The Book of Ruth: Why Converts are Essential to Judaism
(cross-posted on True Ancestor)
The Wexner Heritage Program keeps trotting out one phenomenal teacher after another. Our latest treat is Arna Poupko Fisher, a dynamic, funny and in-your-face Jewish scholar, and mother of eight. She has no trouble keeping the group of 20 Chicago Wexner participants in line.
Last night, we learned about the tradition of Levirate marriage as not only one of the foundational aspects of the Jewish people but as the root of the Messiah’s family tree: Ruth, the grandmother of David, from whose line it’s said the Messiah will come, was a Moabite.
And this is part of what makes Judaism remarkable: converts are not only welcome, they’re essential. Or, as Prof. Fisher said, “We’re willing to let a foreigner be queen of our nation, if she’s a good person.”
Judaism, Prof. Fisher said, is among the most universalistic of all religions, because it acknowledges that “we don’t own the truth. We don’t proselytize because we don’t believe everyone needs to be a Jew to be righteous and pure and have all the blessings of Heaven and Earth.”
The story of Ruth is not only the story of the centrality of familial relationships, nor only of remarkable women, but of the absolutely essential strands of our DNA, the strand of the Jew By Choice being one of them. Ruth acts courageously, even radically by choosing to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi, and explicitly also choosing Naomi’s family, people and God over her own. And Boaz, Ruth’s “redeemer” (see the definition of Levirate marriage for the meaning), acknowledges the radical goodness of her person and her acts as the reason for his kindness back toward her.
The tragedy is that some strands of contemporary Judaism have chosen to recoil into clannishness, explicitly contradicting this message from the Book of Ruth. The rejection of converts, the shaming of fellow Jews, the hand-wringing over why people are leaving when there is no acknowledgement or embrace of the Other so inimical to Judaism, are all cause for concern and bewilderment. Or, as Prof. Fisher again so wonderfully put it, “Why would you want to be a member of this club? We have to be spectacular enough to be worthy of interest!”
One way to attain that level of spectacularity (?!) is to understand that our very identity as a people is built on the convert; that our very redemption comes from the line that is intertwined with the stranger’s, and warped (and ultimately strengthened) by loss and pain; and that what is good in others can make them every bit as holy as we might ever hope to be.
What makes Judaism an ohr la goyim (light to the nations) is not what happened to us, not who we descended from, so much as what and whom we value. The Book of Ruth is the manual, and the seed, of a people who recognize deeds as the highest expression of devotion, and radical goodness as the route toward relationship with our highest aspect.
David,
Thank you for this post, it is beautifully written. It is not easy to become a Jew, and I know that for me, it is also at times not easy to deal with the dismissal of my status as a Jew from some of our frum brothers and sisters. Most days I am confident in my identity and strong in my practice, but on days where identity issues are a frequent thought, it is great to read that our struggle and our journey IS appreciated and validated by a great many born Jews. Thank you. Your welcoming attitude is an example of what Judaism was meant to be, MiSinai, in my opinion.
kol tuv!
Yair
Converts rock! And that’s all I’m going to say!
At my first meeting with a rabbi after expressing an interest in conversion, the rabbi sat me down, dropped the Book of Ruth in my hands and had me read passages aloud to him–ones that converts usually know by heart: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God…”
The rabbi said to me–if you had any doubt about whether you’d be welcome, just know that you are–what you just read, that’s the proof.
Of course, I’ve found that’s not an entirely prevailing attitude from Jew to Jew (even amongst the liberal), but it’s a passage that I cling to–an interpretation of the welcoming of sincere converts that gave me confidence to move forward…
GerToshav: Good for that rabbi! There should be (and are) more like him.
Yael: Amen.
Yair: Thanks. We’re your kehilah, should you feel yourself lacking one.
Hi David
I agree with Yair, it is, a beautifully written post. I really like the idea of converts not only being welcomed, but as essential. It certainly sounds like this study program you’re part of is an intellectually stimulating and uplifting one.
GerToshav
What a beautiful story! I mean really! I’m jealous because this is the sort of thing one doesn’t forget easily. That’s the kind of story you read about in books and I suppose on blogs (LOL). Hopefully down the road when you (eventually/inevitably) run into problems, regarding who is a Jew, you will be able to pull it out of the memory banks and draw some strength from it.
As a JBB, I have to confess that converts and conversion are not something that I think most of us come into contact with in general. I mean, my whole life I can’t say I met a ton of converts. My first notice of converts to Judaism was in San Diego in a Chabad community. There were SO many in my little circle there. Phillipino woman, an African American man, a Pennsylvanian Catholic girl…I think that’s when I realized how many converts there are. And since then, until I met Avi, I can’t say I’ve had many interactions (knowingly).
What’s my point? I think some of the not so welcoming or awkward attitudes that come across are in part because of inexperience. Of course this is no excuse to be exclusionary. Even in religious school, Reform, I don’t remember being taught or having it pointed out that converts were and are essential to Judaism. Heck! I didn’t even realize the story of Ruth as being one of converts until I was an adult. THen again, I’m far more engaged in my Judaism then ever.
Just sharing my thoughts because ignorance breeds intolerance and I think that’s the case in the unwelcoming interactions.