[Avodah] Ohr lagoyim

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 06/05/2016 08:45 AM, M Cohen via Avodah wrote:
> Numerous sefarim say that that galus occurred bc we were not on a sufficient
> madraidga to be world educators from our home in Israel, so we had to be
> dispersed amongst the nations so that we c be closer to them (so that they c
> learn from us)

The gemara says that "Israel was only exiled among the nations so that
converts should be added to them".   Note the passive form.  Even in galus
we were not expected to actively recruit gerim, but rather to live among
the nations so that those who are naturally attracted to our way of life
would be able to find us and avail themselves of an option that they
would otherwise never know about.   Not even a symbolic hishtadlus is
expected of us; we are simply to do our own thing, but in a place where
potential gerim will see us.


-- 
Zev Sero               Meaningless combinations of words do not acquire
zev at sero.name          meaning merely by appending them to the two other
                        words `God can'.  Nonsense remains nonsense, even
                        when we talk it about God.   -- C S Lewis