See Shabbos 31a: The famous story about Hillels Golden Rule (what is hateful to you, do not do unto others) is actually wedged into three separate but related stories that underscore the way conversion candidates to Judaism are intended to be treated. In each case, a conversion candidate approaches Shammai the Elder and is denied, and then approaches Hillel. In the first case, the candidate approaches Shammai seeking to be converted on the condition that he does not have to learn or recognize the Oral Torah. Since acceptance of the Oral Torah is a fundamental element of our religion, Shammai denies the man. He then goes to Hillel and makes the same request. Hillel converts him, and then teaches him the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet. (Did you get that? The man does not accept Oral Torah and doesnt know the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Hillel converts him anyhow.) The next day, Hillel reteaches the first four letters, except that he reverses them (that is, he gives the last four letters and claims that they are the first four). The newly converted Jew objects, exclaiming thats not what you taught me yesterday! So Hillel responds that if youre going to take me at my word about the alphabet, youre going to have to trust me about the Oral Torah as well. In the second case, clearly the most famous, a conversion candidate approaches Shammai and seeks to convert on the condition that he be taught the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Shammai throws him out. Hillel converts him. (Did you get that? The guy does not know the first thing about Torah and Mitzvot. He merely wants to convert to Judaism and be given the essence of the religion in a single sentence. And Hillel converts him). Then he fulfills the condition, giving the aforementioned Golden Rule, and ending with and the rest is explanation [theres quite a lot of that in our religion]. Go learn! In the third case, the candidate approaches Shammai after hearing about the vestments worn by the High Priest. He tells Shammai that he wants to become Jewish and he wants to become a High Priest. Since you have to be born into the priestly family - converts are not able to become Priests - Shammai throws him out. He approaches Hillel, who converts him. (Did you get that? Hillel converts the man, who is still laboring under the assumption that he is permitted to become a High Priest - he knows nothing of our laws, and merely accepts the yolk of heaven in the most general way possible). After that, he tells the man that in order to be a King, he needs to learn the Kings rules, and he begins to teach him Torah. When he comes to the verse a stranger [that is, not a priest] who approaches [where he is not permitted to go in the Tabernacle] will die, he asks, who is this talking about? Hillel responds, even King David himself. So the newly converted Jew states if even David cant become a High Priest, how can I? and accepts Jewish law. Now I challenge the Rabbonim out there, or the people who defend the detestable practices of so many so-called Bsei Din, to explain the Gemara in a way that justifies the viewpoint taken by so many (including some in Chicago, based upon stories I have heard from multiple candidates who have gone through the system and come out on the other side alive), that conversion candidates are to be dragged along for months or years, without being told when their conversions will actually take place, and that they be tested multiple times to make sure that their every thought is in keeping with a narrow understanding of Jewish philosophy. I know that many have added their testimonials in the wake of the DC Peeper revelations about the difficulties of conversion. Im not going to give my own personal story, because I dont think Im that interesting. But suffice it to say that dealing with the Boston Beis Din was easily the most humiliating, debasing, and frustrating experience of my life. They arent Rabbis. They are hardly human. And they sure as heck (like many of their colleagues) never learned maseches Shabbos, or they would have come across the story of how Hillel converted 3 people who had none of the modern prerequisites without embarrassing them for months or years while they stroke their chins and consider whether to preform the conversion (and how much to charge).
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:44:44 +0000
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