Returning to your place…
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This chapter traces conversion to Israel’s entry into the covenant and explains its required acts, court supervision, and evidence of Jewish status. It also discusses the ’s historical system of servitude, the assessment of a prospective convert’s motives, and the distinction between an imperfect conversion process and the continuing Jewish status of someone who later sins.
אTap any Hebrew word to see its meaning and how it works in the phrase.
Israel entered the covenant through three things:
circumcision, immersion, and a sacrifice.
This is the covenant established at the Giving of the . The following identify the acts through which Israel prepared to enter it; these acts also provide the framework for conversion in later generations.
Israel entered the covenant through circumcision, immersion, and a sacrifice.
Circumcision took place in Egypt, when it was said:
“No uncircumcised man may eat of it” (Exodus 12:48).
Moses our teacher circumcised them.
The verse concerns the Paschal offering. Circumcision was required before they could eat it.
For they had all abandoned the covenant of circumcision in Egypt,
apart from the tribe of ; concerning this it is said:
“They guarded Your covenant” ( 33:9).
The tribe of had continued to observe circumcision despite the surrounding assimilation. The also describes Israel’s loss of its ancestral way of life in Egypt in 1:3.
Before eating the Paschal offering in Egypt, the people underwent circumcision; the tribe of had preserved that covenant already.
Immersion took place in the wilderness, before the Giving of the ,
when it was said: “Sanctify them today and tomorrow,
and they shall wash their garments” (Exodus 19:10).
The identifies immersion as part of Israel’s preparation for receiving the .
And the sacrifice, when it was said: “He sent the young men of the children of Israel,
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and they offered burnt offerings” (Exodus 24:5)—
they offered them on behalf of all Israel.
Although the young men physically brought the offerings, they acted for the entire people. Israel’s entry into the covenant did not require each individual to bring a separate sacrifice.
Before receiving the , Israel immersed and brought sacrifices through representatives of the entire people.
So too in later generations, when a non-Jew wishes to enter the covenant,
to seek shelter beneath the wings of the Divine Presence,
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and accepts upon himself the yoke of —
he requires circumcision, immersion, and the presentation of a sacrifice.
Acceptance of the ’s obligations is part of conversion, not a substitute for its required acts or something those acts replace. A man already circumcised before conversion requires the drawing of covenantal blood, as explained in 14:5. The absence of sacrifices today is addressed in the next .
If the convert is female, immersion and a sacrifice are required,
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as it says: “As you are, so shall the convert be” (Numbers 15:15)—
just as you entered through circumcision, immersion, and the presentation of a sacrifice,
so does the convert in later generations require circumcision, immersion, and the presentation of a sacrifice.
The comparison is to Israel’s own entry into the covenant. The general list applies according to the convert’s sex: a woman requires immersion and, when sacrifices are brought, a sacrifice, but not circumcision.
Conversion follows Israel’s entry into the covenant: acceptance of , circumcision for a man, immersion, and a sacrifice when that service is available.
Entering the covenant involves accepting the ’s obligations and carrying out the required acts. The inward commitment and its concrete expression belong together. The chapter’s legal requirements are specific to conversion, but that relationship can prompt a modest reflection on commitments we already have.
Suppose you have been meaning to make study a steadier part of your day. Rather than waiting for a stronger feeling of inspiration, choose one small, realistic action: put a beside the chair where you sit after breakfast and set aside five minutes to learn. Let a sincere intention acquire a dependable place in ordinary life.
Choose one existing Torah commitment and give it a specific time or practical next step.
Suggested reflection on 13:4.
What is the convert’s sacrifice? A burnt offering from an animal,
or two turtledoves or two young pigeons,
both of them burnt offerings.
In this case, both birds are offered as burnt offerings. This differs from other paired bird offerings in which one is a burnt offering and the other a sin offering.
In the present era, when there is no sacrifice,
circumcision and immersion are required;
when the Temple is rebuilt, he will bring his sacrifice.
The absence of a sacrifice does not dispense with acceptance of the ’s obligations. The Temple’s absence does not prevent conversion: the convert becomes fully Jewish now, although the offering remains to be brought when the Temple is rebuilt. As stated above, circumcision applies to a male convert. The usual sequence is circumcision followed by immersion.
The convert’s sacrifice is an animal burnt offering or two bird burnt offerings. Today conversion can be completed without the sacrifice, which is brought when the Temple is rebuilt.
Does the order of the two acts matter?
Circumcision normally comes before immersion. The records two positions about a man who immersed first: one accepts that immersion after the fact, while the other does not. This is a dispute about the sequence, not permission to omit either act.
The therefore directs that immersion be repeated after circumcision. The practical response preserves both opinions without treating the earlier immersion as certainly invalid.
Sources: Rema, Yoreh Deah 268:1; Shach, Yoreh Deah 268:2.
A convert who was circumcised but did not immerse,
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or who immersed but was not circumcised—
is not a convert until he has been circumcised and has immersed.
Neither act alone completes a man’s conversion. This requirement concerns male converts; the preceding specify the requirements for a woman.
He must immerse in the presence of three.
The three constitute the court required for conversion. The connects this requirement to the ’s description of the convert’s law as a “judgment” ( 46b).
Since the matter requires a court,
he is not immersed on ,
nor on a festival, nor at night.
If they did immerse him, however, he is a convert.
These restrictions govern when the conversion should be performed, because it is a court proceeding. The distinguishes the improper timing from the conversion’s validity after the fact; this does not dispense with the required court.
A male convert needs both circumcision and immersion. Immersion requires a court of three and should take place on a weekday during the day; improper timing does not itself invalidate the completed conversion.
The distinguishes a missing requirement from improper timing. This chart concerns a male convert and assumes acceptance of the ’s obligations.
| Situation | Result under the | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Circumcision without immersion, or immersion without circumcision | Conversion is incomplete | Both required acts must be completed. |
| Immersion without a court of three | Not a valid conversion under this ruling | Halachah 7 explicitly includes an immersion before only two. |
| Required conversion acts completed before three, but immersion on , a festival, or at night | Valid after the fact | These are not permitted times to arrange the immersion. |
This compares the ’s rulings in 13:6–7, not all later opinions. After-the-fact validity does not authorize arranging a conversion with improper timing.
Why is conversion immersion not performed on ?
The asks why the emphasizes the court requirement. The also discusses the concern that conversion changes a person’s legal state on . Yet ordinary immersion can be permitted because the act looks like entering water to cool oneself.
He explains that the Rambam rests the prohibition on a different ground: conversion is a judicial proceeding, and a court does not conduct that proceeding on . The presence of scholars does not, by itself, remove the resemblance to ordinary bathing. The court requirement therefore explains the Rambam’s chosen wording.
Sources: Kesef Mishneh, 13:6; 46b.
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A minor convert is immersed under the court’s authority,
because this is a benefit for him.
A minor cannot make the legally mature decision required of an adult. The court can act on his behalf because conversion is treated as a benefit. When he reaches majority, he may reject the conversion. If, after reaching majority, he continues to conduct himself as a Jew, he can no longer reject it later (, Yoreh Deah 268:8).
If a pregnant woman converted and immersed,
her child does not require immersion.
Her immersion includes the child in her womb, so a separate conversion immersion is not needed after birth.
If someone immersed on his own,
and converted on his own,
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even in the presence of two—he is not a convert.
For the , the court requirement is indispensable: two people are not the required court of three. Other authorities distinguish between acceptance of the commandments before three and an immersion performed without them; that disagreement does not change the ’s ruling presented here.
If he comes and says, “I converted in the court of so-and-so,
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and they immersed me,” he is not believed so as to marry into the Jewish community
until he brings .
This concerns someone previously known to be non-Jewish. His own claim obligates him to observe the commandments, but does not by itself establish the proof required for marriage. Halachah 10 distinguishes a person whose earlier non-Jewish identity is known only from his own statement.
The court can convert a minor for his benefit, and a pregnant woman’s immersion includes her child. The requires a court of three; a person known to have been non-Jewish also needs proof of conversion before marrying into the Jewish community.
Must three judges witness every stage?
The requires three judges for the conversion immersion; immersion performed privately or before only two does not establish conversion under his ruling. records a different approach associated with and : after the fact, deficiencies in witnessing the physical acts need not invalidate the conversion, provided acceptance of the commandments took place properly before three.
Acceptance and immersion are therefore not interchangeable. The more lenient view concerning the physical acts does not dispense with the court for acceptance of the commandments. This disagreement should not be presented as permission to arrange a private conversion.
Sources: , Yoreh Deah 268:3; , Yoreh Deah 268:9.
If he was married to a Jewish-born woman or to a convert,
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and had children, and said, “I converted on my own”—
he is believed to disqualify himself,
but he is not believed to disqualify the children.
His admission binds him personally, so he may not continue marital life with his wife until the defect is remedied. It does not establish a defect in the children’s status. Children of a Jewish mother are Jewish even if their father was not. The Maggid Mishneh (Hilchos Issurei Biah 13:8) explains the relevance to the children where both parents, previously presumed Jewish, claim that they converted privately: their claim is not accepted to disqualify the children.
He immerses again before a court.
The remedy stated here is a properly supervised conversion immersion, not acceptance of his earlier private act.
A man’s claim that he converted privately restricts his own marital status, but does not disqualify his children; he must undergo immersion before a court.
A man living as a Jew, married to a Jewish-born woman and raising children, tells the court that he converted alone. His statement restricts him personally until the problem is remedied through the court. It does not authorize treating his children as non-Jewish: their Jewish mother gives them Jewish status, and his statement is not accepted to disqualify them. The court must distinguish his own restriction from a claim about someone else.
A statement can bind its speaker without disqualifying others
The quotes ’s distinction: a man’s claim that he converted privately is not accepted as ordinary testimony establishing that he is a non-Jew. In particular, it does not establish a new disqualification for another person.
Nevertheless, his own statement binds him: he has described himself as prohibited from marrying a Jewish woman, and must remedy the problem before living as her husband. The personal restriction and the children’s unaffected status thus reflect different rules of evidence, rather than a contradiction.
Sources: Shach, Yoreh Deah 268:22, quoting the Rosh; , Yoreh Deah 268:11.
A female convert whom we have seen consistently following Jewish practice,
such as immersing after her state of
and separating the sacred portion from her dough, and similar acts,
and likewise a male convert who follows Jewish practice,
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immersing after a seminal emission and observing all the commandments—
these people have the presumed status of sincere converts,
even though there are no
who testify before whom they converted.
Their consistent observance supplies grounds to presume a genuine conversion even without to the original proceeding. The portion separated from dough is . The examples describe evidence of Jewish conduct; the following clause addresses the distinct proof required for marriage.
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Nevertheless, if they seek to marry into the Jewish community—
we do not arrange their marriage until come
or until they immerse before us, since they were established as non-Jews.
Because their earlier non-Jewish identity was known, the requires stronger verification for marriage than the presumption created by their conduct: testimony about the conversion or immersion before the present court.
Consistent Jewish observance supports a presumption of sincere conversion, but someone previously known to be non-Jewish still needs testimony or immersion before the court for marriage.
Both rows concern someone previously known to be non-Jewish. The chapter asks different evidentiary questions.
| What is available? | What it establishes here | Marriage verification |
|---|---|---|
| Consistent Jewish observance, without to the conversion | A presumption of sincere conversion | The still requires or immersion before the present court. |
| to the proper conversion, or immersion before the present court | The additional verification required by this passage | The evidentiary obstacle discussed here has been addressed. |
This chart addresses only proof of conversion, not every other condition for a permitted marriage. Halachah 10 treats a different case: prior non-Jewish identity known only through the person’s own statement.
But someone who comes and says that he was a non-Jew
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and converted before a court is believed,
because the mouth that forbade is the mouth that permitted.
Here, no independent evidence established his former non-Jewish status. The same statement that introduces that concern also explains how it was resolved. Unlike the preceding cases, he is not trying to overturn a status already known from elsewhere.
When does this apply? In the Land of Israel in those times,
when everyone there had the presumed status of a Jew.
The ties this ruling to the historical presumption he describes. It should not be read as an automatic rule about every person living in the Land of Israel today.
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Outside the Land, however, he must bring evidence,
and only afterward may he marry a Jewish woman.
I say that this is an added standard for lineage.
The characterizes the demand for evidence here as a higher evidentiary standard in matters of marriage and lineage. Other authorities dispute this geographic distinction; the present passage states his own ruling, not a decision about any individual’s conversion.
When only a person’s own statement reveals his former non-Jewish status, that statement can also establish his conversion. The limits this reliance to the historical presumption in the Land of Israel and requires evidence outside it for marriage.
Just as converts undergo circumcision and immersion,
so too we circumcise and immerse servants
purchased from non-Jews for servitude.
This passage concerns the ’s historical legal category of a non-Jewish servant, not ordinary paid employment. Immersion into that status is a partial conversion: it changes the servant’s religious status, but does not yet give him the full status of a free Jew.
If someone purchases a servant from a non-Jew,
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and the servant first immerses with the intention of becoming a free person,
he acquires his freedom.
The immersion into servitude would establish a new degree of ownership over the servant’s person. By immersing first for full conversion, he prevents that acquisition from taking effect. The , Yoreh Deah 267:9, rules that he must nevertheless repay the price the purchaser paid; acquiring freedom does not erase that financial obligation.
This applies when he says at the time of immersion:
“I am immersing before you for conversion.”
If he immerses in his master’s presence,
he need not state this explicitly;
rather, once he has immersed, he becomes free.
Taking this independent action in front of the master expresses the intention that would otherwise have to be stated. The case still concerns an immersion initiated for freedom, not the master’s supervised immersion into servitude described next.
The master must therefore exercise control over him in the water
until he emerges while still under his authority,
and inform him, before the judges, that he is immersing him for servitude.
The display of control and the declaration establish which legal change this immersion is intended to effect. This is an account of the historical law, not instructions for conducting an immersion today.
The servant may immerse only before three judges
and during the day, like a convert, because this is a partial conversion.
In the ’s historical system of servitude, the purpose of immersion determines the person’s new status. A servant who first immerses for full conversion can acquire freedom; immersion into servitude requires a court of three during the day.
When the servant is released, he needs another immersion
before three judges, during the day,
through which his conversion is completed and he becomes a Jew.
The earlier immersion established the limited status of a servant. Release brings a further change: this immersion completes his entry into the status of a free Jew. The requirement of three and daytime follows the conversion procedure in halachah 6.
He need not accept the commandments anew,
nor must the fundamentals of the faith be explained to him,
because they were already explained when he immersed for servitude.
This does not dispense with the commitment to observance. It means that the acceptance and instruction belonging to his earlier immersion are not repeated at this stage. Chapter 14 describes the instruction given before conversion and immersion into servitude.
A released servant immerses again before three during the day to complete his conversion. The acceptance and instruction already given at the first immersion need not be repeated.
The ’s historical servant category involves a partial conversion followed, upon release, by its completion.
The second immersion completes conversion into the status of a free Jew.
The earlier commitment is not discarded; the instruction already given is not repeated.
This is the historical law of the servant described in 11–12, not ordinary employment. It does not describe an adult’s first conversion or imply that release and immersion are interchangeable.
In a valid for a ’s immersion,
we immerse converts,
servants, and those who have been released from servitude.
Anything that constitutes an intervening barrier for a
also constitutes a barrier for converts, servants, and released servants.
A change of personal status does not call for a different kind of immersion. Both the body of water and contact between the water and the person must satisfy the established immersion laws. Mikvaos sets out which bodies of water qualify and which intervening substances invalidate immersion; not every substance is automatically a disqualifying barrier.
The immersion of converts, servants, and released servants requires a and freedom from intervening barriers according to the same standards as a ’s immersion.
Do not suppose
that Samson, who delivered Israel,
or Solomon, king of Israel, who was called Yedidyah,
married non-Jewish women while they were still non-Jewish.
Yedidyah means “beloved of God,” the name given to Solomon in II Samuel 12:25. The is preparing to explain the troubling descriptions of these marriages: the women underwent conversion, but their motives and later conduct require a separate discussion.
Rather, the explanation is as follows:
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the proper procedure when a man or woman comes to convert
is to investigate whether the applicant is seeking money,
a position of authority,
or entry into the faith because of fear.
If the applicant is a man, we investigate
whether he has set his sights on a Jewish woman;
and if the applicant is a woman,
whether she has set her sights on a young Jewish man.
The inquiry concerns whether the person seeks the covenant itself or a benefit associated with becoming Jewish. The proper admission procedure must be distinguished from the question in halachah 17 of what happens when a conversion has already occurred without this investigation.
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If no ulterior motive is found,
we explain the weight of the ’s obligations
and the effort its observance entails for those unfamiliar with it,
so that they may withdraw.
Conversion is not required of every person. The applicant is given an honest account of its demands, rather than being encouraged to undertake obligations without understanding them. A non-Jew can serve God through the commandments binding on the descendants of Noah.
If they accept and do not withdraw,
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and they are seen to have turned to the faith out of love,
we accept them, as it says:
“She saw that she was determined to go with her,
and she stopped speaking to her” ( 1:18).
Naomi initially tried to dissuade . Once ’s determination was evident, Naomi stopped trying to turn her back. The inquiry is not an endless obstacle: demonstrated sincerity is followed by acceptance.
The proper conversion process examines possible ulterior motives and presents the demands of observance. When the applicants persist out of love, they are accepted.
Why did Hillel accept a candidate with an ulterior motive?
asks how Hillel could accept the man who wanted to convert in order to become the High Priest. The answer is not that the ambition was acceptable: Hillel was confident that the man would ultimately act for the sake of Heaven.
The , citing the , draws attention to the court’s assessment of the particular person. This is a carefully grounded judgment about eventual sincerity, not a blanket exception allowing conversion for wealth, status, or marriage. The original ambition does not become a legitimate entitlement through conversion.
Sources: Tosafos, Yevamos 24b, s.v. Lo bimei David velo bimei Shlomo; Shach, Yoreh Deah 268:23.
For this reason, the court did not accept converts
throughout the reigns of and Solomon.
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In ’s days, the concern was that they had turned to the faith out of fear;
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in Solomon’s days, that they had turned because of the kingdom
and the great prosperity enjoyed by Israel.
For anyone from among the non-Jews who turns to the faith
for something among the vanities of the world
is not among the sincere converts.
These historical conditions made fear or worldly advantage a serious concern. “Not among the sincere converts” describes the person’s motives; it must not be read as automatically nullifying an immersion already performed. The addresses that distinction immediately below and in halachah 17.
Nevertheless, many converts
underwent conversion in the days of and Solomon before laymen.
The High Court regarded them with concern:
it did not turn them away after they had nonetheless immersed,
but did not draw them close until their later conduct became evident.
The laymen had performed conversions despite the established court’s policy. The High Court did not treat those people as though no conversion had occurred, but waited to see whether their lives would demonstrate a sincere commitment to Jewish observance.
Because of concern about ulterior motives, the court did not accept converts throughout the reigns of and Solomon. Those who nevertheless converted before laymen were not simply rejected; the High Court waited to see whether their commitment proved genuine.
Because Solomon converted women and married them,
and Samson likewise converted women and married them,
and it was known that these women had turned to the faith only for an ulterior purpose,
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and were not converted under the court’s guidance—
Scripture treated them as though they were non-Jewish women
who remained forbidden.
“As though” is important. This explains Scripture’s description and condemnation of these marriages; it does not mean that no conversion occurred. Halachah 17 explicitly explains why their later sins did not restore their former non-Jewish status. “Not under the court’s guidance” is not the same as a private immersion without three people.
Moreover, their later conduct revealed their initial motives:
they worshipped their own idols
and built shrines for them.
Scripture therefore charged him as though he had built them,
as it says: “Then Solomon built a shrine” (I Kings 11:7).
The final sentence concerns Solomon. The distinguishes what the women did from the responsibility Scripture attributes to him; the verse is not being offered as proof that he personally performed every construction act.
The explains that Scripture’s condemnation of Samson’s and Solomon’s wives reflects their ulterior motives and later idolatry, despite their having undergone conversion.
A convert whose motives were not investigated,
or who was not informed of the commandments and their penalties,
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but who underwent circumcision and immersion before three laymen—
is a convert.
Omitting the prescribed instruction is not the same as rejecting the commandments. The , Yoreh Deah 268:3, treats acceptance of the commandments before three as indispensable; in 268:12 it describes the omitted instruction as the commandments’ rewards and penalties. This ruling must not be read as saying that ritual acts alone replace acceptance of observance.
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Even if it becomes known that he is converting for an ulterior purpose,
since he underwent circumcision and immersion, he has left the category of non-Jews;
we remain concerned about him until his sincerity is established.
The court’s caution concerns his commitment and subsequent conduct. It does not mean that the conversion’s legal effect is postponed until the court has observed years of behavior.
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Even if he later turns to idolatry,
he is like a Jewish apostate,
whose take effect, and whose lost property it is a to return.
A later sin does not reverse a completed conversion. If he consecrates a woman, the marital bond therefore requires a before she can marry another man. The lost-property clause needs a qualification: the , 13:17, reads it as referring back to the convert’s acquired Jewish status, not as obligating return to the person who subsequently becomes an idolater. He distinguishes that case in light of Gezelah VaAvedah 11:2.
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Once he immersed, he became a Jew.
That is why Samson and Solomon retained their wives,
even after their hidden motives became apparent.
Their connection to idolatry exposed the problem in their motives and conduct, but did not undo their Jewish status. The is explaining the legal distinction, not approving their idolatry or the original decision to marry them.
Failure to investigate motives or give the prescribed instruction does not by itself invalidate conversion after circumcision and immersion before three. A convert’s later transgression does not undo Jewish status; specific legal consequences still require their own qualifications.
Jewish status and the laws of lost property are different questions
The reads the lost-property clause as referring to a sinner whose property must still be returned, such as someone who eats forbidden food out of appetite. The challenges applying that explanation to this passage: the has just described a return to idolatry, not merely an appetite-driven violation.
The Kesef Mishneh therefore reads the lost-property clause as referring back to the person’s status upon conversion, rather than to the later stage of idolatry. The commentaries thus differ over how to connect the clauses. Continuing Jewish status does not, by itself, settle every separate rule about returning lost property.
Sources: Maggid Mishneh and Kesef Mishneh, 13:17; Gezeilah VaAveidah 11:2.
For this reason the Sages said:
“Converts are difficult for Israel like an affliction of .”
For most of them turn to the faith for some ulterior purpose,
and lead Israel astray;
it is difficult to separate from them after they have converted.
“For this reason” connects the warning to the preceding discussion of ulterior motives and harmful conduct. It is not permission to demean sincere converts. The ’s letter to Obadiah the convert praises his connection to God; this passage must be read alongside that distinction. is the ’s ritual affliction, not a diagnosis of modern leprosy.
Consider what happened in the wilderness
in the episode of the golden calf and at Kivros HaTaavah,
and likewise in most of the occasions of testing:
the mixed multitude took the lead in them.
Kivros HaTaavah refers to the episode in Numbers 11 when people clamored for food beyond the manna. The identifies the mixed multitude who accompanied Israel from Egypt as instigators in these events. His examples explain the concern about influence after admission into the community, rather than supplying a test for judging any particular convert today.
The concludes his warning about ulterior motives by recalling the harmful influence of the mixed multitude in the wilderness. This warning must be distinguished from the honor due to sincere converts.
The ’s words of welcome to a sincere convert
The warning here follows the discussion of conversions motivated by outside advantage. It must be read together with the Rambam’s explicit honor for sincere converts, not as a reason to demean them. In his responsum to Ovadiah, he explains that Abraham is the father of those who learn his faith, so a convert can speak of “our fathers” in prayer.
He reassures Ovadiah that entering the Divine covenant does not leave him outside Israel’s relationship with God. The letter even describes his connection directly to the Creator. The caution about insincere motives and the dignity of a sincere convert are both part of the Rambam’s teaching.
Sources: Responsa of the Rambam, ed. Blau, no. 293, vol. 2, pp. 548–550, to Ovadiah the convert; 13:14–18.
Hebrew text: Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Issurei Biah, Chapter 13. The Hebrew is preserved as the primary text and divided into short learning units.
Translation and elucidation: Independently prepared for Rambam, Clearly in contemporary English. Translation follows the Rambam’s words; elucidation supplies only the context needed to understand them.
Word cards and glossary: Hebrew word cards distinguish a word’s basic meaning from its meaning in the particular phrase. Shared glossary entries explain recurring terms; biography entries identify the cited authorities.
Explain and Background: Explain provides context needed for the ruling. Optional Background panels provide additional context that can be skipped without losing the essential explanation.
Synopsis: A short summary follows each halachah. It is a guide to the central ruling, not a replacement for the full text and its qualifications.
Dig Deeper: Based on the classic commentaries named inside each panel. Editorial explanations are not presented as quotations.
Live It: Where present, these panels connect a particular halachah to a suggested personal reflection and an action to try. Original applications are labeled as suggested reflections. They are distinct from the ruling and are not attributed to the Rebbe merely because his guidance supports seeking a practical lesson.
Measurements: Modern equivalents draw on Chabad.org’s measurement glossary and cited halachic calculations. They show a range when major accepted calculations differ. Monetary equivalents fluctuate with the price of silver.
The Rebbe’s teachings and guidance: Source links accompany the completion teachings and the guidance inside Dig Deeper and Live It. Quotations, translations, and adaptations are identified; the general guidance is separate from the sources for a panel’s particular discussion.
Editorial responsibility: Created and prepared for this project by Levi Gelb. Corrections and suggestions can be submitted below. This presentation supports learning; practical halachic questions should be brought to a qualified rav.
Chapter 13 at a glance
Conversion follows Israel’s entry into the covenant: acceptance of , the required physical acts, and court supervision. The chapter distinguishes conversion itself from evidence needed for marriage, and its historical servant laws distinguish partial conversion from completed Jewish status. Courts investigate motives before accepting a convert, but a properly completed conversion is not erased merely by ulterior motives or later sin. The specific rules about marriage and lost property require their own qualifications; the warning about insincerity must not be turned into contempt for sincere converts.
You have reached the end of all eighteen halachos.