Conversion - what is it? Conversion of a non-Jew to Judaism. How to become a Jew

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Choosing Judaism as the only true way of life, a person who was not born a Jew, but who wants to become one, must be prepared for all sorts of obstacles and obstacles. After all, the adoption of the system of values and postulates of this religion is not a mere formality. It is preceded by real tests of convictions and righteous aspirations. If a Jewish candidate passes them with dignity, conversion awaits him. What is it and why is it needed? Giyur is a conversion to Judaism, which includes rites that mark the appearance of another representative of the chosen people.

Conversion: general information

Before Beit Din, the so-called rabbinical court, a Jewish candidate, regardless of gender, undertakes to observe the 613 commandments of the Torah. A man who has taken on this yoke must go through the following Jewish rites: brit mila (circumcision) and twila (ritual washing). Women convert to Judaismhappens differently. They only have to commit twila. Each rite has its own special meaning and performs certain functions when converting.

Brit mila features

Brit Milah symbolizes the union between the Creator and Israel. From time immemorial, this rite has been a mandatory procedure for a person professing Judaism, and Jews still consider it immutable when it comes to converting. After all, circumcision preserves the holiness of a person, and a man to whom it is contraindicated will never become a Judaist.

Gentiles are encouraged to have Brit Milah under local anesthesia so they can focus on taking the commandments, but if there are good reasons, full anesthesia is allowed.

In the event that the candidate was circumcised earlier, he must undergo the procedure of atafat dam brit instead of brit milah in order to convert. What is it and how is it carried out? Atafat dam brit is a symbolic release of a few drops of blood through a small puncture in the place where circumcision is usually performed.

It, like Brit Milah, is held in the presence of the judges of Beit Din. The mohel performing the circumcision pronounces the blessing at the end of the circumcision and drinks a glass of wine. After the ceremony, the man must recover physically in order to commit twila. This usually takes two or three days.

How does the twill work?

Twila means entering a mikvah, a reservoir of rain or spring water. It is necessary to carefully prepare for this ceremony: wash, brush your teeth and comb your hair.

A person entersthe mikvah naked and immersed in water with his head. After the first dip, the woman leaves the pool and puts on a loose robe. It should not interfere with the contact of the body with water when it re-enters the mikveh. Such vestments will allow you to conduct the ceremony correctly and feel comfortable in the presence of judges. A man, unlike a woman, does not dress and remains in the water. The judges have a short conversation with the candidate, ask him to accept the commandments again and say a blessing for the second dipping.

Washing in this case will be a sign of the spiritual rebirth of a goy (non-Jew), his purification and becoming a hero, that is, a convert. Upon completion of the twill, he is called by a Jewish name. His person chooses in advance. This completes the conversion of a non-Jew to Judaism. Upon completion, the newly minted ger receives a certificate of conversion.

Reasons for conversion

People who sincerely dream of living according to the laws of this religion, fulfilling all the commandments of the Creator and observing the traditions of the chosen people, decide on it. Among them are many Jews by nationality, but not according to the laws of Judaism. This means that they have Jewish relatives only on the paternal side. Such people want to return to their roots.

The issue of nationality in relation to conversion to Judaism is not fundamental. The presence of Jews in the family tree, of course, will have a positive effect, but the decisive factor for the rabbis will still be the purity of intentions.

Converting to Judaism for any selfish reason, such as marriage in Israel or becausemomentary desire to make fundamental changes in life is considered unacceptable. Rabbis are forced to refuse people obsessed with such ideas, otherwise a fictitious conversion will be performed. What is it and what consequences will it have? A fictitious conversion to Judaism is considered if the applicant to the Jews was not going to keep the commandments initially or did not start to fulfill them after conversion, and the intentions to lead a righteous life were a farce.

The rabbis are trying to avoid such precedents. However, they do happen. A liar's conversion can be invalidated years later, which will result in great life difficulties for his family, so you need to think in advance whether to cheat.

What do you need to remember?

People who sincerely want to profess Judaism need to be clearly aware that their way of life, when they accept conversion, will undergo significant changes. After the accomplishment of twila, they will have to look and behave like true Jews. In Russia, as in other countries with a different religion and culture, new converts may well face misunderstanding from Christian relatives or even strangers.

Men will grow beards and sidelocks at the temples. In public places they will wear head coverings (kippah or hat). You will have to forget about catchy colors in clothes and some wardrobe items, such as shorts or T-shirts. They will need to be replaced with suits or frock coats. Do not forget about the tallit katana, traditional for Jews.

Women will refuse high-heeled shoes, clothes with a deep neckline, bright makeup andwill give preference to a modest and chaste image. Married ladies will cover their heads with a headscarf or wear a wig.

On Saturday, converts should refrain from work, and on other days devote free time to religious self-education. Eating habits will have to change. Pork and rabbit meat, for example, will need to be abandoned. And these are just a few examples of lifestyle changes.

Heras and giyurs

If they do not frighten a person, then he can apply to the rabbinic court. However, one should understand what kind of conversion he wants to accept: reformist, conservative or orthodox. It is worth noting that only the latter is recognized as true in Israel.

Reformist and conservative currents in Judaism deny the fact that the commandments were created by the Creator. The laws of the Torah for their representatives are nothing more than a form of behavior that can be changed in accordance with the requirements of modern times, while for the Orthodox, the recognition of the divine origin of the commandments and their fulfillment are the prerequisites for conversion.

Such courts are not authoritative. Their verdicts are subject to numerous attacks. Geres who have gone through reformist or conservative conversions will not receive recognition from the Israeli people. Most likely, they will have to undergo the procedure for converting to Judaism again, but in a different court.

Where is the Orthodox conversion?

In Moscow, the Central Rabbinate, headed by Berl Lazar, deals with conversion issues. Meetings are held under the leadership of the Chief Rabbi of RussiaBeit Dina. They decide the fate of Jewish candidates. In Russia, only there you can transform from a goy into a full-fledged ger and be accepted by the people of Israel as their own.

Go to the Central Rabbinate for a reception on the issue of conversion and immediately go through the ceremony will not work. It is preceded by long training. Courses are free of charge, but are closed. A person has a chance to get to them only with the permission of the rabbi, who is interviewing potential applicants. However, making an appointment is not easy. First you need to get written recommendations from the rabbi of the synagogue at the place of residence. This condition is mandatory.

The question arises, how to become a Jew to a person in whose locality there is no synagogue? In such a case, the Central Rabbinate recommends moving to another city. And this is only the first test on the way to becoming a hero.

First visit to synagogue

It goes without saying that a person who decides to go to a rabbi already has a small store of knowledge. He read a lot of information on a topic of interest to him, perhaps even began to study the Torah and master Hebrew. This is what many potential Jewish candidates do. There is no shortage of books and textbooks in Russia, so everyone can engage in self-education.

Having minimal knowledge of Judaism and a spiritual need to continue learning the religious tradition, a person goes to the city synagogue to talk with the rabbi. In a conversation with him, the future Jewish candidate honestly shares his experiences. The rabbi, on the other hand,may allow attending the synagogue, praying, going to special Torah classes, introducing them to members of the Jewish community. And this is very important, because by being active, a person gains experience and knowledge, establishes contacts. If the rabbi is convinced of his sincerity and reasonableness, he will give the necessary recommendations.

Conversation with a rabbi

After receiving them, a potential applicant for conversion can make an appointment with the Central Rabbinate. He must come there at the appointed time and fill out a short questionnaire. After that, the rabbi will talk to the future candidate.

The subject of the conversation will be, first of all, the reason that prompted a person to think about converting. The rabbi will ask many questions regarding the candidate's life path, his relatives, contacts with Jewish communities, read literature about Judaism and plans for the future.

It's worth answering them truthfully. A rabbi who is knowledgeable in matters of conversion is perceptive, and in any case he will get to the truth. As a rule, he conducts more than one conversation with the future candidate to find out why he decided to become Jewish.

Family relationships of a person are of particular interest. If the candidate is married or just about to get married, the rabbi will ask him to come along with his couple. After all, conversion will become possible only if all family members commit themselves to observe Jewish traditions.

Preparation for conversion

When the rabbi ascertains the pious intentions of a person, he will assign him to classes. If the applicant has a family, thenall adult members participate in the training. Children are required to attend Jewish schools.

In the classroom, the goy will have the opportunity to study Judaism in detail. The basic concepts of this religion, such as kashrut and Sabbath, as well as prayers and commandments, will be explained to the candidate during the training. Moreover, during it, the applicant for conversion learns not only the theoretical side of the issue.

He should regularly visit one of the Moscow synagogues, establish friendly relations with the Jewish community. One of the Jewish families will take patronage over the candidate.

The lifestyle of a non-Jew before conversion

Periodically, the applicant is called to the rabbinical court to check on the progress of the training and to make sure that his intentions are still serious.

At each meeting, the candidate is instructed as to which commandments he is to keep. After all, leading a completely Jewish way of life before conversion to Judaism is considered a sin. For example, one cannot fully observe the Sabbath before accepting conversion. What it is, the teachers will explain in the courses, and how exactly to observe it, the rabbinical court will recommend. Self-will in such matters is unacceptable, especially since the rabbis closely monitor each ward and regularly inquire about his affairs from members of the community and teachers.

Training a candidate takes an average of two to three years. When his knowledge is strengthened, and he himself is ready to lead the lifestyle of a righteous Jew, then he will be summoned to a meeting of Beit Din.

Appearance for court

There the candidate is withidentification card, as well as all kinds of letters of recommendation: from the rabbi of the synagogue, members of the community and the accompanying family.

It is not recommended to come to the rabbinic court alone. The presence of religious friends and neighbors will be a plus. The course instructor, coordinator and guardian family must be present at the trial. If the candidate has a spouse, potential husband or wife, their presence is required, as both of them must demonstrate their knowledge of religion and willingness to keep the commandments.

The judges will interrogate the children of the goy. However, if they are very young, then plans for their upbringing should be shared with parents.

What might the judges ask?

Beit Din, led by Berl Lazar, will issue a verdict based on the results of studying the candidate's case, letters of recommendation, as well as a direct conversation with him.

Questions to be asked by judges may relate to Jewish history, traditions, prayers, major events and Torah figures. When did Solomon's Temple fall? How to cook kosher fish? Where did Prophet Moses grow up? How do Jews celebrate Purim? Sometimes the judges are asked to recite portions of the prayer. A goy who claims to be a ger must know the basics of Judaism perfectly.

The conversation will be long and detailed. During it, the judges can try to convince the candidate to accept conversion, talking about all the misfortunes of the Jewish people. This is a kind of test of the applicant. When the judges have received enough information from the conversation, they will ask the candidate to leave the room for a while. After a short meeting before himthe verdict will be announced.

Court decision

Judges can make a negative or positive decision regarding conversion. In the first case, they will point out possible gaps in knowledge and advise you to postpone such a responsible decision. A new meeting will take place in a few months.

In case of a positive decision of the judges, the candidate must choose a Jewish name. As a rule, he does this in advance. However, if the candidate has no options, the judges will offer him a few to choose from, after which they will give the person a referral for brit mila and tweela.

A pregnant female applicant must inform the judges about her situation, since conversion will also apply to a child. Moreover, if he is conceived after a twill, he will become equal in status to a person born a Jew, and if not, then a geru.

Heras in Judaism

An interesting question, what is the position of new converts in Jewish society? Are they true representatives of it? What do Hera look like in the eyes of the Jews? The Tanakh (Holy Scripture) says that Jews should treat new converts with respect, as equals: do not oppress, insult or deceive. In addition, many goyim of antiquity, reincarnated as gers, became significant personalities that people remember to this day.

Thus, in the Tanakh, the Moabite Ruth is mentioned, who converted to Judaism and became the great-grandmother of the great King David. His image of the ruler is considered to be ideal. According to one of the Jewish traditions, it is from his family that the Messiah will come, sent by the Almighty to save the world andbring relief from suffering to the people of Israel.

The father-in-law of the founder of Judaism, Moshe Yitro, and Rahab, the foremother of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, took conversion. As the Tanakh shows, being a hero is no worse than being a Jew. However, there is still one difference. New converts are not allowed to tie the knot with kohanim (priests).

In conclusion

So we figured out how to become a Jew. It remains only to overcome all the obstacles on the way to the goal. But let them not confuse the man who intends to join the people of Israel. For a true believer, the gates to a righteous life are always open, and he can be sure that he will pass all the tests on the way to them with honor.