Re: "Ex" Jews

Michael S. Tsirkin (mtsirkin@usa.net)
Tue, 23 Sep 1997 09:45:24 +0200

Lara (laraline@iAmerica.net) wrote:
<<What is the situation for those who convert to Judaism? I would
agree that the "nature" of one's soul is fairly immutable. So I wouldn't
think that the conversion somehow "changes" the soul. Please forgive me
if this has been addressed before, but is it thought that the soul of the
person who converts to Judiasm was Jewish "to begin with" and that is
what drew the person to convert in order to realize the soul's "true
nature?" If not, then how does one who was not born into the religion
"become" a Jew - ie with respect to the Jewish soul?>>

Here's is a nice medrash on a related issue cited sometime ago in
Torah-forum: "I remember when I adopted my children someone told me a sweet
story which I've never forgotten. It goes something like this: When
Hashem offered the Torah to all the different nations before offering it to
the 'Jewish' people, there were some people in each nation who wanted to
accept it, however they were in the minority. These are the children who
come up for adoption; sort of like a second opportunity to be Jewish.
Nice. I smile when I look at my kids and think of them."

Shana tova,

Michael S. Tsirkin

mailto:mtsirkin@usa.net