[Avodah] Would Ruth's conversion be rejected today?

[Zev Sero]

On 1/06/2012 6:13 AM, Micha Berger wrote:

> Well, if RAM is speaking of yibum as a societal practice, halachic
> parameters aren't an issue.

Then why would it matter whether the marriage was valid?  There could
just as easily be the same idea about giving the deceased's mistress
a child in his name.  But I'm suggesting that it really had less to do
with yibum than with looking after the widow, so if she had children
the obligation would be even greater.  A brother *can't* marry her if
she has children, but another relative can, and I'm suggesting that
there was a feeling that he should.


> As for a yibum-esque societal practice, Yehudah was Tamar's father-in-law.
> And there the pasuq makes a point of telling us that both sons died
> childless. It certainly seems as though it was the lack of children that
> motivated Tamar.

That was what motivated *Tamar*; she wanted children from the holy family,
and would do whatever it took to get some.  I don't see anything to indicate
that she cared about perpetuating Er's name.  *Yehuda* is the one who cared
about that.

-- 
Zev Sero        "Natural resources are not finite in any meaningful
zev at sero.name    economic sense, mind-boggling though this assertion
                  may be. The stocks of them are not fixed but rather
		 are expanding through human ingenuity."
		                            - Julian Simon