha is like Rabbi Shimon and the Rambam quotes the words of Rabbi Shimon like Yisrael on a weekday, and this is the basis of all the shittot.  But in reality, this is not enough to explain the addition of the Rambam. Since the Rambam does not bring conflicting opinions, and all the opinions point toward his being allowed to perform all melacha.  Yet the Rambam did not write the halacha this way.  The Rambam’s kavanah was not to emphasize the shitah of Rabbi Shimon and the Beraita, but to add the words: “in the open” which was not contained in the words of Rabbi Shimon. The Beraita’s intention was to show what and how melacha could be performed, while the Rambam’s addition was unique and highlighted the words “in the open.” The Radvaz wrote that the Rambam added the words “in the open” to explain the Beraita and that the Rambam had the kavana because of the disagreement among the Tannaim in the Beraita. One says it was forbidden to perform melacha in the open and was allowed only in private like Yisrael on a weekday, and the other one says that he may perform it in the open like a Yisrael on a weekday. 

However, it appears from the commentary of Rashi, that the disagreement is over which halacha is allowed and not over how he does it.  This needs an explanation. 

Why, if the halacha is [that he does melacha] like a Yisrael on a weekday, did the Rambam add the words “in the open”?

There is to say that this is why the Rambam added the words “in the open.” This situation was concerning slaves who were not circumcised and have not gone to the mikveh.  In such affairs, it would seem that since he is not circumcised nor having gone to the mikveh, he appears to be preparing to come into the category of a kosher slave, a complete slave.  This slave, then, does not want to ruin his potential status, and he remains without circumcision or mikveh.   And he is to perform melacha in private and not in the open.  It goes without saying that after he receives circumcision and mikveh he is obligated to keep Shabbat in full, and one can apply the Rambam’s addition to refute the thought that he may think that he can still violate Shabbat in the open for the Rambam’s additional phrase only applies to one who has not received circumcision or mikveh.  The words of the Rambam are the category of Mishpatim 23:12… “Rest your slave and the Ger.”  

And thus, these are the words of the Rambam in Hilchot Shabbat 20:14 concerning our verse, since a Ger Toshav does melacha for himself on Shabbat.  And Ger Tzedek, behold, he is like a Yisrael in every matter with what is said “v’yinafesh  ben amatecha v’hager – and the son of your maidservant and the Ger shall find repose.”  This is a Ger Toshav who is a hired worker of a Yisrael, and he is like a slave in that he cannot do melacha for his master, Yisrael, on Shabbat, but for himself he may.  And even if this Ger was his slave, behold, he may do melacha for himself.   And behold, the Rashba holds like the Rambam in that he wrote that this is speaking about a hired worker of a Yisrael.  And he holds that any Ger Toshav, even if he is not a hired worker of a Yisrael, may not do melacha for Yisrael.  So, too, an uncircumcised slave, for he is like a Ger Toshav.  

Just like a Ger Toshav is forbidden to work for us even though they are not conquered by us, when the Torah forbade an uncircumcised slave, they are forbidden to do melacha for any Yisrael.  And the Maggid Mishneh rules like the Rashba, for the subject can only do melacha for himself.  And he wrote that the sachir, the hired worker, in the present day is a Slave Toshav and a Ger Toshav, and his being forbidden to do melacha for any Yisrael is from the Torah.  

However, the Alter Rebbe in his Shulchan Arukh HaRav says that the words of the Rambam on our verse concerns a Ger Toshav who the hired worker (sachir) of a Yisrael, just like “amatecha – your female slave,” that the Maggid Mishneh specifically wrote “sachir,” for the main prohibition is because he is his sachir.  And only a Ger Toshav who is the sachir of a Yisrael is forbidden to do melacha for Yisrael, and not all non-Jews function as sachir.  For it needed to say that a sachir is similar to “amatecha” (your female slave).  And this is a Ger Toshav for our verse [in Mishpatim] only when Yisrael is on their Land.  

For then, we do not accept anyone who has not accepted the Seven Mitzvoth, and this is why it says Ger Toshav is allowed to dwell among us.  This is a Ger Toshav who comes to be a sachir.  He is considered conquered by us and is like an slave in the matter of Shabbat, like an maidservant (slave) mamash.  And he may not do melacha for his master.  And it comes out that the Rambam and Rashba argue if a Ger Toshav who is not a sachir of a Yisrael carries the commandment to be rested on Shabbat.  On this we find a difference of opinion between Rambam and Rashba in this halacha.  

The Rashba writes that if it was a slave and does a melacha for his master, but it was not intended by his master and it is clear it was unintentional, he need not stop doing it. The Rambam argues that even if it is unintentional it is forbidden.  And there is to say that the argument is in the framework of the mitzvah contained in the verse, “…and the Ger find repose.” and it could be explained in two ways. 

(a) One view is that the mitzvah is only specifically commanded upon the Yisrael, and not to the ama (slave) or the Ger themselves. The commandment to rest falls on the Jewish master.  And they cannot do work for their master or it is his transgression. 

(b) The other view is if the mitzvah falls on the son of the slavewoman and the Ger, as well.  As slaves of Yisrael they have a command to rest on Shabbat. Yet the mitzvah is that the Yisrael can’t be served by them with melacha.  Even though they may still do melacha for themselves, the prohibition of melacha is not for themselves, but rather in relation to Yisrael. But when they do melacha for themselves, it is not considered in relation to Yisrael and then they are not considered a slave to Yisrael and they have no obligation to rest in that capacity.

And this is the source of the argument between the opinion of the Rashba and the Rambam. According to the shitta of the Rashba, the Torah warns us that our melacha should not be done by our slaves nor by Ger Toshav.  They should be rested.  He may not do the melacha of his master, especially when he is considered conquered under our hands. 

Along these lines, it is forbidden for an uncircumcised slave or Ger Toshav that is not conquered to do melacha for a Yisrael who is not his master, for this is akin for the Yisrael doing melacha for himself.  Only non-melacha he may do Scripturally for a Yisrael. 

Not so for Rambam.  Resting on Shabbat for a slave or Ger Toshav applies to  themselves.  And therefore, the prohibition is only for Ger Toshav who is a sachir to Yisrael, for then he is [considered] conquered under our hands and he is like a total slave, like the Alter Rebbe said.  Since he is considered subjugated, he is considered commanded to rest on Shabbat.  Therefore, Rambam holds that if a Ger Toshav does melacha for his Yisrael master, even unintentionally, this is forbidden.  For the prohibition requires that the Ger Toshav himself must rest. And on the other hand, a plain Ger Toshav who is not a sachir of Yisrael who does melacha for Yisrael, even if the command of his doing melacha is for Yisrael, this is not forbidden Scripturally.  For a Ger Toshav like this is not obligated to rest on Shabbat, since he is not considered a total slave of a Yisrael. 

And with this we need to add an explanation to the language of the Rambam that differs from the Gemara. As it says in Keritot 9a, “Ger Toshav is allowed to perform melacha on Shabbat for himself like a Yisrael on chol hamoed…Rabbi Akiva says like a Yisrael on Yom Tov for preparation of food…and Rebbe Yose says Ger Toshav does on Shabbat for himself like an Yisrael on a weekday.^[2]  Rabbi Shimon says one is Ger Toshav and one is acum.”

And this needs an explanation.  Why did the Rambam change the language of Rabbi Shimon? The Beraita, it turns out, is not arguing about how to do melacha, in reference to the Tanna Kamma, in reference to Rabbi Akiva.  But rather if the Ger Toshav and slave are forbidden to do melacha for themselves, and then melacha for themselves becomes permitted, it means that it is merely a heter to do complete melacha for themselves.  

And not so for Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Shimon, who say in the first place they have no prohibition on themselves.  The only prohibition is they shall not do melacha for their master.  And it turns out that this melacha that they do for themselves is not a heter (permission), but they are allowed melacha for themselves. And they may do so optimally, for they are not in the framework of Shabbat altogether.  And with this we answer the reason of Rambam of why he focuses on they are allowed to do melacha for themselves right from the start, and optimally. Thus Rambam adds “in the open” for Rambam says that this is a slave who has a din of Ger Toshav and he has complete permission to do melacha for himself even in the open. In order to explain the reason why, in truth, we do not forbid him to do melacha for himself even in the open, the Rambam wrote “like Yisrael on a weekday” and not “like a nochri,” which is to say that a nochri is allowed because he has no connection to Shabbat and the only prohibition is that he cannot  perform melacha for his master. Rather the reason of the permission to do melacha for himself it says like a Yisrael on a weekday. 

That just like there is melacha for Yisrael on a weekday and it cannot be because he has no connection to Shabbat.  For the reason a Yisrael does melacha on a week day is not because he has no connection to Shabbat, rather it because it is a weekday which does not push aside the fact that [the Yisrael] is still forbidden to do melacha on Shabbat, only now it is a  weekday.  Behold, this is like an slave who has a din of Ger Toshav who has a connection (shaichut) to Shabbat.  But his shaichut is only to the melacha of his master which is not so concerning the melacha he does for himself as though it were a weekday.  And since his melacha is like a Yisrael on a weekday, it is obvious then that he may do melacha in the open.

We brought above the Shittot Rambam and Maggid Mishneh who hold like Rashba, that even if he is not a sachir Yisrael it is forbidden for him to do melacha for Yisrael. His only allowance is for himself.

There is another difference between the views of the Maggid Mishneh and the Alter Rebbe. The Alter Rebbe holds that according to the Rambam, a nochri who did not accept the Seven Mitzvoth is not included in the prohibition, because only a person who keeps Seven Mitzvoth is commanded by the Torah for the sake of Yisrael.  This is not like the Rashba who holds that an eved who did not take on Seven Mitzvoth and even an acum is commanded to rest on Shabbat on behalf of Yisrael. This is not so for the Alter Rebbe who wrote that the Rambam does not consider the Seven Mitzvoth as factor in Shabbat melacha. And he wrote that according to the Rambam, a sachir is forbidden to do melacha for his master even if he didn’t accept the Seven. 

And there is a difference between the view of the Alter Rebbe and view of the Maggid Mishneh that there is a Torah level Shabbat on the eved and the Ger Toshav themselves and there are two explanations: 

1. [The mitzvah is  in their] connection to Yisrael; since the eved is owned by his master and the Ger Toshav is conquered under our hands, therefore, they must observe Shabbat inasmuch as they are forbidden to do melacha for their master.

2. [The mitzvah is] that they themselves are connected to dinei Yisrael and Torat Yisrael, which is the opposite reason from being connected to Shabbat  only through their connection to Yisrael. Thus, one who accepts Seven Mitzvoth Bnai Noach of Ger Toshav has shaichut to Torat Yisrael, as it was written in Rambam Hilchot Melachim 8:10-11. 

And how does one accept the Seven Mitzvoth?

1. He comes before three Jews.    

2. This is so because it is written in the Torah of Moshe that [Ger Toshav] has an attachment and shaichut to Torat Yisrael, for behold, he accepted upon himself Torat Yisrael and it shaiach to him, that is to say that Shabbat day is relevant to him and it is not a plain day and it comes with command for themselves, but it is called Shabbat Yisrael. 

And here, the Maggid Mishneh holds that according to the Rambam, the resting on Shabbat of an eved and Ger Toshav is not because of relationship of property or money to Yisrael, but rather because of their shaichut to dinei and Torat Yisrael.  And Rambam says this himself in context of accepting Seven Mitzvoth of Ger Toshav. 

And therefore, in matters shaiach to Yisrael, when doing melacha for Yisrael this is prohibited under shvitut Shabbat.  Therefore, the Maggid Mishneh explains that the view of the Rambam that a sachir is lav davka, rather any melacha for Yisrael is prohibited, since the reason is that that he is called a Ger Toshav (or slave since they accepted upon themselves Seven Mitzvoth that were commanded the sons of Noach, and behold, they are like Ger Toshav^[3]) and from the other view, acum who have not accepted the Seven Mitzvoth Bnai Noach are not forbidden to do melacha for Yisrael, for it is impossible for them to relate to Shabbat which is not so according to the Rashba.  He does not need this din since according to his view, every prohibition is only for the sake of a Jew’s resting.

According to the Rogatchover Gaon, the Ger Toshav in our time and in the time of the Temple are different with respect to whether or not he needs acceptance in Bet Din. This is because there is a possibility in our time to influence the Nations of the world to observe the Seven Mitzvoth. The Rogatchover held that the differences concern the two halachot of the Rambam.  In Halacha Issurei Biah 14:7 he wrote: “Who is a Ger Toshav…” this is an acum who accepted upon himself not to serve idols and constellations, along with the other laws commanded to the Children of Noach.  And in Hilchot Melachim 10:10, he wrote,  “B’nai Noach who want to do the other mitzvoth of the Torah in order to receive a reward, we do not prevent them from doing it, and they are allowed to do them in accord with the halacha.”^[4]  And he holds that the laws of Issurei Biah speak about accepting gerut and bet din.^[5]  Therefore, he is considered like a Ger Toshav.  And in Hilchot Melachim, it says that if he did not accept his gerut in Bet Din, or in a time when the Jubilee Year is not observed, then he is in the category of a Ben Noach. That is to say that the view of Rambam has two perspectives:

Ger Toshav who accepts the Seven Laws in bet din before three Jews. Ben Noach who does not accept them in bet din or a time where there is no Jubilee, a time when we do not receive him, but if he accepts the Seven Mitzvoth upon himself, we have a commandment to support them.^[6] 

The differences in simply keeping seven mitzvoth B’nai Noach and accepting them upon himself as a gerut in Bet Din is as follows: in the din of the Ger in his giur as a way of keeping the mitzvoth, we find two laws in the Rambam, with two different names; in Hilchot Issurei Biah 14:7 we obligate Ger Toshav, not because he only keeps seven laws of Noah, but also because he additionally took it upon himself not to serve idols. And in Hilchot Melachim, behold, even though he is called a Ben Noach, we can even allow him to keep the rest of the mitzvoth of the Torah according to the halacha. And the Rogatchover Gaon explained these two distinctions. And the Ger Toshav, by specifically rejecting idol worship with kabbalah, is now warned on shittuf. This goes well with the shitta of  Rebbe Meir in Avodah Zara 64b.

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^[1] From here, we see that two of the three Tannaim sourced here held that the Ger Toshav has restrictions on his performance of melachot on Shabbat. This is a clear expression of their view that the Ger Toshav is Shabbat observant.

^[2] From here, we see that two of the three Tannaim sourced here held that the Ger Toshav has restrictions on his performance of melachot on Shabbat. This is a clear expression of their view that the Ger Toshav is Shabbat observant.

^[3] That is to say, we do not compare Ger  Toshav to an eved, rather we compare an eved to a Ger Toshav. The touchstone is the Ger Toshav.

^[4] You might think he can only do the mitzvoth in a simple manner, but no, he can even do them like a Jew.////////

^[5] See the Rashba above, where he includes the Ger Toshav in any discussion of gerut.

^[6] The Lubavitcher Rebbe, zy”a, is specific in his view that the Rambam in Hilchot Melachim holds that even though he is called a Ben Noach, he is allowed to observe the rest of the mitzvoth of the Torah, including resting from melacha on Shabbat themselves. And true to the girsa of the Rambam, only the acum idol worshipper is forbidden to rest on Shabbat.