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Preface
Introduction
Part I: The Essence of Conversion
1. The Fundamentals of Conversion and Their Interrelationships 1. The Formal Conversion Rituals, Acceptance of the Commandments, and the Court 2. Gemirat Da‘at — The Final Internal Resolve to Convert 3. Conversion as a Covenant and as Kinyan
2. The Principal Component of Conversion 1. Acceptance of the Commandments as the Principal Component of Conversion 2. Acceptance of the Commandments and the Court 3. The Views of the Acharonim
3. The Formal Ritual Acts of Conversion and Ritual Purity and Impurity 1. Introduction 2. The Male Convert's Circumcision 3. The Convert's Ritual Immersion 4. The Proselyte's Immersion and the Ritual Immersion of Food Vessels 5. Immersion Prior to Circumcision
4. The Ger Toshav 1. The Ger Toshav (Resident Alien): Conversion and Acceptance of the Commandments 2. The Status of the Ger Toshav 3. The Ger Toshav and the Ger Tzedek
5. The Canaanite Slave 1. The Canaanite Slave: Servitude and Conversion 2. The Status of the Canaanite Slave 3. Monetary Acquisition and Conversion 4. The Acceptance of Commandments of a Canaanite Slave 5. Immersion for Slavery and Acceptance of the Commandments 6. Ritual Immersion for the Sake of Emancipation without Acceptance of the Commandments 7. The Yefat To'ar and Her Conversion
Part II: Acceptance of the Commandments
Introduction to Part Two
1. Towards a Characterization of the Acceptance of the Commandments 1. The Acceptance of the Commandments as a Condition for Conversion 2. Acceptance of the Commandments and the Desire to Convert
2. Informing about the Commandments and Accepting the Commandments 1. Informing about the Commandments 2. Informing the Proselyte of the Commandments — The Law Ex Post Facto 3. Knowledge of the Commandments and Their Acceptance — In Specific Detail and in General 4. Informing about the Commandments and Accepting the Commandments According to Maimonides and in the Shulhan Arukh
3. Partial Acceptance of the Commandments 1. The Halakhah of “[I Accept the Commandments,] Except for One Thing” 2. A Restrictive Interpretation of “Except for One Thing” 3. “Except for One Thing” — Ab Initio and Ex Post Facto 4. The View of R. Haim Ozer Grodzinski 5. The Rulings of R. Moses Feinstein
4. The Motive for Conversion and Acceptance of the Commandments 1. The Dispute between Tannaim Concerning an Ulterior Motive for Conversion 2. One Whose Status as a Convert is in Doubt and Conversion for the Purpose of Marriage 3. Maimonides' Approach Concerning an Ulterior Motive for Conversion 4. The Motive for Conversion and the Sages' Attitude to Conversion and to Converts 5. Conversion for the Purpose of Marriage in Recent Generations 6. The Prohibition of Marriage for One Suspected of Relations with a Gentile Woman 7. Civil Marriage and Conversion for the Sake of a Jewish Marriage
5. The Conversion of a Minor 1. The Minor Convert and Zechiya 2. The Status of the Minor Convert and His Protest 3. The Conversion of Minors in the Contemporary Period
Part III: The Act of Conversion
Introduction to Part Three
1. The Laws of Circumcision and Ritual Immersion 1. The Indispensability of Circumcision and Ritual Immersion for Conversion 2. Conversion by Ritual Immersion 3. Intent in Immersion and Circumcision
2. Hatafat Dam Brit — The Drawing of the Blood of the Covenant 1. Hatafat Dam Brit for a Previously Circumcised Conversion Candidate 2. A Gentile Who Was Born Circumcised Who Comes to Convert 3. Hatafat Dam Brit for the Levites, the Sons of Keturah, and Emancipated Slaves
3. There is No Half-Conversion 1. Introduction: The Significance of a Single Act of Conversion 2. One Who Immersed but Was Not Circumcised, or Who Was Circumcised but Did Not Immerse, Is Not a Convert 3. Hatafat Dam Brit as an Act of Conversion 4. A Proselyte Who Was Circumcised but Did Not Immerse 5. A Proselyte Who Immersed but Was Not Circumcised
4. Partial Conversion: A Historical Examination 1. The Conversion of the Royal House of Adiabene 2. A Comparison with the Talmudic Legal Tradition 3. The Phenomenon of “Those Who Fear Heaven” and Gentile Interest in Judaism in and after the Late Second Temple Period
5. The Offering of a Sacrifice 1. The Purpose of the Proselyte's Sacrifice 2. Bringing the Sacrifice as Completion of the Formal Ritual Act of Conversion 3. After the Destruction of the Temple
Part IV: The Court
Introduction to Part Four
1. “A Convert Requires Three” 1. The Prohibition of Private Conversion in the Talmuds and in the Geonic Literature 2. The Indispensability of Three for the Acceptance of the Commandments 3. The Approach of Rif and Similar Approaches of Other Rishonim 4. The Indispensability of the Court for Immersion and for Acceptance of the Commandments 5. Views of Rishonim Who Acknowledge the Legitimacy of Conversion Not in the Presence of a Court Ex Post Facto
2. Conversion without a Court: Practical Halakhah in the Responsa Literature 1. Law of Converts and Slaves in the Sixteenth Century in the East 2. Responsa on Questions of Mamzerut, Kiddushim (Betrothal), and Levirate Marriage 3. Responsa by Acharonim 3. Conversion and Judicial Proceedings and Rulings 1. Conversion in Court and Judicial Proceedings and Rulings 2. Judicial Proceedings and the Ritual Immersion for the Sake of Conversion Conducted at Night 3. A Judicial Proceeding or “An Action which Requires a Court”? — Maimonides' Approach 4. Immersion for Conversion on the Sabbath 5. The Judicial Nature of Conversion in Actual Halakhic Practice
4. Accepting Converts at the Present Time: Experts and Non-Experts 1. Introduction 2. “We Are Acting as Their Agents” 3. Conversion by Torah Law and by the Authority of Rabbinic Enactment 4. The Exegesis of “Throughout Your Generations” 5. Experts and “Law [Mishpat]” 6. The Halakhic Expertise and the Sagacity of the Judges
Part V: Invalidation of Conversion due to Lack of Intent to Convert
Introduction to Part Five 1. The Absence of Acceptance of Commandments and the Validity of Conversion 1. The Finality of Conversion and Acceptance of the Commandments 2. The Intent to Convert and a Proven Assessment 3. Umdana de-mukkah — Proven Assessment and Devarim She-ba-lev — Unexpressed Thoughts 4. Acceptance of the Commandments under Coercion 5. The Validity of Present-day Conversions
2. The Convert's Behavior Following His Conversion 1. Conversion for an Ulterior Motive as Conditional Conversion 2. The View of Haggahot Mordekhai 3. “His [Behavior in the] End Proved [what] his [Intent was in the] Beginning” 4. “We Have Misgivings about Him until His Righteousness Becomes Apparent”: Maimonides' Approach
3. Null and Void Conversion: Recent Halakhic Praxis 1. Introduction 2. Fraudulent Conversion: Cairo 3. Annulment of Conversion and Betrothal because of Acceptance for Appearance's Sake: England 4. The Retroactive Annulment of Conversion: The Ruling regarding the Brother and the Sister (Israel) 5. Summary of the Responsa 6. The Rulings of R. Moses Feinstein
Summary and Conclusions
Bibliography
Indices Source Index General Index Index of Place Names
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About
the Author -- Conversion