What is a Ger?

 

Someone posted this on one of my videos and I felt I should respond
“Ger Ger Ger …does not have to mean convert, (convert is the rarest sense). THAT is why Jews don’t make converts! THEY MAKE GERIM”.
 
 
This is my response to this NEW Ger Movement.
 
 
Num 35:15
 
Teaches us that the Torah distinguishes between a Ger hagor and a Ger Toshav.
 
One is a non Hebrew as in Ex 12:45 and one a Hebrew as it states Num 35:15,
 
The Importance of Oral Law
 
We need Oral law (Chazal ie Tannaim and Amoraim) to describe to us what certain statuses in scripture mean, for example here are statuses that are not explained in the Torah’s plain narrative.
 
The Eved Ex 12:44
 
The Sachir Ex 12:45
 
The Nokri Lev 22:25
 
Lev 24:22 (The same Torah for the Hebrew and Ger) Which Ger?)
 
(I have heard of this NEW Ger (non convert) movement promoted by a Rabbi on the internet, and I think it is VERY problematic Halachicly.)
 
It is true that a court can make (a formal) Ger Toshav (Resident alien) but this according to the Rambam could only be made when the Yoval is kept ( IE the messianic age.) (Hil AZ 10:6) Some of course disagree like Rav Yosef Caro ~Erchin 29–R. Shimon ben Elazar): Laws of a Ger Toshav applies only when there is Yovel. ..
 
 
And again this has nothing to do with someone accepting some covenant, but only 7 laws. Of course a non Jew could accept as many laws as he or she wants to but the halacha is that they should be done aimlessly, ie not creating a new lifesytle/religion and if that is their goal they should just become Jewish. As the Rambam writes ” They are NOT TO BE ALLOWED to originate a new religion or create mitzvot for themselves based on their own decisions. They may either become righteous converts and accept all the mitzvot or retain their statutes without adding or detracting from them.” Hilchot Melachim 10:9)” .
 
Does this look familiar, of course it does because this exactly what these Rabbis are promoting for them (non Jews) to do. (Be a Ger/Noachide but keep more commands not a Jew).
 
This new Rouge Ger movement is built off of obscure Midrashim and post 1500 century opinions that have nothing to do with Halacha, and in my opinion only place an additional stumbling block to those newly coming to Torah.
 
So what is a Ger? He is either a Ger Toshav (Noachide) Or a Ger haGor/Tzedek (a convert).

(One thing that must be mentioned regarding this new moevement is that virtually every time one of their two Rabbis say that a Law or statement that justify their findings is in the Gemara and then give your a source they are almost always actually quoting a Rashi or a Tosafot on that Gemara and not the actual Gemara or Mishnah itself.
This may not mean much to a non Jew who doesn’t know the difference but looks VERY ignorant and or dishonest to Rabbis who do.)

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