[Avodah] R' Angel & Geirus Redux

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Meir Shinnar wrote
> However, there is another model of giyur - where the primary process
> is the transformation of becoming part of am yisrael (and not in the
> notion that we are only an am through the mitzvot) - and mila and
> tevila are the technical acts that transform a non Jew into a Jew.
>   
This issue has been bouncing around for many years. The question is how 
to understand the lack of emphasis or concern with the full  acceptance 
of mitzvos prior to the mid 19th century.

Prof. Zohar and Prof Sagi insist that it proves that originally there 
was no requirement to accept all the mitzvos. The alternative which 
seems to be accepted by all major poskim is expressed well by Rav Herzog 
(translation by R' Bleich on page 283 of vol 1 of Contemporary Halachic 
Issues.)

. . "even though the halakhic decision has been formulated that, after 
the fact, even those converting for ulterior purposes and not for the 
sake of heaven are converts, I have exceedingly strong reason  [to 
assert] that in these times the law is not so. Since in former times 
virtually every Jew was forced to observe the commandments, otherwise he 
would have been disdained and despised as a renegade, this therefore 
strengthened the supposition that the gentile who comes to convert has, 
in truth, made a decision to observe the Sabbath, etc. . . . But in our 
day the situation has changed and it is [now] possible to be a leader in 
Israel while yet a desecrator of the Sabbath and one who partakes of 
nevelah and tereifah in public, etc. Whereby does one arrive at the 
supposition that the gentile indeed decided, at least at the moment of 
conversion, to observe Judaism? Moreover, the vast majority and perhaps 
all converts of this genre do not commence to observe even the 
fundamentals of [the Jewish] faith. ." .[this letter was published by 
Rabbi Breish in the latter's Chelkat Ya'akov, I, no. 14. Similar 
sentiments are also expressed by Rabbi Herzog in his Heikhal Yitzchak, 
Even ha-Ezer, I, no. 20, sec. 2 and no. .21, sec. 3. Rabbi Herzog adds 
that if the candidate for conversion is a female the dangers are greater 
since an invalid conversion may cause grave ramifications with regard to 
subsequent marriage involving a Jewish partner and affect the 
genealogical purity of future generations.]

Daniel Eidensohn