Hillel, Shammai, and Prospective Gerim: Halakha, Aggada, and Policy

It was taught: R' Yehuda b. Beteira says. "While the Temple is standing, there is no joy unless there is meat, as it says (Deut. 27) 'And you shall sacrifice peace-offerings and eat them there, and you will be joyful before the Lord, your God'. Now that the Temple is not standing, there is no joy without wine, as it says (Psalms 104) ' And wine will rejoice the heart of man.'"

The rabbis taught: It happened that a gentile came before Shammai and asked: “How many Torah’s do you have?” [Shammai] replied, “Two. A Written Torah and an Oral Torah.” [The gentile] said: “I trust you regarding the Written Torah, but I do not trust you regarding the Oral Torah. Convert me on condition that you teach me the Written Torah.” [Shammai] admonished him and angrily removed him. [The gentile] came before Hillel. He converted him. The first day, [Hillel] taught him “Alef-bet-gimel-daled.” The next day, he reversed the order. [The convert] said to him, “But yesterday you did not say that!” [Hillel] said to him, “Didn’t you rely on me? Rely on me regarding the Oral Law as well.”

It happened again that a gentile came before Shammai and said: “Convert me on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.” He pushed him away with the yardstick in his hand. He came before Hillel. He converted him. He said: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your friend – this is the entire Torah. The rest is commentary. Go learn.”

It happened again that a gentile passed behind a study hall and heard a scribe saying: “These are the garments they shall make: A breastplate, an apron…” He inquired: “Who are these for?” They said to him: “For the high priest.” That gentile said to himself: “I will go convert so that they make me high priest. He came before Shammai and said: “Convert me on condition that you make me high priest.” He pushed him away with the yardstick in his hand. He came before Hillel. He converted him. He said: “Do they appoint someone king before he has learned the trappings of royalty? Go learn the trappings of royalty.” He went and read. When he reached, “And the stranger who offers shall be put to death,” he asked: “To whom does this verse refer?” He said: “Even to King David of Israel.” The convert inferred: “If of an Israelite, who is considered God’s son, and who God referred to as His firstborn due to His love for them, it is stated: ‘And the stranger who offers shall be put to death,’ then certainly to a convert, who comes with his walking-stick and rucksack, it applies!” He came to Shammai and said: “Am I fit to be high priest? Doesn’t the Torah say “And the stranger who offers shall be put to death”? He came to Hillel and said, “Patient Hillel, blessings on your head, for you brought me under the wings of the divine presence.”

The three eventually met in one place. They said: “Shammai’s severity sought to drive us from the world. Hillel’s patience brought us under the wings of the divine presence.”

Whether a man who converts for a woman or a woman who converts for a man, or one who converts for the royal table… are not converts. These are R. Nehemia’s words… It was said on this… the law follows the opinion that they are all converts… The rabbis taught: Converts are not accepted in the messianic era; similarly, they did not accept them in the times of David and Solomon.

When a convert comes to convert, we examine him: perhaps it is because of money he will get or power he will earn or out of fear that he wants to join the religion. If he is a man, we check that maybe he has his heart set on a Jewish woman. If she is a woman, we check that maybe she has her heart set on a Jewish boy.