With awareness that intellectual honesty requires that if we insist on the dogmatic application of biblical mitzvot to protect immigrants - or would-be immigrants - from oppression we must also be willing to accept on the same terms other commandments in the Torah (the destruction of idolatrous objects and places of worship, and so on) we enter into this discussion with care and assuming the good intent of all participants. May our texts lead to illumination and the pursuit of justice.
Sukkot Observance and the גר / Ger
(42) You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, (43) in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I Adonai your God.
רמב"ם הלכות יום טוב ו:יח
וכשהוא אוכל ושותה חייבלהאכיל (דברים ט"ז) לגר ליתום ולאלמנה עם שאר העניים האמללים. אבל מי שנועל דלתות חצרו ואוכל ושותה הוא ובניו ואשתו ואינו מאכיל ומשקה לעניים ולמרי נפש אין זו שמחת מצוה אלא שמחת כריסו, ועל אלו נאמר (הושע ט') זבחיהם כלחם אונים להם כל אוכליו יטמאו כי לחמם לנפשם, ושמחה כזו קלון היא להם שנאמר (מלאכי ב') וזריתי פרש על פניכם פרש חגיכם.
Rambam - Maimonides
Mishneh Torah Laws of Yom Tov 6:18
When a person eats and drinks [as part of celebrating a holiday], they are obligated to feed "the ger, the orphan, and the widow" (Deuteronomy 16:11). But someone who locks the doors of their house, eating and drinking with their children and spouse [alone], and doesn't provide food or drink to the poor and depressed, is not participating in the joy of [God's] commandments but rather the joy of the gut, and about them it says, "their sacrifices are like bread for the dead; all who eat of them will become impure, for their bread is for themselves" (Hosea 9:4) Joy like this is disgrace for them, as it says, "I will strew dung upon your faces, the dung of your festal sacrifices"(Malachi 2:3). [translation by Mechon Hadar]
Who is this "ger"?
Well, we know they are not a citizen.
(מט) תּוֹרָ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יִהְיֶ֖ה לָֽאֶזְרָ֑ח וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃
(49) There shall be one law for the citizen and for the ger who dwells among you.
Maybe Strong's Hebrew dictionary can help us out.
אזרח / Ezrach (Strong's #249) comes from the root meaning to come up or come out of - so to come up or come out of Israel - to be born of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
The verb with the root זור (Strong's #2114) means "to be separated out" - the participle form being "stranger." This word is frequently used to refer to someone not of one's own tribe, as in Numbers 16:40 ". . . to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, too the end that no stranger that is not of the seed of Aaron come near to burn incense . . ." or Deuteronomy 25:5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside the family to a stranger . . . ."
What do we make, then, of גר / ger? Often translated as "stranger" or "sojourner", the root גור means to "dwell with" or "dwell among." An immigrant. One who isn't born of the twelve tribes of Israel, but resides with and among the people of Israel.
Note: nachriy or nechar are the words Strong offers for "foreigner" - both derived from a root meaning "to be recognizable" perhaps because they remain distinct from the people among whom they live.
Okay, so "ger" can reasonably be translated as "immigrant."
What might that mean for us?
(כ) וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(20) You shall not wrong a ger or oppress him, for you were gerim in the land of Egypt.
(ט) וְגֵ֖ר לֹ֣א תִלְחָ֑ץ וְאַתֶּ֗ם יְדַעְתֶּם֙ אֶת־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַגֵּ֔ר כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(9) You shall not oppress a ger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been gerim in the land of Egypt.
(י) וְכַרְמְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תְעוֹלֵ֔ל וּפֶ֥רֶט כַּרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יי אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
(10) You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the ger: I Adonai am your God.
(לג) וְכִֽי־יָג֧וּר אִתְּךָ֛ גֵּ֖ר בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תוֹנ֖וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃ (לד) כְּאֶזְרָ֣ח מִכֶּם֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם הַגֵּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֗ם וְאָהַבְתָּ֥ לוֹ֙ כָּמ֔וֹךָ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יי אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
(33) When a ger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. (34) The ger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were gerim in the land of Egypt: I Adonai am your God.
(כב) וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יי אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס)
(22) And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the ger: I Adonai am your God.
(לה) וְכִֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָ֥טָה יָד֖וֹ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ׃
(35) If your kinsman, being in straits, comes under your authority, and you hold him as though a ger, let him live by your side:
(יד) וְכִֽי־יָג֨וּר אִתְּכֶ֜ם גֵּ֗ר וְעָ֤שָֽׂה פֶ֙סַח֙ לַֽיי כְּחֻקַּ֥ת הַפֶּ֛סַח וּכְמִשְׁפָּט֖וֹ כֵּ֣ן יַעֲשֶׂ֑ה חֻקָּ֤ה אַחַת֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְלַגֵּ֖ר וּלְאֶזְרַ֥ח הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (פ)
(14) And when a ger who resides with you would offer a passover sacrifice to Adonai, he must offer it in accordance with the rules and rites of the passover sacrifice. There shall be one law for you, whether ger or citizen of the country.
(יז) כִּ֚י יי אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶ֔ם ה֚וּא אֱלֹקֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹקִ֔ים וַאדושם הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים הָאֵ֨ל הַגָּדֹ֤ל הַגִּבֹּר֙ וְהַנּוֹרָ֔א אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹא־יִשָּׂ֣א פָנִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יִקַּ֖ח שֹֽׁחַד׃ (יח) עֹשֶׂ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאֹהֵ֣ב גֵּ֔ר לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ לֶ֥חֶם וְשִׂמְלָֽה׃ (יט) וַאֲהַבְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַגֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(17) For Adonai your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, (18) but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the ger, providing him with food and clothing.— (19) You too must befriend the ger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
(יד) לֹא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק שָׂכִ֖יר עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן מֵאַחֶ֕יךָ א֧וֹ מִגֵּרְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּאַרְצְךָ֖ בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
(14) You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a ger in one of the communities of your land.
(יז) לֹ֣א תַטֶּ֔ה מִשְׁפַּ֖ט גֵּ֣ר יָת֑וֹם וְלֹ֣א תַחֲבֹ֔ל בֶּ֖גֶד אַלְמָנָֽה׃ (יח) וְזָכַרְתָּ֗ כִּ֣י עֶ֤בֶד הָיִ֙יתָ֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ֛ יי אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ מִשָּׁ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (ס)
(17) You shall not subvert the rights of the ger or the fatherless; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pawn. (18) Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that Adonai your God redeemed you from there; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment.
(יט) כִּ֣י תִקְצֹר֩ קְצִֽירְךָ֨ בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ עֹ֣מֶר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה לֹ֤א תָשׁוּב֙ לְקַחְתּ֔וֹ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יי אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃
(19) When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the ger, the fatherless, and the widow—in order that Adonai your God may bless you in all your undertakings.
(כ) כִּ֤י תַחְבֹּט֙ זֵֽיתְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְפָאֵ֖ר אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃ (ס)
(20) When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees, do not go over them again; that shall go to the ger, the fatherless, and the widow.
(כא) כִּ֤י תִבְצֹר֙ כַּרְמְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְעוֹלֵ֖ל אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃
(21) When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not pick it over again; that shall go to the ger, the fatherless, and the widow.
(יג) וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ לִפְנֵי֩ יי אֱלֹקֶ֜יךָ בִּעַ֧רְתִּי הַקֹּ֣דֶשׁ מִן־הַבַּ֗יִת וְגַ֨ם נְתַתִּ֤יו לַלֵּוִי֙ וְלַגֵּר֙ לַיָּת֣וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֔ה כְּכָל־מִצְוָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתָ֑נִי לֹֽא־עָבַ֥רְתִּי מִמִּצְוֺתֶ֖יךָ וְלֹ֥א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃
(13) you shall declare before Adonai your God: “I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house; and I have given it to the Levite, the ger, the fatherless, and the widow, just as You commanded me; I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of Your commandments:
(יט) אָר֗וּר מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃ (ס)
(19) Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the ger, the fatherless, and the widow.—And all the people shall say, Amen.
(יב) הַקְהֵ֣ל אֶת־הָעָ֗ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְהַנָּשִׁים֙ וְהַטַּ֔ף וְגֵרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֨עַן יִשְׁמְע֜וּ וּלְמַ֣עַן יִלְמְד֗וּ וְיָֽרְאוּ֙ אֶת־יי אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶ֔ם וְשָֽׁמְר֣וּ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
(12) Gather the people—men, women, children, and your ger —that they may hear and so learn to revere Adonai your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching.
By now we get it, right? This "ger", this resident who is not a citizen - or not yet a citizen, is in the same category as other vulnerable people in our society. And in Deuteronomy 31:12 is even "ours". In Miriam's Kitchen, by Elizabeth Ehrlich, the author writes of her ancestors who came to the United States as "my immigrants." Perhaps once "ger" becomes "my ger" we have gone even further.
(יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יי׃
(18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against one of your people. Love your fellow/neighbor as yourself: I am Adonai.
רעך is usually translated as "neighbor," but we would do well to remember that in this context our relationships with our neighbors are fairly intimate. Not only might we spare some sugar, an egg, our neighbors in these texts are in many ways like family. Indeed in this context the neighbor is "one of your people" - perhaps like a sibling or a spouse.
What might it take for a ger to become "my ger" and then "my immigrant" to become my neighbor?
Now that we are here, do the Rambam's words sound any different?