Conversion is a central theme of the approaching vacation of Shavuot when the biblical tale of Ruth the Moabite – broadly regarded as the primary convert to Judaism – is historically learn. And in Judaism, the convert occupies a prime position.
The convert to Judaism should be handled with admire and love. This rule is supported via the verse, “You shall love the stranger (‘ger’), for you had been strangers within the land of Egypt” (Deut.10:19).
The phrase “ger” on this verse used to be at first supposed to discuss with an interloper, an alien, who lives in our midst, however via a logical extension, it has come to imply a convert too.
No matter their unique background, they have got come – now and again by the use of a protracted and lonely trail – to be one among us and feature left in the back of a lot that they had been conversant in. They should be handled correctly and, because the Mishnah Bava Metzi’a reminds us, should now not be reminded of the place they got here from.
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The good Talmudic sage Resh Lakish tells us that the convert “is much more treasured than Israel once they stood at Mount Sinai. Had they now not noticed the thunder and lightning, the mountain quaking and the shofar being sounded, they may not have permitted the Torah, however a convert, who has noticed none of these items willingly comes ahead to God and accepts upon himself the Kingdom of Heaven” (Tanchuma, Lech L’cha 6d).
There’s a principle that the souls of all later converts had been doubtlessly there at Mount Sinai and once they therefore to find their method to Judaism they’re renewing an historical spark of id that used to be watching for its second.
Why am I citing all of this? Smartly, Isaiah Baehr-Breen, the former Deputy Communications Director for Ilhan Omar, had this to mention to a Jewish convert who occurs to name out the haters:
Regardless of being a vile factor to mention, it’s wealthy coming from an “as-a-Jew” whose Judaism turns out to me to just be important so that you could protect antisemites like Ilhan Omar.
No longer unusually, he unearths this “shaggy dog story” to be humorous:
The ‘silver’ quip appears to be an allusion to the thirty items of silver for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, consistent with an account within the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 within the Christian New Testomony.
Keep in mind, this is identical man who made gentle of Kanye West’s antisemitism:
so it’s par for the direction.
What I don’t know is whether or not Ilhan fired him or he left on his accord. I suppose the latter, as a result of his problematic conduct against proud Jews would appear to be extra of a characteristic than a computer virus to Ilhan.
David Lange
