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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>From: Micha Berger <micha@aishdas.org><BR>: "These marriages
prove that marriage constitutes conversion" only if you already <BR>:
assume that marriage constitutes conversion. <BR>: <BR>: But one
could equally say that these marriages prove that Moshe, Yosef. <BR>:
Shimshon and Shlomo converted their wives before marrying them.
Otherwise <BR>: how could these men have married the women they married?!
[--TK]<BR><BR>There is no mention in any of these cases of a conversion
occurring first.<BR>Without TSBP, there is no reason to insert this step, and
with repeated<BR>omission, slight reason to believe it didn't happen. It's not a
circular<BR>argument, it's an attempt at proof from absence. Particularly since
the<BR>omitted bit is important.<BR><BR><BR>-- <BR>Micha
Berger <BR>micha@aishdas.org
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<DIV>The omission does not imply that marriage automatically constitutes
conversion. It could just as well (in the absence of TSBP) imply that
intermarriage used to be permitted, or at least tolerated.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>--Toby Katz</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#ffffff
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PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>..</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2
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