This post continues this series on the Nishmablog that features responses on JVO by one of our two Nishma Scholars who are on this panel. This week's presentation is to one of the questions to which Rabbi Hecht responded.
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Question:
I am a religiously-unaffiliated philosophy professor seriously considering conversion to Judaism, and am currently learning as much as I can in order to make a decision. My reasons for wanting to convert are entirely my own - I find myself drawn to the religion's beliefs and practices and feel it may be where I belong. In my research I have found numerous books on the subject of conversion, however they normally focus on the process of conversion itself - the 'how'. Whilst this is certainly important, I feel I first need to tackle the question of 'should' on a deep and careful level. I would like to make a sincere spiritual and moral commitment, and I know that converting to Judaism is not a small or trivial commitment to make. Are you able to recommend any reading material that explores the question of 'should I convert?' in a deep and contemplative way? Something that explores not just the practicalities of the decision, but its deeper meaning in terms of one's moral commitments and relationship with God? I am particularly interested in the pros and cons in this respect, as I have sometimes encountered dire warnings that "It is better to be a righteous Gentile than to make a commitment that you cannot keep". I feel I will need to study and contemplate the pros and cons of conversions very deeply in order to choose wisely. Thank you for your time (and feel free to edit this overly-long question for clarity).
You
touch upon numerous issues in your question and I will not be able to
respond to all of them within this answer (albeit that it is still a
long one). What I hope to do, though, is to focus upon what I consider
to be the initial concerns that you have to first address. I also hope
to provide some direction for you on how to go from there.
The
first question you must ask is what you mean by – or what is generally
meant by -- conversion to Judaism. This may seem to be a trivial
question but, in fact, it is a most significant one for the exact nature
and goal of the transformation that is represented by the term
‘conversion to Judaism’ is understood differently by different people.
This, thus, yields a problem in discussing the issue for what one person
may mean by this term could be vastly different than what another
person means. It is, therefore, important for you to fully understand
what you mean by this term, both personally and within the context of
others, before you determine the path to meet your goal.
This
investigation must begin with the concept of the group. The starting
point is that there is a group of individuals defined as Jews and the
simplest understanding of conversion is that it is the method by which a
person becomes a member of this group. But what exactly is the nature
of this group? Since the term ‘conversion’ generally has religious
connotations, there is a basic assumption that the nature of the group
would be theological, i.e. Jews are individuals with a shared theology
of a certain type. Is this, though, a proper way of defining the Jewish
group?
There
are actually two major difficulties with this definition. The first is
that defining the Jewish group solely by theology would yield
difficulties for Jewishness seems to also cover a
nationalistic/ethnic/cultural dimension. The recent Pew Report on Jewish Americans
even included a category entitled ‘Jews of no religion’ for it found
that over 20% of American Jews “say they have no particular religion
although they have direct Jewish ancestry (at least one Jewish parent)
and consider themselves Jewish or partly Jewish.” In defining themselves
as members of the Jewish group, such individuals clearly do not see
this group as being defined by shared theology. The fact is that one of
the essential elements of the Jewish group, within the consciousness of
most Jews, is shared nationality or peoplehood. To many who stress this
aspect of Jewishness, conversion is actually the term for how one not
born Jewish can become part of this peoplehood, almost, regardless of
theology. The very fact that Jewishness is even tied to birth would
actually seem to give weight to this factor of Jewishness. So is the
Jewish group a collection of individuals with a shared theology or a
peoplehood or, somehow, both? If one argues both, how do these two
elements of group identity come together to define the nature of this
group? In wishing to convert, you must ask: what exactly is the nature
of this group with which you wish to join?
This
leads to the second basic difficulty that you must consider in tackling
this issue of the group’s nature and that concerns the theological
distinctions within Judaism. The branches of Judaism actually reflect
major differences in theology that many Jews, unfortunately, do not even
recognize. Further on this, please see my Adjective and Non-Adjective Jews, Nishma Introspection 5761-2.
While there may be certain elements of theology that are shared by the
variant branches, the reality is that in any conversion process that
would be undertaken by an individual, the theology that would be taught
would be specific to one of the branches of Judaism. In solely
theological terms, it would be more correct for an individual to state
that he/she is converting to or has converted to Orthodoxy Judaism or
Reform Judaism, for example, rather than just state that he/she is
converting to or has converted to Judaism. That would be a clearer
representation of the shared theology. As such, in theological terms,
you have to also determine with which theological grouping you wish to
connect, i.e. which branch of Judaism you wish to join. This actually
also leads us back to the first difficulty for while the theological
distinctions between the branches of Judaism, by definition, splinter
the broad group, the peoplehood aspect of Jewishness connects
individuals within the broad group beyond the theological distinctions.
As such, we do not talk of converts to Conservative Judaism or Orthodox
Judaism but people wishing to become part of the overall group of Jews –
which again brings in the peoplehood aspect.
So
the first thing you have to do on this path of conversion is to truly
decide the nature of the Jewishness which you wish to pursue. As
conversion is in the hands of the branches of Judaism, you have to make a
decision as to which branch of Judaism you wish to consider – at least,
as a starting point. This would mean that you have to get in touch with
a rabbi within the branch with which you wish to start this process. It
may also mean that you will have to discuss the issue with rabbis of
different branches in order to find the path that you wish to follow. As
a philosophy professor, I am sure you can understand that the process
of conversion is really an investigation of truth and your place within
it. What I am simply presenting is the process of investigating this
specific truth regarding Jewishness. It is then within the branch, or
understanding of truth, that you have accepted that you will have to
further investigate your questions and the one I am posing regarding the
relationship between theology and peoplehood in Jewish identity.
It
is actually with this issue that I would like to conclude. Since I
brought up the issue of whether Jewishness reflects peoplehood or
religious commitment or, somehow, both, I think that I should explain
how Orthodoxy approaches the matter. This may also provide a basis for
how to approach your further questions from an Orthodox perspective.
Jewishness
actually reflects, within Orthodoxy, a nationalistic identity. A Jew is
a member of the Jewish nation and one is either a member of this nation
through birth (born to a Jewish mother) or through gerut,
generally translated as conversion. In general terms (without entering
into a discussion of technicalities), in order for one to become part of
this nation, though, one must accept the faith of Orthodox Judaism as a
pre-requisite. Simply, gerut is how one becomes a member of
the Jewish nation but before being considered a candidate for becoming a
member of the Jewish nation, the person must already be a believer in
the universal theology of Orthodox Judaism. While Jews are expected to
have a shared theology, the fact is that shared theology is not a
defining factor of Jewishness. One may be Jewish without sharing the
theology of Orthodox Judaism and sharing the theology of Orthodox
Judaism does not make one Jewish. This demands further explanation.
As
a universal religion, Orthodox Judaism’s theology actually applies to
all humanity. The ideal within Orthodoxy – and this is found in the
presentation of various Messianic ideals – is that all of humanity will
adopt the theology and understanding of God as presented within
Orthodoxy. What Orthodoxy presents, though, is a distinction in Divine
expectations between the Jewish nation and the rest of humanity. God
distinguished the Jewish nation and gave them the Torah which consisted
of 613 commandments. For the rest of Mankind, God solely demanded
observance of the 7 Laws of Noach, the Noachide Code.
So being designated at birth as a Jew -- meaning that one is designated
thereby as a member of the Jewish nation – simply defines an individual
as subject to the Torah commandments. This is a designation that is
inherent and cannot be lost. Non-observance of these commandments, even a
rejection of basic theological principles including belief in God, does
not result in a person losing the national status of being a Jew. The
person is still part of the nation and still obligated in the Torah.
Still, the essence of Jewish national identity is that it is the nation
designated by God to receive the gift of the Torah and be bound by these
additional Divine responsibilities with their further Divine benefits.
The
wish to join the nation by someone not Jewish is thus understood to be,
within this theological perspective, a wish by this person to be bound
by the Torah commandments and not solely the Noachide Code. Gerut
is thus designated as the process by which a non-Jew can become a Jew,
enter into the covenant between God and the Jewish People, and thereby
be bound by the laws incumbent upon a Jew. Given that national identity
specifically concerns this commitment, fundamental to gerut, as such, is the acceptance of this commitment, kabbalat mitzvot,
the acceptance of the Torah commandments. This commitment is obviously
built upon an acceptance of the underlying theology so, theoretically,
the process of conversion within Orthodoxy is one whereby an
individual, who believes in this universal theology, wishes to join the
Jewish nation because of a wish to be bound by the Torah Code. The
process confirms this commitment.
A
non-Jew, however, does not have to become a member of the Jewish nation
and, pursuant to the universal theology of Orthodox Judaism, can be a
Righteous Gentile through the observance of the Noachide Code. It is
within this context that the question of ‘why convert?’ really exists.
What are the proper motivations for one to want to become a member of
the Jewish nation with its greater obligations? (In regard to Righteous
Gentiles, you may wish to look at the life of Aime Pailliere (19th century) who is generally presented as the first modern Noachide.)
You
are correct to state that you “will need to study and contemplate the
pros and cons of conversions very deeply in order to choose wisely.”
This study must begin with the above questions and your choice of the
person to further instruct you, not only in the nature of the theology
you wish to pursue but also in terms of your personal connection to it.
Please feel free to contact me through www.nishma.org if you think I can be of further assistance.
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