On Shavuos, we read the Megillah of Rus. Rus is the quintessential giores tzeddek, who accompanied her mother-in-law to Eretz Yisrael and eventually became the progenitor of Dovid HaMelech and the forerunner to Mashiach.
All this brings us to some fundamental questions about both Rus and about geirim.
How could Machlon and Kilyon, the sons of Elimelech, have married gentile women? The Gemara in Bava Basra 91a states that Machlon and Kilyon were gedolei ha’dor. Did they convert them beforehand? Did Rus convert later?
There seems to be a fundamental debate between Rashi and the Ibn Ezra as to whether they converted or not. Rashi says that Rus and Orpah did not convert. This also seems to be the view of the Midrash on Rus Rabbah (2:9). The Ibn Ezra, however, writes that this is inconceivable.
Rambam (Issurei Biah 13:14—17) discusses how it was that Shimshon and Shlomo HaMelech had apparently married gentile wives. He explains that the official batei dinim that were extant in those days did not accept converts out of concern that they were not converting out of legitimate reasons. However, other unofficial batei dinim presided over these conversions. Candidates who did so were regarded at the time as safek Jews–possible Jews or possible gentiles. Only time would tell if they truly had intent to convert for the right reasons rather than for social advancement.
This understanding fits into the conversion of Rus and Orpah (see also Zohar Chadash on Rus 180—182). Rus’s conversion turned out to be completely legitimate. Orpah’s did not. Naomi’s discouraging questions could be understood as a test of sorts to determine the validity of their conversions before they would enter into Eretz Yisrael.
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Must They
Do Teshuvah
On Past Sins?
Rus started off as a Moabite princess. If Rus, or any ger or giores, had done aveiros before they had converted, must they do teshuvah on those aveiros? The Gemara in Yevamos 62a tells us that a ger who had converted is likened to a newborn child. But does this wipe his or her slate clean?
The Minchas Shmuel, a new sefer by Rav Shmuel Khoshkrman, a talmid of Yeshiva Ner Yisroel, cites Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein’s Chashukei Chemed on Bechoros 30b who answers that the ger or giores must do teshuvah on violations that he or she may have violated of the sheva mitzvos bnei Noach, but has no such obligation on any of the other mitzvos (See also Birchei Yoseph CM 34:24).
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What Must They Know And Believe?
Before she converted, Rus had to know and believe in essentials of Judaism and it seems that she had to be aware of the process that she was undergoing. The Chazon Ish (YD 119:2) writes that all geirim must know and believe in the following five concepts. If they do not believe in them, the geirus is invalid. They are:
- That Hashem commanded the Jewish people with chukim (laws with no understandable reasons) and mishpatim (laws with understandable reasons).
- That Hashem commanded these chukim and mishpatim through Moshe Rabbeinu.
- That the Jewish nation was set apart from all the other nations.
- That Hashem informed the Jewish people that they can accept geirim from all of the other nations.
- That the method of becoming a ger is through milah (for men), tevilah (immersion in a mikveh), and the acceptance of mitzvos.
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Is There A Prohibition Of Yichud?
Generally speaking, we say that a ger becomes a new person. If Rus went back to her family members, would there be a prohibition of yichud between her and her family members? In the new additions to the Sefer Dvar Halachah quoted by the Minchas Shmuel, Rav Elyashiv is cited as permitting it.
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Recent History
A number of years ago, an organization arose which somehow began to wield remarkable influence among the yeshivos and seminaries in Eretz Yisrael. This organization attempted to invalidate the conversions that were performed by hundreds of leading Orthodox poskim throughout the United States and subsequently declared that only a handful of batei dinim (that this organization approved of) were valid. Roshei yeshiva in America were unable to get some of their top students into yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael. Seminaries refused students, and even kollels refused entry to yungeleit until their wives dipped again under a beis din of which the organization approved.
Thankfully, Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, of the Eida Chareidis, and leading roshei yeshiva in America were instrumental in putting a stop to this organization. The organization made declarations and rulings that were against the rulings of the leading poskim of previous generations. For example, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinksy, zt’l, rules in Achiezer Vol. III #26 that if a candidate accepts all mitzvos but thinks that he or she may violate certain mitzvos l’tei’avon, this does not undermine kabbalas mitzvos. The organization declared Rav Chaim Ozer’s position incorrect (notwithstanding Dayan Weiss’s view in Minchas Yitzchok Vol. VI #107).
It could be that Rus converted a second time after being vetted by Naomi. The Midrash on Rus 2:12 cites Rabbi Chassa as repeating the fact that Rus had come under the kanfei haShechinah. This could be an allusion to a second conversion and would explain how we learn that a candidate for geirus should be initially discouraged from Naomi’s words when, ostensibly, Rus had already undergone one conversion. The Gemara in Yevamos (47b) derives most of the halachos of how we treat geirim when they first approach us to convert from Naomi’s actions. The idea of a second conversion backs this up.
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Final Thought
The name Rus informs us of her conversion to observing taryag mitzvos, according to the Vilna Gaon. How so? Originally she observed the sheva mitzvos bnei Noach. The gematria of RUS is 200+6+400, or 606. If you add that to the original seven mitzvos of Noach that she had originally observed, that equals 613!
Which brings us back to our second point–Rus did not have to do teshuvah, because she had kept the seven mitzvos bnei Noach.
The author would like to wish all readers a gut yom tov! v
The author can be reached at Yairhoffman2@gmail.com.