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Each week when I read the Torah portion, I try to find a way to relate it to conversion. I think it’s easy to find these little gleanings in every portion, but in some they are more evident than others. In this week’s parashah, Beshalach, G-d leads the Israelites on the most difficult route, surpassing the direct route through the land of the Philistines (Ex. 13:17), which will be the focus of this blog entr y. For those interested, the parashah continues on with the Israelites fleeing, the sea being parting, the Israelites escaping and the Egyptians being killed, and includes the dancing and singing after the parting of the sea, which is where we get the oft-sung song, Mi Chamocha. The portion continues with Moses bringing water out of the rock, manna coming from heaven, and Amalek’s attack. (Photo courtesy of TheBrickTestament.com.)

The moment I started reading this week’s portion I thought of the path to conversion and how rocky, complicated, difficult, and long it can be. Conversion to Judaism is not a simple process, despite what many may think. For some, of course, it is much easier than for others. The old tradition of denying the potential convert three times was made famous on Sex and the City when Charlotte decided to convert to Judaism so she could marry her boyfriend, Harry. For many of us, though, the decision to convert does not come about simply because of marriage or out of necessity. Conversion is a very personal choice that takes a difficult journey and lots of study and decision-making.

There are many interpretations of why G-d takes the Israelites on a difficult route instead of directly through the land of the Philistines. The portion says G-d led them on the difficult path because, G-d said, “The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.” G-d thus led them the roundabout way in the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. The great Jewish thinkers have many different interpretations for G-d’s reasoning. Rashi wrote that G-d did not lead them through Philistine territory precisely because it was close and the people would have become too tempted to just give up and return to Egypt. The Ramban wrote that G-d was afraid that the people would have been discouraged if they had had to fight their way through. Ibn Ezra believed that G-d took them on the difficult route because G-d wanted to develop the qualities that would become necessary to settle and build Israel. And finally, Maimonides, on a similar note, suggested that G-d wanted to accustom Israel to hardship. In the Talmud, in Eruvin 53b, it says “There is a long way which is short and a short way which is long,” and I think this is a very poignant statement that expresses that if something comes easily to us, chances are we will not appreciate it as much as if it were a difficult journey.

How does this relate to conversion, you ask?

Conversions throughout all faiths have differing degrees of hoops to jump through. The old tradition of turning the potential convert away three times is a way of expressing that to convert to Judaism, the dedication must be true and strong. A simple love of all things Jewish a Jew does not make. You must consider Judaism, find a rabbi, find a synagogue, study, face the beth din, be submersed in the mikvah, be circumcised (ritually or otherwise), choose a name, and be presented publicly to the Jewish community. With each branch — Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Orthodox, etc. — there are differing degrees of requirements for the conversion process, but generally this is the basic process. It’s a lot. It can take years and years to formally become Jewish — all at the pace of the individual, of course. Some might say the process and the hoops are a hindrance for converts, but I would disagree. At the same time, though, we can look to cases like the incident I recently blogged on where a new question popped up in the beth din’s consideration of a Jewish convert. When does the process become too difficult?

My personal take on the parashah is largely in line with Ibn Ezra and Maimonides. So much of Jewish history is plagued with difficult situations of death and devastation, journeys and personal and spiritual blockades. Yet, we have prevailed. “They tried to kill us, they lost, we ate.” Thus, the conversion process to someone exploring Jewish conversion might seem incredibly involved and difficult. It might seem overbearing and impossible. I can recall many times throughout the process where I sat back with one of my many books and thought “Am I really prepared for this?” It took me nearly three years of study and working with rabbis and attending synagogue before I formally converted. It took some time for me to realize that the journey would be difficult and long, but that I would be better for it in the end. A simple conversion would not allow me to appreciate the people, culture, history, religion and body of people that I was coming into.

The Jewish experience is incredibly dynamic and is laden with difficulty and paths which have led us on incredibly long paths — look at the Diaspora! Please share your experiences and whether this Torah portion resonates with you at all.

Be well and Shabbat Shalom, friends!