[Avodah] Status of Non-Jew born to Jewish Father

[Zev Sero]

On 2/11/2011 12:25 PM, Daniel Bukingolts wrote:
> What is the status of
> non-Jewish children born with Jewish fathers? Is there a different or
> easier geirus for them if they decide to convert?

Not really.  But it appears from the gemara that the father can decide
to convert the child (while still a minor) on his own authority, and the
child has no choice in the matter.  The father simply takes the child to
Beit Din and says he wants the child to be Jewish, he declares his
intention to raise the child to keep mitzvos, the beis din circumcises
(if male) and dunks the child, and he's Jewish.  He doesn't even get an
opportunity to renounce it when he grows up, because it wasn't done under
the rule of "zachin le'adam shelo befanav" but under the rule that a
father has authority over his children.  Just as he can sell his child
into slavery, or marry her off if she's a girl, he can also convert his
child.   At least some poskim hold this way lema'aseh, but if he's not
going to raise the child to be shomer mitzvos then it's best not to let
him know he has this option, because it's bad for the child to be Jewish
and not keep mitzvos.


> Are they given a choice at a certain age to simply be Jewish?

No.

> Should we actively try to sway them towards Judaism?

Only if that will bring the father back.  It may be that if he suddenly
finds that his wife and children are Jewish and keeping mitzvos, he
will realise that he should be doing so too, in which case it was worth
doing.


> My father had a bris for my non Jewish half brother
> (details unknown, but I believe done by chabad rabbi). Would he require
> chatafas dam if he decides to be Jewish?

No.  That's what the "bris" was for; it was done leshem gerus, in case
the child eventually decides to convert.


-- 
Zev Sero        If they use these guns against us once, at that moment
zev at sero.name   the Oslo Accord will be annulled and the IDF will
                 return to all the places that have been given to them.
		                            - Yitzchak Rabin