(כב) ותאמר רות אל תפגעי בי לעזבך לשוב מאחריך מהו אל תפגעי בי? אמרה לה: לא תחטא עלי, לא תסבין פגעיך מני לעזבך לשוב מאחריך. מכל מקום דעתי להתגייר. אלא מוטב על ידך ולא על ידי אחרת. כיון ששמעה נעמי כך, התחילה סודרת לה הלכות גרים. אמרה לה: בתי אין דרכן של בנות ישראל לילך לבתי תיאטראות ולבתי קרקסיאות שלהם. אמרה לה: אל אשר תלכי אלך. אמרה לה: בתי אין דרכן של ישראל לדור בבית שאין שם מזוזה. אמרה לה: באשר תליני אלין. עמך עמי אלו עונשין ואזהרות. ואלהיך אלהי שאר מצות.
(22) "And Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you, to turn and not follow after you'(Ruth 1:16)." What does it mean, 'do not urge me'? She said to her, "Do not sin against me, do not turn your misfortunes from me." "To turn and follow after you(ibid)." It has been my intention in every instance to convert, but it is better at your hands than at the hands of another. When Naomi heard this she began to expound to her the laws of converts. She said to her, "My daughter, it is not the custom of daughters of Israel to go to their theaters and their circuses. She replied to her, "Where you go, I will go (ibid." She said to her, "My daughter, it is not the custom of Israel to dwell in a house that does not have a mezuzah." She replied to her, "Where you lodge I will lodge.(ibid)." "Your people will be my people (ibid)," these are the punishments and the warnings. "And Your God will be my God (ibid)," the other commandments.
... We do not overwhelm him [the convert] and we we are not strict with him. Rebbi Elazar said "What is the textual source for this?" It is written "When she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was determined to go with her, she [Naomi] stopped arguing with her."
She [Naomi] said to her [Ruth] "It is forbidden for us to go beyond. the Techum Shabbat. [Ruth replied] "Wherever you will go, I will go."
[Naomi said] "It is forbidden for us to be in seclusion with someone of the opposite gender. [Ruth replied] "Wherever you will lodge, I will lodge."
[Naomi said] "We are commanded six hundred and thirteen mitzvot."
[Ruth replied] "Your people is my people."
[Naomi said] "It is forbidden for us to engage in idolatry."
[Ruth replied] "Your God is my God."
[Naomi said] "Four types of capital punishment were submitted to Beit Din."
[Ruth replied] "Wherever you will die, I will die."
[Naomi said] "Two types of cemeteries were submitted to Beit Din."
[Ruth replied] "And there I will be buried."
Immediately "when she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was determined to go with her, she [Naomi] stopped arguing with her."
...Rabbah son of R. Huna said: This is the extra advantage which Israel possesses over proselytes. For in respect to Israel it is written, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people; (Ezek. 37:27) whereas of proselytes it is written, for who is he that hath boldness to approach unto me? Saith the Lord. And ye shall be my people’, and I will be your God. (Jer. 30:21) R. Helbo said: Proselytes are as injurious to Israel as a scab, for it is said: And the stranger shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave [we-nispehu] to the house of Jacob. (Isa. 14:1) Here it is written: ‘wenispehu’; whilst elsewhere it is written. [This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy . . .] and for a rising, or for a scab [sappahath].(Lev. 14:55)
- Ezekiel 37:37 - God calls Jews first and they accept the call.
- Jeremiah 30:21 - Anyone who wants to convert must first call upon God who will willingly accept them. There is no spirit of exclusiveness in this: God first appeared unto Israel; thereafter God is ready to accept all who call upon Him.
- Leviticus 14:55 - This means that Isaiah 14:1 can be translated as "they shall be as a scab to the house of Jacob."
- Rashi: Because their lax observance of precepts sets a bad example to true born Jews
- Tosafot: Suggests the reverse - proselytes are more observant, and expose the laxity of other Jews!
TOSFOS DH KASHIM GERIM
- Rashi - because they are not conversant with the Mitzvos and therefore bring punishment on the people.
- Moreover, Yisrael learn from their deeds.
- Others attribute it to the principle “All Yisrael are responsible for one another’ (Sanhedrin, 27b).
- Refutation: This is not correct however, since they did not accept responsibility for the Geirim who accepted the Torah ...
- Source: As the Gemara concludes in Sotah (Daf 37b) ‘It transpires that each person in Yisrael has six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty covenants - seeing as they are all responsible for one another...' So we see that that they did not accept responsibility for Geirim,
- Refutation: This is not correct however, since they did not accept responsibility for the Geirim who accepted the Torah ...
- Some commentaries explain that it is on account of the Geirim that Yisrael are in "Exile" ...
- Source: As the Gemara says in Pesachim (Daf 87b) ‘Why are Yisrael scattered throughout the lands more than other nations? So that Geirim will join their ranks’.
- Refutation: But this is not correct, since the Gemara says in Yevamos (Daf 47a) ‘When a Nochri comes to convert, we say to him “What made you decide to convert?” ... A proof (that it’s not worthwhile) is that Yisrael are rejected and pushed aside?’ And the Gemara explains there that this is to encourage him to desist - since Mar said ‘Kashin Geirim le’Yisrael ke’Sapachas’... So we see that it is after they convert that they are ‘hard’.
- Source: As the Gemara says in Pesachim (Daf 87b) ‘Why are Yisrael scattered throughout the lands more than other nations? So that Geirim will join their ranks’.
- Rav Avraham the Ger explains that it is because Geirim are conversant with the Mitzvos and are meticulous in their practice , that they are hard on Yisrael like a plague ...Because, on account of that God remembers the sins of Yisrael when they do not do His will.
- Precedent: Much in the same as by the Tzorfis (in Melachim 1, 17) who said to Eliyahu “What do you have against me, man of G-d, that you came to me to mention my sins?” - because since he was a perfect Tzadik, it seemed to her that he was reminding God of her sins.