[Avodah] R' Angel & Geirus Redux

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Meir Shinnar wrote:
> The issue is that there is a fundamental difference between a potential
> convert who states up front that he rejects a mitzva - and a potential
> convert who makes no such declaration. The question is the extent
> to which a bet din is supposed to research a potential ger - and
> tfurthermore, what happens if a bet din did not research a ger - who
> ends up being non observant.
>
>
>   
I don't agree that the issue is simply the degree that one needs to 
investigate the nature of commitment to keep mitzvos.

Prof. Zohar and Prof. Sagi present two opposing models of conversion on 
page 213

1) Accepting Jewish identity causes one to have an obligation of mitzvos.
2) The acceptance of the obligation of mitzvos causes one to be Jewish.

According to the first perspective there  is no significance or 
necessity to accepting mitzvos - therefore the candidate for conversion 
needs only convince the beis din that he realy wants to be a member of 
the Jewish people. If he has no intention of keeping mitzvos - he has 
the same problem as  any Jew who doesn't want to keep mitzvos - but he 
is still a valid convert.

This is totally consistent with Rav Ben Tzion Uziel (Piskei Uziel # 65) 
[Prof. Finkelstein's translation page 263] "From all that has been said 
and spoken, the ruling is that it is permitted, and obligatory, to 
accept male and female proselytes, even though we know that they will 
not observe all the commandments, because they will eventually come to 
observe them. We are commanded to open such a door to them, and if they 
will not observe the commandments, they will bear the sin and we will be 
guiltless... And in this generation, the locking of the door before 
converts bears heavy responsibility and is extremely difficult, because 
it opens wide gates and impels men and women of Israel to abandon their 
faith and leave the Jewish community or be [totally] assimilated among 
the non-Jews. This falls under the teaching of our sages:'Always let the 
left hand thrust away, and the right draw near' (Sotah 47a). The 
Israelite who assimilates or is thrust away from Israel will become 
Israel's sworn enemy, as history attests in many instances and many 
generations. And even if we do not fear such an end for him himself, 
nonetheless, we certainly are obligated to draw their children near...I 
fear that if we totally reject them, by not receiving their parents for 
conversion, we will be called to judgment and it will be said of us: 
'you have not brought back the strayed, nor looked for the lost' (Ezek. 
34:4)"

Daniel Eidensohn