[Avodah] Chiyuv l'kabel gerim

[Michael Makovi]

> If we believe that Yahadus is emes and that yakiru v'yeid'u kol yoshvei
> teivel that emes, how can we not have a chiyuv to be mekaabel geirim!?
>
> I think the omission from Halacha of the Mechilta forbidding Kabbolas Geirim
> from Amalek is rooted in this logical conclusion.
>
> KT,
> YGB

Well, one could say that a gentile is not obligated to be Jewish in
order to earn Hashem's favor. Therefore, why not refuse to accept
gerim, or at least be lax about it, and trust that Hashem doesn't
really care whether or not their Jewish? (I'm not trying to be
sarcastic; this seems to me to be a valid shita.)

Therefore, I'd say that Hashem doesn't care whether a given gentile
becomes Jewish or not, but once that gentile decides, and shows
himself to be sincere, we must accept him immediately. There's also no
requirement for someone to belong to a certain club or buy a certain
product, but once someone asks for admission or purchase, wouldn't it
be rude to make him wait for no good reason?

I've never learned that Mechilta, so I cannot comment. Without seeing
it inside however, I'd guess that maybe it is not halacha because we
don't know who Amalek is anyway, so why bother codifying it? It could
very well be that prohibition is valid in and of itself. After all,
the Shulchan Aruch never codifies anything about the Temple, and not
because we don't wish for the Temple bimheira b'yameinu!

Mikha'el Makovi