Parashas Mishpatim
Finally - The Real Ger In Real Reality
Finally - The Real Ger In Real Reality
Rabbi
David Katz
[***Class with Explanation to Follow]
[Motzie Shabbos,
Israel 10 P.M.; Available For Download]
[Allow
Ample Time To Adjust to Virtual Classroom; Limited Seating]
Parashas Mishpatim may be the most passionate Torah that one
will encounter in the entire Chumash; after all, what would one expect after
Mt. Sinai! In the Parsha, Hashem expresses Himself in a way that He seems to
get personal; the widow, the orphan, Hashem’s “personal philosophy” [i.e. do
not join an evil multitude – how pertinent not only of today, but for all of
time - "Jewish (bad) politics"], and as always Hashem’s love affair with the Ger.
[It is also worth mentioning that the Parsha contains a large quantity of the material that composes the juiciest sections of the Oral
Torah, i.e. Bava Kama & blueprint for Shulchan Aruch.]
Once Mishpatim gets into full [Torah] steam, we quickly come
upon not one, but two very explicit commands by Hashem, “Do not taunt the Ger”
[Shemos 22:20, 23:9] – for you were Gerim in the Land of Egypt. To show how
severe this seemingly benign passing phrase is, Rashi points out that this is a
reference of caution when concerning the finances of the Ger, and to carry one’s
self to the highest honor and responsibility concerning the Ger’s money. To put
it simply, stealing is a no-no, and although this may sound like an obvious
no-brainer, the depth that the Torah asks of us to understand why this
is, will ultimately reveal the divine quality of the one called “Ger.” The
question seems to always remain however, what is the Torah relationship between
the Jew and the Ger?
The Torah in conjunction with Rabbinic writings offers a
fascinating trail of breadcrumbs over a vast number of resources intricately
piecing together exactly who is the Ger. And amidst understanding the Ger, it
is inevitable to ponder upon who or what is a convert, along with where does
idolatry come into the picture, and better yet, how does the Jew fit in and
interact? The trail of perpetuating redemption ultimately starts with finding
the needle in the haystack, but let us not lose sight of the goal -“Do not
oppress/taunt the Ger.” Up until now the Torah has “Redeemed the Ger”; Post Sinai
endeavors to keep it that way.
The proverbial needle in the haystack can be found in
Devarim 24:14: “You shall not cheat the poor or destitute hired person AMONG
YOUR BRETHREN, OR FROM ‘YOUR’ GER THAT IS IN YOUR LAND, [OR THE ONE] IN YOUR
GATE.” It is upon this verse that the Talmud [Bava Metzia 111b; Tosfos] in
beautiful fashion will set into a motion a short scavenger hunt that will leave
us standing face to face with the Rambam, almost as if awaiting the verdict of
the redeemability of the Ger. While the Rambam represents the par excel lance
of defining the 613 Commandments, we must stand with trepidation over the Ger and
his redemption, for without an established precedent of a revelation of “Ger
Emet” [which is always a possibility in a game driven by Free Will], Man may
stand to continue to do that which is evil in God’s eyes.
The Talmud [on Dev. 24:14] understands our verse in three
very specific terms: “From your Brethren” – and not an idolater, “Your Ger” – Ger
Tzedek [Righteous Ger], and “In Your Gates” – the Ger Toshav. From this short
explanation by the Tosfos commentary [of which he says the engine that drives
the entire concept must be the Ger Toshav, for we can learn each of the other
two levels above and below him, only by concentrating on him] we have gained
insight to the basic construct of the gentile world, and have objectively
concluded the infamous debate of is a Ger a gentile or a convert, concluding
that the Ger Tzedek is a gentile. But then Tosfos spoke a second time!
Tosfos [Talmud Commentator opposite Rashi on a standard Talmud
page] continues his assault [on misperceptions of “Gerim”], and directly pushes
the envelope, asking “what is the difference between the Ger Tzedek convert and
the Ger Tzedek gentile?” [In today’s (“exiled”) Jewish world, the convert is
the Ger Tzedek – exclusively, while the gentile is an extinct (and unknown)
dinosaur.] His revelation through analysis in text is that there is a Ger
Tzedek – gentile, and a Ger Tzedek – convert; resolving, “yes, this is
difficult to ascertain, but it is your duty to know the difference when it
comes up in text.” [paraphrased]
From the Babylonian Talmud we now leapfrog over to the Jerusalem Talmud, again within Bava Metzia [“the middle gate”] and we find a completely different spin placed on the same set of elements, this time by the rabbis in Israel.
For every step we took to define the Ger – gentile, the
Jerusalem Talmud now says that the Ger Tzedek is in fact the convert to
Judaism! The logic is quite simple: if we over advocate the gentile – Ger, what
will be of those Gerim who actually did wish to sincerely convert? Thus the
Talmud states the verse in Devarim [24:14] can equally be the convert, however
they offer one last parting message before breaking the action – there is
another verse in Vayikra – “do not withhold wages of your friend – to the
exclusion of the Ger - gentile.” If we are to pay special attention to the
symmetry in the two Talmud’s, we can learn from a “double negative” in the
Jerusalem Talmud; the Ger - gentile is indeed not to be simply called “your
friend” – for he is much more than this, he is your brother, back in conjunction
to our previous Talmud, and now not at the expense of the Ger- convert.
At this stage of the “Pilpul” [spice of Torah, the main
theme not only of the Torah of the Ger/Shem (son of Noach), but to the Parsha
as well!], now it is just to ascertain, where do the levels fall into place
practically of the Ger, convert, Jew, idolater, etc.? To put it simply, what
constitutes the tone of the relationship according to the Torah, and such that
it maintains its flavor of redemption?
The turbulence on the path of the sacred Ger, comes in the
form of the disproportionate attention given to the Ger- convert [which we
avoided in advocation of the Ger – gentile] as found in Vayikra 19:33-34, “…do
not taunt the Ger …you shall love him like yourself.” This verse is one of the
few places in the Torah that specifically is in reference of the convert to the
exclusion of the Ger – gentile. The purpose of placing the term Ger upon him is
as if to say, “just as you were a Ger and are no longer, having gone through
Sinai, he too was a Ger, and no longer, having gone through conversion.” It
should then be obvious [as in alignment with the Jerusalem Talmud version of
Ger] that the Ger- convert is clearly included in the ever famous dictum [that
incorporates the entire Torah] “Love your neighbor [friend] as yourself.” We thus
remain with our same plight over the Ger, until Hashem personally comes to
clarify matters.
In Devarim 10:18-19 it says of Hashem that “He Loves the Ger”
and it is incumbent upon everyone to equally “Love the Ger.” It is here, that
we are destined to collide with the Rambam and his discourse of the 613
Commandments, for the commentators all go quiet in the face of the Ger’s own
experience of “standing before the splitting of the Sea.”
The Rambam states of Commandment #207: [I will provide
translation and elucidation]
“We are commanded to Love the Gerim – even though he is
included in the precept of loving your friend amongst all of Israel [which
obviously the Rambam means that he is not Jewish here, i.e. a Ger Tzedek –
gentile] that this Ger is a Ger Tzedek, that he is “like” Israel, and not “Israel”
[the Tosfos commentary had explained the Ger Tzedek – gentile as your brother,
but not in all of the Commandments, unlike the convert] – Hashem has added this
command as this Ger has added himself to the study of God [דת ישראל]
– we are warned, do not taunt him [again, this is not yet another mention for
the convert, for he has his appropriate place] – and therefore must love him as
a Ger and as your friend [This goes back on the Jerusalem Talmud that we
learned he is more than your friend, he is your brother; thus now all the more
so he is your friend, and this constitutes yet another bestowing of Love,
showing the unique bond of the Ger and the Jew desired by God.]
The Rambam finishes by saying this commentary is uniform and is accepted by all; just as we have a unique command to Love Hashem, we must also love the Ger. [Showing that Hashem desires the command on Himself and the Ger; dear is the Ger to Hashem – for Hashem loves the Ger.]
We now are in a fantastic position to answer the underlying
question of Mishpatim – can we taunt the Ger –gentile, take his money, not love
him, etc. etc., because we choose to close our eyes and acknowledge only the
Ger – convert? To call the Ger a convert IS a taunt to the convert, because he
is not a ger, he is JEWISH, and this simultaneously takes away the merit and
blessing found upon the Ger Tzedek gentile; two diminishments for the price of
one!
We are made aware of the Ger Toshav first and foremost, and
as the commentaries relate to us, he too is linked with the Ger Tzedek and
enjoys a brotherhood status, to the obvious exclusion [and now obvious] idolater.
The Ger is essentially linked to every foundational principle within the Torah;
whether in economics, social justice, knowledge of God, etc., the Ger is
integral in Dat Yisrael. For this, his redemption is imperative and must be
perpetuated every generation, in much the same manner as each parsha has a
subplot that sheds empathy for the Ger. It is not for naught that the Midrash
Rabbah states, “for what does Melech Moshiach come to accomplish with his Talmud
– to bring in [all] of the exiles [Jewish and non – Jewish; M.R.] and be a
banner for the peoples, nations will seek him. For the wise and knowing heart
this should suffice.
Posted in: Article,Ger,Noahide,Torah
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