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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Hankman <A href="mailto:salman@videotron.ca">salman@videotron.ca</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>While the concept of "zera Yisrael," of partial Jewish parentage
is<BR>not new to me.... I know, some in kiruv find a special imperative to
be<BR>"mekarev" such "zera Yisrael" to geirus. But I know of no such
halachic<BR>notion for consideration in geirus. I would appreciate any
broadening of<BR>my horizons in this regard that anyone can offer from sifrei
rishonim,<BR>achronim or tshuvot. Did you ask your Rav the source for this point
of<BR>view? If he could clarify the basis of the idea that would be great.
Is<BR>this another demographic, social etc. reason to follow the meikil as
we<BR>have heard before? Or is there some hidden mystical notion at play
here<BR>of retrieving some sort of "hidden kedusha" in the "zera
Yisrael"?<BR><BR>Kol Tuv<BR>Chaim Manaster</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>My father told me that the rule about initially discouraging would-be
converts does not apply to the children of Jewish fathers. If the latter
express any interest in converting, they are to be encouraged and
mekareved. I regret that it did not occur to me at the time to ask for
sources or reasons. But there is not a doubt in my mind that if he said
it, he had sources and reasons.</DIV>
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<DIV>BTW I must add that even though gerus is encouraged and welcomed in
such a case, my father still did not approve of Mickey Mouse
conversions. A real gerus requires the acceptance of Torah
observance. I don't consider my father's position -- encourage gerus,
but insist that it be genuine -- to be "meikil."</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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