[Avodah] is this ok

[Akiva Miller]

R' Saul Newman asked:

> http://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=21363&alias=picture-of-the-day
> would there be any reason to say that a functionary of another
> religion is somehow not allowed to be mekayem mitzvot while
> staying in that status?

This question must be answered in several separate pieces.

First, I don't know why a "functionary of another religion" might be different than a *layman* of another religion.

Second, it should be pointed out that several people commented on that article, and claimed that the person in the photo actually *is* Jewish, though apparently a meshumad. One could ask another distinct question, whether a mushumad who is a functionary of another religion is allowed to do mitzvos.

Some people's knee-jerk reaction would be that he is certainly allowed, but it seems to me that -- especially when dealing with "functionaries" -- we must be wary of those who would pervert the mitzvos for the ideals of the other religion. For example, see the Wikipedia article titled "Passover (Christian holiday)", PROVIDED you think your stomach can handle it.

Besides all the above, RSN's question about "mitzvot" is too broad. Not all mitzvot are treated the same way. The photo in the link was of a man wearing tefillin, and tefillin in particular is a very unusual mitzvah in this regard, being that it is testimony to out Jewishness. I have a friend who had been learning in yeshiva for a good number of years when he learned Hilchos Gerus and discovered that his conversion was pasul. He went straight to the rosh yeshiva who told him to continue doing everything as before, except for Shabbos and Tefillin (and maybe one other thing that I've forgotten). Going without tefillin for a few days was difficult, and he was *very* relieved to be able to have a proper conversion before the next Shabbos arrived.

Those who want more info on how actual poskim hold on this, can go to the archives for a short thread titled "Nonjews and Tefillin" from eight years ago.

Akiva Miller

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