At the end of this week’s parasha, Vayishlach, the Torah mysteriously mentions that one of the Edomite chiefs, Lotan, had a sister named Timnah. The Sages famously ask why this detail is important to mention? Why does it matter that an Edomite chief had a sister named Timnah? The name “Timnah” appears two more times in the chapter (Genesis 36), once as the name of a clan descended from Esau, and once by telling us that Timnah was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, and gave birth to Amalek. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 99b) puts it all together for us and explains:

Timnah was a righteous woman who really wanted to convert and join the Abrahamic faith. She first approached Abraham about conversion, but he rejected her. She then approached Isaac and he, too, rejected her. Finally, she went to Jacob and got rejected a third time. At this point, she went to the “next best thing”, Eliphaz, and reasoned that this is the closest she can get to the family of Abraham. Tragically, the result was her son Amalek, eternal tormentor of Israel. The Sages conclude that our Patriarchs should not have rejected Timnah! Because they were too harsh with a potential convert, the evil Amalek came into the world, and has been torturing the people of Israel ever since. The message of our Sages is clear: converts should be welcomed, and we should not make it too difficult for a person to become a member of Israel. In fact, our Sages state that “Israel was exiled only to draw converts”! (Pesachim 87b)

Amazingly, the Talmud Yerushalmi (Kiddushin 4:1 or 65b) records Rav stating that all potential converts should be accepted, even those who converted with ulterior motives. Although their initial intentions were not pure, if we welcome them properly and inspire them, they will become genuine converts. After all, “The Torah of Hashem is pure, restoring the soul; the decrees of Hashem are enduring and make the simple wise; the precepts of Hashem are just, gladdening the heart; the mitzvah of Hashem is clear, illuminating the eyes.” (Psalms 19:8-9) If the prospective convert is taught properly, they will undoubtedly come to a true love of Hashem and His Torah. That was the approach of the great Hillel, who famously converted three people who initially had false intentions.

The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) records that the first Gentile came before Shammai and asked to be converted on condition that he only accept the Written Torah, and not the Oral Torah. Shammai rejected him, but Hillel accepted him, and soon educated him on why the Oral Torah is essential. The second Gentile came before Shammai and asked to be converted “on one foot”, quickly and without any Torah learning. Shammai rejected him, but Hillel accepted him and converted him on one foot! He simply told the convert: “That which is hateful to you, don’t do to others—this is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Go learn!” Finally, the third Gentile came before Shammai asking to be converted on condition that he become a kohen gadol, so Shammai naturally rejected him. Hillel converted him anyway, and then taught him why he cannot be a kohen. The passage ends by telling us that the three converts eventually met each other and declared: “Shammai’s strictness sought to drive us from the world; Hillel’s meekness brought us under the wings of the Divine Presence!”

Today, we no longer see such rapid conversions in the Orthodox world. On the contrary, the process has become long (typically around two years), and often expensive. A prospective convert is expected to study Jewish law in depth and pass a written test before conversion. The reality is that this is actually a fairly recent development, and was not the case for the vast majority of Jewish history. It is worth going through the halakhic sources to find out the facts about conversion.

The earliest complete discussion of conversion is in the Talmud in the tractate Yevamot (46b-47b). The procedure is clear and straight-forward:

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: גֵּר שֶׁבָּא לְהִתְגַּיֵּיר בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: מָה רָאִיתָ שֶׁבָּאתָ לְהִתְגַּיֵּיר? אִי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה דְּווּיִים, דְּחוּפִים, סְחוּפִים וּמְטוֹרָפִין, וְיִסּוּרִין בָּאִין עֲלֵיהֶם? אִם אוֹמֵר: יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי, וְאֵינִי כְּדַאי — מְקַבְּלִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד. וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ מִקְצָת מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וּמִקְצָת מִצְוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת…

The Sages taught: A potential convert who comes to convert at the present time [in galut] is asked: What did you see that motivated you to come to convert? Don’t you know that the people of Israel at the present time are anguished, suppressed, despised, and harassed, and hardships are frequently visited upon them? If he says: I know, and although I am unworthy [of joining Israel, I nevertheless desire to do so], then the court accepts him immediately. And they teach him a few easy mitzvot and a few difficult mitzvot…

וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁמּוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עׇנְשָׁן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת, כָּךְ מוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן. אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: הֱוֵי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵינוֹ עָשׂוּי אֶלָּא לְצַדִּיקִים, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה אֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לְקַבֵּל לֹא רוֹב טוֹבָה וְלֹא רוֹב פּוּרְעָנוּת. וְאֵין מַרְבִּין עָלָיו, וְאֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין עָלָיו. קִיבֵּל — מָלִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד. נִשְׁתַּיְּירוּ בּוֹ צִיצִין הַמְעַכְּבִין אֶת הַמִּילָה — חוֹזְרִים וּמָלִין אוֹתוֹ שְׁנִיָּה. נִתְרַפֵּא — מַטְבִּילִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד. וּשְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים עוֹמְדִים עַל גַּבָּיו וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ מִקְצָת מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וּמִקְצָת מִצְוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת. טָבַל וְעָלָה — הֲרֵי הוּא כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְכׇל דְּבָרָיו.

And just as they inform him about the punishment for transgressing the mitzvot, so too, they inform him about the reward granted for fulfilling them. They say to him: Be aware that the World-to-Come is made only for the righteous, and if you observe the mitzvot you will merit it, and be aware that the people of Israel, at the present time, are unable to receive their full reward in this world; they are not able to receive either an abundance of good nor an abundance of calamities. And they do not overwhelm him, or act too exacting with him. If he accepts all this upon himself, then they circumcise him immediately. If there remain some shreds of flesh that invalidate the circumcision, they circumcise him again a second time [to remove them]. When he is healed, they immerse him immediately, and two Torah scholars stand over him [at the time of his immersion] and inform him of some of the easy mitzvot and some of the difficult mitzvot. Once he has immersed and emerged, he is a full Israelite in every sense.

The Talmud then gives the procedure for women, which is even simpler and shorter since there is no requirement for circumcision, just the immersion. The Talmud goes on to clarify that while the above teaching says two people have to oversee the conversion, the requirement is actually three people. It also adds that once a person converted, they can never lose their status as a Jew or convert out, and will remain a Jew forever, even if they become an apostate.

The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 1138-1204) codifies all of this in his Mishneh Torah, in the 13^th and 14^th chapters of Hilkhot Issurei Biah. He follows the Talmudic procedure nearly exactly, and describes how much education a prospective convert really needs before conversion:

וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עִקְּרֵי הַדָּת שֶׁהוּא יִחוּד הַשֵּׁם וְאִסּוּר עַכּוּ”ם. וּמַאֲרִיכִין בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ מִקְצָת מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וּמִקְצָת מִצְוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת. וְאֵין מַאֲרִיכִין בְּדָבָר זֶה. וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עֲוֹן לֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי. וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עָנְשָׁן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת. כֵּיצַד. אוֹמְרִים לוֹ הֱוֵי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁעַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּאתָ לְדָת זוֹ אִם אָכַלְתָּ חֵלֶב אִי אַתָּה עָנוּשׁ כָּרֵת. אִם חִלַּלְתָּ שַׁבָּת אִי אַתָּה עָנוּשׁ סְקִילָה. וְעַכְשָׁיו אַחַר שֶׁתִּתְגַּיֵּר אִם אָכַלְתָּ חֵלֶב אַתָּה עָנוּשׁ כָּרֵת. אִם חִלַּלְתָּ שַׁבָּת אַתָּה עָנוּשׁ סְקִילָה. וְאֵין מַרְבִּין עָלָיו. וְאֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין עָלָיו. שֶׁמָּא יִגְרֹם לְטָרְדוֹ וּלְהַטּוֹתוֹ מִדֶּרֶךְ טוֹבָה לְדֶרֶךְ רָעָה. שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה אֵין מוֹשְׁכִין אֶת הָאָדָם אֶלָּא בְּדִבְרֵי רָצוֹן וְרַכִּים. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (הושע יא ד) “בְּחַבְלֵי אָדָם אֶמְשְׁכֵם” וְאַחַר כָּךְ (הושע יא ד) “בַּעֲבֹתוֹת אַהֲבָה”:

We inform him of the fundamentals of the faith, i.e., the unity of God and the prohibition against the worship of false deities. We elaborate on this matter. We inform him about some of the easy mitzvot and some of the more severe ones. We do not elaborate on this matter. We inform him of the transgression of leket, shichachah, pe’ah, and the second tithe. And we inform him of the punishment given for [violating] the mitzvot. What is implied? We tell him: ‘Before you came to our faith, if you partook of forbidden fat, you were not liable for your soul to be cut off. If you desecrated the Sabbath, you were not liable to be stoned to death. Now, after you convert, if you partake of forbidden fat, you are liable for your soul to be cut off. If you desecrate the Sabbath, you are liable to be stoned to death.’ We do not teach him all the particulars lest this cause him concern and turn him away from a good path to a bad path. For at the outset, we draw a person forth with soft and appealing words, as Hoshea 11:4 states: ‘With cords of man, I drew them forth,’ and then continues: ‘with bonds of love.’ (14:2)

…וְאִם קִבֵּל אֵין מַשְׁהִין אוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא מָלִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד. וְאִם הָיָה מָהוּל מַטִּיפִין מִמֶּנּוּ דַּם בְּרִית וּמַשְׁהִים אוֹתוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּתְרַפֵּא רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַטְבִּילִין אוֹתוֹ: וּשְׁלֹשָׁה עוֹמְדִין עַל גַּבָּיו וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ מִקְצָת מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וּמִקְצָת מִצְוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת פַּעַם שְׁנִיָּה וְהוּא עוֹמֵד בַּמַּיִם. וְאִם הָיְתָה אִשָּׁה נָשִׁים מוֹשִׁיבוֹת אוֹתָהּ בַּמַּיִם עַד צַוָּארָהּ וְהַדַּיָּנִין מִבַּחוּץ וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתָהּ מִקְצָת מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וַחֲמוּרוֹת. וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּמַּיִם וְאַחַר כָּךְ טוֹבֶלֶת בִּפְנֵיהֶם וְהֵן מַחְזִירִין פְּנֵיהֶן וְיוֹצְאִין כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאוּ אוֹתָהּ כְּשֶׁתַּעֲלֶה מִן הַמַּיִם:

… If he accepts, we do not have him wait, but instead circumcise him immediately. If he was [already] circumcised, we draw the blood of circumcision from him. We wait until he heals entirely and then immerse him. Three stand over him and inform him about some of the easy mitzvot and some of the more severe ones a second time while he stands in the water. If the convert was female, women position her in the water until her neck while the judges are outside. They inform her about some of the easy mitzvot and some of the more severe ones while she is sitting in the water. Then she immerses herself in their presence. Afterwards, they turn their faces away and depart so that they will not see her when she ascends from the water. (14:5-6)

From what we see in the Talmud and the Rambam, a person can be converted on the very same day that they approach the beit din! No waiting is necessary, and there is no need for the prospective convert to learn all the halakhot beforehand. In fact, we are explicitly told not to overwhelm them with all the many laws, just a few easy ones and a few difficult ones. The Rambam also explains what happens in a situation where a convert joins a new community and the community does not know his or her background:

גִּיֹּרֶת שֶׁרְאִינוּהָ נוֹהֶגֶת בְּדַרְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תָּמִיד כְּגוֹן שֶׁתִּטְבּל לְנִדָּתָהּ וְתַפְרִישׁ תְּרוּמָה מֵעִסָּתָהּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. וְכֵן גֵּר שֶׁנּוֹהֵג בְּדַרְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁטּוֹבֵל לְקִרְיוֹ וְעוֹשֶׂה כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ בְּחֶזְקַת גֵּרֵי צֶדֶק. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין שָׁם עֵדִים שֶׁמְּעִידִין לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁנִּתְגַּיְּרוּ. וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אִם בָּאוּ לְהִתְעָרֵב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין מַשִּׂיאִין אוֹתָם עַד שֶׁיָּבִיאוּ עֵדִים אוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּטְבְּלוּ בְּפָנֵינוּ הוֹאִיל וְהֻחְזְקוּ עַכּוּ”ם:

A female convert who we see conduct herself according to the ways of Israel at all times, for example, she immerses herself after being a niddah, she separates terumah from dough, or the like, and a male convert who follows the paths of Israel, for example, he immerses himself after a seminal emission, and performs all the mitzvot. These are considered as righteous converts even though there are no witnesses to testify before whom they converted. Nevertheless, if they come to marry among the Jewish people, we do not allow them unless they bring witnesses or they immerse themselves in our presence.

A convert who is clearly Torah-observant is treated as a full-fledged member of Israel even if we have no proof that they were converted properly. However, in the case that they want to marry a Jew, we do need proof from witnesses, or the convert should simply immerse before a beit din just to make sure. The Rambam further codifies that if the converting beit din did not actually question the convert’s motives, or failed to explain the mitzvot or reward and punishment, or even if it wasn’t an actual beit din but just three ordinary Jews supervising, the conversion is still valid!

גֵּר שֶׁלֹּא בָּדְקוּ אַחֲרָיו אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הוֹדִיעוּהוּ הַמִּצְוֹת וְעָנְשָׁן וּמָל וְטָבַל בִּפְנֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה הֶדְיוֹטוֹת הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּר. אֲפִלּוּ נוֹדַע שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל דָּבָר הוּא מִתְגַּיֵּר הוֹאִיל וּמָל וְטָבַל יָצָא מִכְּלַל הָעַכּוּ”ם וְחוֹשְׁשִׁין לוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר צִדְקוּתוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ חָזַר וְעָבַד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מוּמָר שֶׁקִּדּוּשָׁיו קִדּוּשִׁין. וּמִצְוָה לְהַחֲזִיר אֲבֵדָתוֹ מֵאַחַר שֶׁטָּבַל נַעֲשָׂה כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וּלְפִיכָךְ קִיְּמוּ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וּשְׁלֹמֹה נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּגְלָה סוֹדָן:

When a court did not examine a convert’s background and did not inform him of the rewards and punishments for mitzvot, and he circumcised himself and immersed in the presence of three ordinary people, he is a convert. Even if it is discovered that he converted for an ulterior motive, since he circumcised himself and converted, he has departed from the category of Gentiles and we view him with skepticism until his righteousness is revealed. Even if afterwards, he worships false deities, he is like an apostate Jew. If he consecrates [a woman,] the consecration is valid. And it is still a mitzvah to return a lost object to him, since once he immerses he is a full Jew. And this is why Samson and Solomon kept their wives even though their secret was revealed [that the wives were idolaters].

The Rambam makes it clear that a convert never loses their status as a Jew, even if they become apostates or idolaters, or even if the “beit din” turned out to be made up of hedyotot, simple Jews, and not rabbis or judges or Torah scholars. A person who genuinely intended to become Jewish and took the mitzvot upon himself or herself, and then immersed under the watch of three kosher Jews (even if they are not rabbis or judges), becomes a full-fledged Jew. There is no waiting period, nor a need to study for many months beforehand, nor a fee for conversion, nor a written test to pass. This is the way the Rambam codifies the law, and it is codified the same way with nearly the exact same language by Rav Yosef Karo (c. 1488-1575) in the Shulchan Arukh in Yoreh De’ah 268, where he further elaborates on some details. Rav Yosef Karo writes:

כל ענייני הגר בין להודיעו המצות לקבלם בין המילה בין הטבילה צריך שיהיו בג’ הכשרים לדון וביום (תוס’ ורא”ש פ’ החולץ) מיהו דוקא לכתחילה אבל בדיעבד אם לא מל או טבל אלא בפני ב] או קרובים[ ובלילה אפילו לא טבל לשם גרות אלא איש שטבל לקריו ואשה שטבלה לנדתה הוי גר ומותר בישראלית חוץ מקבלת המצות שמעכבת אם אינה ביום ובשלשה ולהרי”ף ולהרמב”ם אפי’ בדיעבד שטבל או מל בפני שנים או בלילה מעכב ואסור בישראלית אבל אם נשא ישראלית והוליד ממנה בן לא פסלינן ליה:

All matters of the convert, from making known to them the mitzvot for acceptance, the circumcision and the immersion, must be overseen by three kosher Jews who are fit to judge, and during the day. But after the fact if he only was circumcised or immersed at night, or before only two witnesses [or relatives], or even if one did not immerse with the intention of conversion, rather a man who immersed for a seminal emission, or a woman who immersed for menstruation, they are still converts and permitted to [marry] an Israelite. So this all applies to the immersion and the circumcision but it does not apply to acceptance of the mitzvot, which prevents [conversion] unless it was during the day and in front of three [witnesses]. However, the Rif and the Rambam hold that even after the fact, one who immersed or was circumcised before two [witnesses] or at night prevents [conversion], and [marrying] an Israelite is forbidden. But, if he is married to an Israelite woman and she has borne him a son, we do not invalidate the son. (268:3)

The Shulchan Arukh concludes with the following:

כשיבא הגר להתגייר בודקים אחריו שמא בגלל ממון שיטול או בשביל שררה שיזכה לה או מפני הפחד בא ליכנס לדת ואם איש הוא בודקין אחריו שמא עיניו נתן באשה יהודית ואם אשה היא בודקין אחריה שמא עיניה נתנה בבחורי ישראל ואם לא נמצאת להם עילה מודיעים להם כובד עול התורה וטורח שיש בעשייתה על עמי הארצות כדי שיפרשו אם קבלו ולא פירשו וראו אותם שחזרו מאהבה מקבלים אותם ואם לא בדקו אחריו או שלא הודיעוהו שכר המצות ועונשן ומל וטבל בפני ג’ הדיוטות ה”ז גר אפי’ נודע שבשביל דבר הוא מתגייר הואיל ומל וטבל יצא מכלל העובדי כוכבים וחוששים לו עד שתתברר צדקתו ואפילו חזר ועבד אלילים הרי הוא כישראל מומר שקידושיו קידושין.

When a potential convert comes to convert, he is examined that perhaps they are coming to convert because of financial reasons, or to gain power, or due to fear. If he is a man, examine that perhaps he placed his eyes on a Jewish woman. And if she is a woman, examine that perhaps she placed her eyes on the single men of Israel.  And if you do not find to them such a cause, inform them of the weight of the yoke of the Torah, and the difficulty of fulfilling it on the nations of the world in order that they might leave.  If they accept and do not leave, and you see them that they are returning out of love, accept them. And if they were not examined, or not informed of the rewards of the mitzvot and their punishments, and he was circumcised and immersed before three ordinary people, he is still a convert. Even if you are informed that [the conversion is] because of some ulterior motive, since he was circumcised and immersed he has left the category of Gentiles, and we are suspicious for him until his righteousness is clarified. And even if he reverts to serve idols, he is like an apostate Jew, and his marriages are still valid marriages. (268:12)

As we evidently see from the Talmud and halakhic codes above, conversion does not have to be long, difficult, or expensive. It is definitely important to ascertain the prospective convert’s intentions, and to teach them the core fundamentals of Judaism—especially the nature of God and reward and punishment. They officially need only be taught some of the main easy and hard mitzvot, and not all the many halakhot, which might be counterproductive and overwhelm or discourage them. While it should certainly be done with a proper beit din of three kosher Jews and Torah scholars who are “fit to judge”, we find that even a conversion before three regular hedyotot is technically valid. And many other imperfect cases are valid after the fact, including those who had converted with ulterior motives, or immersed with the wrong kavanah.

We shouldn’t forget Hillel’s approach in making it simple to bring people under the wings of the Shekhinah, and we shouldn’t forget our Sages maxim that our exile was only decreed so that we could draw more converts. And we should not forget the case of Timnah in this week’s parasha, where a genuine prospective convert was unnecessarily rejected, and the result was the birth of Amalek. The Arizal goes so far as to say that Timnah was truly one of Jacob’s soulmates, and he should have married her! (See Sha’ar haMitzvot on Shoftim, and recall that a person can have up to 18 soulmates.) When we unnecessarily prevent someone from converting, or impede their conversion, we may be depriving a fellow Jew of his or her soulmate!

It is worth noting that in the same place, the Arizal says that the Cushite wife of Moses was a righteous convert. (The Arizal was among those that did not equate the Cushite with Tziporah, and maintained that she was a separate woman that Moses married, but never consummated the marriage.) The Midrash lists eight other righteous female converts: Hagar; Osnat, wife of Joseph; Tziporah; Shifrah and Puah, the midwives in Egypt; Batya, adoptive mother of Moses; Rachav, wife of Joshua; Ruth; and Yael, contemporary of Deborah who eliminated Sisera (Yalkut Shimoni II, 9).

Of course, there were also great male converts like Jethro and Onkelos. Rabbi Akiva was the son of a convert (descended from Sisera!) and Rabbi Meir was a descendant of the Roman emperor Nero (Gittin 56a). It is clear that converts have played an absolutely vital role in Jewish history. They are particularly beloved to Hashem, hence the additional mitzvah in the Torah to love a convert (on top of loving a fellow Jew), and why the Torah mentions converts a whopping 36 or even 46 times, according to the Talmud’s numbering (Bava Metzia 59b). The Prophets noted that in the End of Days, many people too numerous to count will wish to join Israel. Zechariah 8:23 says, “In those days, ten people from nations of every tongue will take hold—they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of their cloak and say, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!’” We are now living in these times, and the Final Redemption is near.

For more on ‘Gentiles Becoming Jews’, see here.