(יד) וְכִֽי־יָגוּר֩ אִתְּכֶ֨ם גֵּ֜ר א֤וֹ אֲשֶֽׁר־בְּתֽוֹכְכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעָשָׂ֛ה אִשֵּׁ֥ה רֵֽיחַ־נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ כֵּ֥ן יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (טו) הַקָּהָ֕ל חֻקָּ֥ה אַחַ֛ת לָכֶ֖ם וְלַגֵּ֣ר הַגָּ֑ר חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם כָּכֶ֛ם כַּגֵּ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (טז) תּוֹרָ֥ה אַחַ֛ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט אֶחָ֖ד יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר אִתְּכֶֽם׃ (פ)
(14) And when, throughout the ages, a stranger who has taken up residence with you, or one who lives among you, would present an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the LORD—as you do, so shall it be done by (15) the rest of the congregation. There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time throughout the ages. You and the conv shall be alike before the LORD; (16) the same ritual and the same rule shall apply to you and to the stranger who resides among you.
Rebbi says: (Numbers 15:15) "Like you" means like your forefathers: As your forefathers entered into the covenant only by circumcision, immersion and the sprinkling of the blood, so shall they [converts] enter the covenant only by circumcision, immersion and the sprinkling of the blood.
(א) בִשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים נִכְנְסוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִבְרִית. בְּמִילָה וּטְבִילָה וְקָרְבָּן:
(ב) מִילָה הָיְתָה בְּמִצְרַיִם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יב-מח) "וְכָל עָרֵל לֹא יֹאכַל בּוֹ". מָל אוֹתָם משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁכֻּלָּם בִּטְּלוּ בְּרִית מִילָה בְּמִצְרַיִם חוּץ מִשֵּׁבֶט לֵוִי וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים לג-ט) "וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ":
(ג) וּטְבִילָה הָיְתָה בַּמִּדְבָּר קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יט-י) "וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר וְכִבְּסוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם". וְקָרְבָּן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כד-ה) "וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ עלֹת", עַל יְדֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל הִקְרִיבוּם:
(ד) וְכֵן לְדוֹרוֹת כְּשֶׁיִּרְצֶה הָעַכּוּ''ם לְהִכָּנֵס לִבְרִית וּלְהִסְתּוֹפֵף תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה וִיקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל תּוֹרָה צָרִיךְ מִילָה וּטְבִילָה וְהַרְצָאַת קָרְבָּן. וְאִם נְקֵבָה הִיא טְבִילָה וְקָרְבָּן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו-טו) "כָּכֶם כַּגֵּר". מָה אַתֶּם בְּמִילָה וּטְבִילָה וְהַרְצָאַת קָרְבָּן אַף הַגֵּר לְדוֹרוֹת בְּמִילָה וּטְבִילָה וְהַרְצָאַת קָרְבָּן:
1. There are three ways in which someone enters the covenant: by circumcision, by immersion, and by a Temple offering.
2. Circumcision as it was in Egypt, as it says, "Every uncircumcised person shall not eat of it (the Passover offering)." Moses our teacher circumcised them and everyone spurned the covenant in Egypt with the exception of the Tribe of Levi. On this it says, "Your covenant was withheld."
3. Immersion was in the desert before receiving the Torah, as is said, "Sanctify yourselves today and tomorrow; wash your clothes." The offering, as is said, "Send the young ones of Israel to bring elevation offerings" - and everyone in Israel brought them.
4. Throughout the generations, any non-Jew who wants to enter the covenant and come in under the 'wings of the Presence of God' accepts upon him or herself the yoke of Torah - he needs circumcision, immersion and a Temple offering. If female, she needs only immersion and an offering, as is said "As for you, so for the foreigner." That's to say, just as you (entered via) circumcision, immersion and an offering, so too the foreigner (shall enter via) circumcision, immersion and an offering.
What, then, is the "offering"?
The Rabbis taught in a Brayta: A convert who comes to convert [to Judaism] in the present era, we say to him "What did you see that prompted you to come to convert? Don't you know that nowadays Jews are afflicted, oppressed, downtrodden and harassed and that hardships are frequently visited upon them? If he says "I know and I am unworthy" - we accept him immediately and we inform him of some of the minor mitzvot and some of the major mitzvot.
He is told of the transgressions of neglecting the mitzvot of Gleanings, the Forgotten Sheaf, the Corner and the Poor Man's Tithe. He is also told of the punishment for the transgression of the commandments.
Furthermore, She is told: 'Please know that before you came to convert, if you ate chelev you would not have been punishable with karet. If you violated the laws of Shabbat, you would not have been punishable with stoning; but if you convert, and you eat helev you would be punished with karet. If you were you to violate the laws of Shabbat you would be punished with stoning'.
But we do not press him too much, and we are not exacting with him, lest this pressure cause him to leave the good path for the way of evil. For at first we must draw a person with soft, pleasing words, as it says, "I drew them with human ties" and then "with cords of love" Hosea 11:4.
Just as we inform him of the punishments for the commandments, so do we inform him of their rewards. And we inform him that through keeping these commandments he will merit the life of the World to Come, and that the only perfectly righteous man is a wise person who keeps these commandments and understands them.
So we say to him: "Know that the World to Come is kept hidden away for the righteous alone, and they are Israel. And although you see Israel suffering in this world, this is a good that is kept hidden away for them, because they cannot enjoy great good in this world like the other nations, lest their hearts become haughty and they err, thereby losing the reward of the World to Come, as it says, "And Jeshurun fattened and kicked" (Deuteronomy 32:15).
But the Holy One, blessed be He, spares them from the the full extent of affliction, so that they do not perish. Rather, all the other nations will perish and they will still stand." And we elaborate on this matter at great length, in order that he find it pleasing.
If he reconsidered, and decided not to accept, he may go his own way.
If he accepted, he is circumcised forthwith. Should any shreds which render the circumcision invalid remain, he is to be circumcised a second time.
As soon as he is healed, arrangements are made for his immediate immersion,
Three judges stand over him and inform him of a few light commandments and a few severe commandments a second time, as he stands in the water.
If she was a woman, women sit her down in the water up to her neck, while the judges are outside. They inform her of a few light commandments and a few severe commandments while she sits in the water, and then she immerses before them, while they turn their faces away and leave, so that they cannot see her when she rises from the water.
Maybe the "offering" is the idea of saying I'm ready to be a part of the Jewish people and meaning it. Maybe it is understanding all of the potential difficulties and still sticking with the promise of the covenant.