Avodah Mailing List

Volume 25: Number 81

Sun, 24 Feb 2008

• 1. Re: opposites attract (Eli Turkel)
• 2. Re: Kabbalah's Legitimacy (David Riceman)
• 3. Sodom and Amorah? (Micha Berger)
• 4. Re: Love the ger - who? (Micha Berger)
• 5. Re: basis of AZ (Michael Makovi)
• 6. origins of AZ (Eli Turkel)
• 7. Re: Pre-Sinaitic conversions (Michael Makovi)
• 8. Re: Love the ger - who? (Michael Makovi)
• 9. Re: humility (Michael Makovi)
• 10. Re: Hot Cheese for Shabbat Lunch (kennethgmiller@juno.com)
• 11. Re: Girl Scout cookies (Michael Makovi)
• 12. Pranks (Michael Kopinsky)
• 13. Re: Pre-Sinaitic conversions (Daniel Eidensohn)

Thr drop from +49 levels of holiness to -49 levels of tumah
is greater than from zero (or wherever they start from) to -49.

In any case mt point was that in this case the sin was a direct result
of their missing the high level of kedusha. I agree with Toby that other
peoples can sink from other vantage points

shabbat shalom

Eli


>
> R' Eli Turkel wrote:
>
> >>The same abilities
> that lead to create can destroy. Moshe can become a great anav because he
> can
> argue with Hashem. The Jews can sink to a golden calf only because they have
> risen to the highest levels of seeing the glory of G-d.<<
>
> >>>>>
> You had a nice drasha until the last sentence.
>
> Any nation can sink to a golden calf, and many have.  You don't have to have
> first had an exalted relationship with G-d in order to worship idols.
>
>
>
> --Toby Katz
> =============
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL
> Living.



-- 
Eli Turkel

Arie Folger wrote:
> Where is SQ quoted in the Talmud? Sefer Yetzirah is, but I am unaware
> of SQ being quoted.
I can recall Sefer Yetzirah being mentioned.  Where is it actually quoted?

David Riceman

I recently read an article on Jordan. Among the tidbits mentioned were
that at Babh edh-Dhra there are remains of a city destroyed in 2300 BCE
or so, covered in a layer of ash and sulfer. It's at a fault-line,
a sulferous cloud could easily by released by a minor earthquake.

Also in the Yam haMelakh valley mei'ever laYardein are similar sites 
at Numeira, es-Safi, Feifeh and Khanazir

Is it likely Lot crossed the Yardein? How does it work with the land
granted in beris Avraham vs that claimed by the 2-1/2 shevatim?

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             A cheerful disposition is an inestimable treasure.
micha@aishdas.org        It preserves health, promotes convalescence,
http://www.aishdas.org   and helps us cope with adversity.
Fax: (270) 514-1507         - R' SR Hirsch, "From the Wisdom of Mishlei"

On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 01:16:50AM +0200, Michael Makovi wrote:
: Now then, the question I have is, does anyone say that "ger"
: halachically includes ger toshav? ...

I think this question has an answer WRT ve'ahavtem es hageir. But I do not
think there is a single answer for kol haTorah kulah. WRT qorban pesach,
the geir who can partake is gemalt, ie a geir tzedeq. OTOH, WRT melekhes
Shabbos, "lo sa'aseh kol melakhah ... vegeirkha asher bish'arekha" can
only be the geir Toshav, since "chuqah achas tihyeh lakhem" alreaded
folded the geir tzedeq into the meaning of "atah".

I think for every instance of the word, you need to consult context and
TSBP to determine the connotation in each instance.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Mussar is like oil put in water,
micha@aishdas.org        eventually it will rise to the top.
http://www.aishdas.org                    - Rabbi Israel Salanter
Fax: (270) 514-1507

>  If one accepts the derasha that connects the Golden calf with the
>  feared death of Moshe
>  then the medrash is saying that in this particular case the AZ was
>  more intellectual
>  of losing the connection to G-d and needing to somehow replace. In this case it
>  was not based on immorality. However, that does not exclude that in mnay other
>  cases AZ is connected with immorality

>  Eli Turkel

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's "If You Were G-d" (in the Anthology) has a
fascinating take on this. I'll summarize the entire work:

Imagine you are G-d, and have a little island of immorality. You want
to make them righteous, but you can't show yourself and boom out "BE
GOOD PEOPLE", because then they'll be terrorized and have no free
will. So what do you do? You choose a small sect of islanders, educate
them, and set them loose to educate the rest of the islanders. But you
can't help your little ambassadors too much, or else once again it'll
be too obvious and you'll destroy free will. So to a large extent,
your ambassadors are on their own, without your help.

Now, we said that revealing yourself to the whole island would be
disastrous, so why isn't it harmful to reveal yourself to your
ambassadors? Answer: BINGO, it is harmful! In primitive civilizations
encountered by an overwhelmingly superior (by Western standards)
civilization,  one of two things happens:
1) The primitives lose all self-identity and totally assimilate. In
our revelation case, they become free-will-less super-crazy-loonie
lose-all-humanity Orthodox.
2) They violently rebel, reject EVERYTHING brought by the superior
civilization, throw out the baby with the bathwater, become
isolationist. = Golden Calf.

Perhaps by choosing a stubborn stiff-necked nation, G-d ensured that
the effects, whether 1 or 2, would be minimal.

Mikha'el Makovi

I thought some more about Toby's remark:

>  >
>  > Any nation can sink to a golden calf, and many have.  You don't have to have
>  > first had an exalted relationship with G-d in order to worship idols.
>  >

>  > --Toby Katz
>  > =============

I based myself on Rambam who views idol worship as a substitute for a G-d they
cannot see. In a recent trip to China I asked the local guides about Buddha.
They also insisted that the idols represented some higher power.

However, Toby is right based on other sources that at times idol worship is
not intellectual but is instead an excuse for licentiousness (derasha
on le-mispachtehem).
As she says the wicked can get there without going theough G-d.


-- 
Eli Turkel

>  There are many sources that conversion took place prior to Sinai.

But this doesn't help us. The pasuk us, "Love the ger because you were
gerim in Egypt".

Did we convert to Judaism in Egypt? Either a person was a Jew the
moment he came out of his pre-Sinai mother's womb, or he converted at
Sinai. Either way, what does Egypt have to do with anything? And why
should I love this newcomer to Judaism - how does my being a blood
descendant of Avraham (chronologically before Sinai) give me a reason
to love the shmuck who comes after Sinai and crashes the party?

Rather, because we were foreigners, aliens, immigrants, in Egypt, love
the foreigners, aliens, immigrants in our own land. We know what it's
like, so use that experience educationally. See Rav Hirsch to Shemot
1:14.

The question is, what does halacha say (with detailed sources please;
I've got my Smartscroll for quickie facts!) about these love the ger
pesukim, between ger tzedek and ger toshav. And I know we have a
mitzvah to love the ger toshav, so what is its source and how does it
compare to loving the ger tzedek and the neighbor?

Mikha'el Makovi

>  The gemora Rashi cites is clearly talking about proselytes
>
>  *Bava Metzia[1] <#_ftn1>(59b): *It has been taught: R' Eleazar HaGadol
>  said: Why did the Torah warn in 36 places ? while others say in 46
>  places ? against wronging a convert? It is because he has a strong
>  inclination to evil [Rashi Horios 13a]. What is the meaning of the verse
>  (Shemos 22:20): "You shall not upset a ger (outsider), nor oppress him;
>  for you were gerim (outsiders) in Egypt?" It has been taught: R' Nosson
>  said that one should not ridicule another with the blemish you yourself
>  have. This idea is expressed in the folk expression "If someone had a
>  family member who was hanged one should not say to him, 'Hang up this
>  fish for me.'"

This Gemara would apply most to ger tzedek, but I see no reason why it
cannot apply to a ger toshav. The ger toshav is a polytheist/idolater,
comes to Israel, and converts to non-613 monotheism. Why can't he be
liable to relapse as much as a ger tzedek? And if we say it is because
you shouldn't mock someone for what you once were, well, weren't we
once idolaters in Egypt?

The Gemara definitely never says it is davka ger tzedek, and it
doesn't necessarily imply it either.

Rather, it could very well be that most gerim were of the tzedek
variety, and/or that most of the toshav varieties eventually became
tzedek varieties, or certainly their descendants.

Mikha'el Makovi

>  Except that anavah isn't worthlessness. Anavah should motivate, not
>  raise questions of "What could /I/ accomplish?" Yir'ah too is a
>  motivator, not quaking in one's boots in fear of acting lest one
>  deserve punishment.

>> Dr. Benjamin Carson

>  This is anavah as the notion of realizing that one is a critical part
>  of Hashem's plan, and that everything he has and is capable of is
>  because Hashem gave him the tools to perform that part. Lekakh
>  notzarta. Im la'eis kazos higat lamalkhus. (As per blog entry
>  <http://tinyurl.com/2w83ha> referenced in my earlier post.) It's an
>  awareness of the gap between the potential HQBH gave me and what I've
>  accomplished with it so far.
>
>  Notice how your example doesn't match your definition "to recognize
>  one's own pettiness and worthlessness".
>
>  Yes, yir'ah shows the gap between He who made what could be, and I,
>  who made what I am. So the two are inextricably linked. But I would
>  not say that's true in the manner you described.
>
>  SheTir'u baTov!
>  -micha

Everything you say is b'vadai. You've merely reinvented "What is man
that you have regard for him? And yet, you've made him little less
than the angels".

When I said worthless, I meant in relation to HKBH, in the vast scheme
of things, in the cosmic scale, or whatever you want to call him.

And yet, despite what ought to be worthlessness of a measly individual
human, somehow G-d has regard for him and commands him to do his
little part.

Man is little, and YET, despite this, G-d has regard for him.

Mikha'el Makovi

R' Micha Berger wrote:
> I think this conversation went off on a tangent rather
> than discussing whether cheese makes it a davar lach
> because people had instinctive "kavod Shabbos" reactions
> to the concept of mac-n-cheese. I wonder if you had
> called it pasta con formaggi if the conversation would
> have gone more on the intended course.

Maybe, but I don't think so. The thread could easily have gone in both directions, if there was a sustained interest in the Davar Lach question.

I did do some research into what counts as a Davar Lach and Davar Yavesh as
regards reheating on Shabbos, and I could not find any examples which were
even close to the consistency of gooey cheese.

Ooops! I'm glad I took another look! Here's what Rabbi Dovid Ribiat writes on page 594 of The 39 Melachos:

> According to some Poskim, congealed fat, margarine, butter
> etc. are not classified as Davar Yavaish because they melt
> when heated into a liquid form. According to this view,
> they are more properly classified as Davar Lach which may
> not be reheated when cold. (Levush, Taz. And see the
> Chayei Adam 20:7 and Nishmas Adam 5.) ...
>
> However, most Poskim rule that congealed fat, margarine,
> etc. am nevertheless regarded as a Davar Yavaish because
> the *current* *state* of a substance determines its
> Halachic status, not what it will convert to during the
> cooking. Since congealed fat, margarine, etc., are solid,
> dry substances at room temperature, they maintain that
> status throughout the Bishul.
>
> The Halacha is in accordance with these Poskim. It is
> therefore permitted to reheat congealed fat, margarine,
> butter, and the like. (SA 318:16 and MB 100 and Shaar
> Hatziun 122)
>
> Examples:
> 1) One may reheat a piece of cold roasted chicken by
> placing it on top of a hot pot which is on the blech
> (see Hefsek Kedeira, Chapter IV; B/e-2) or by placing it
> near the blech (but not directly on the blech). This is
> permitted even if the chicken has a layer of congealed
> fat (schmaltz) that will melt.

It seems reasonable to me to say that room-temperature macaroni and cheese
is no wetter than room-temperature margarine. Neither of them can be poured
(without having the macaroni or chicken fall out with it) and both of them
would make one's hand yucky upon touching it. But I'm no rabbi, and this
seems (to me) like a clear case of where a Shikul HaDaas is called for,
where the rav could be Medameh Milsa L'Milsa. So ask your rav how he holds
on this halacha, and what he feels about this comparison.

(By the way, I see an inconsistency in what Rabbi Ribiat wrote in the
second of the paragraphs which I quoted. First he spoke about "current
state", which he put in italics (and I approximated that emphasis with
asterisks). But then he referred to the food's state "at room temperature".
Why did he change that? When I take the mac-n-cheese, or chicken, out of
the refrigerator on Shabbos morning, intending to put it near the heat
right away, the cheese or margarine is even more solid than if I would
allow it to come to room temperature first.)

Akiva Miller
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> My wife recently brought home a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
>  They're labeled OU Dairy, but when you read the list of ingredients the
>  only dairy ingredient (whey) is third on the list headed by "contains
>  less than 2% of:".  Is one permitted to eat these cookies after eating
>  meat?  If not, why not?

Ahh, 1/60 ought to...? But they must be milk equipment, and if the
cookies are, the OU marks milk-equipment as mamash milchig.

I'd call the OU and ask them the deal. Even when they label a certain
way, on the phone they'll tell you the real story. My mother and I
were buying eggs in the secular supermarket, and we saw two kinds of
eggs of the same brand, one white and the other brown. The white ones
were marked OU, the brown ones not. We bought the white ones, but
wondered why the brown ones wouldn't be kosher - surely something must
be unkosher about them, for why else would the OU mark their white
same-brand neighbors; but what could be unkosher about a stam egg? She
called up the OU, and they said that sometimes, the brown pigment of
the shell penetrates the egg and makes what looks like a blood spot.
After too many people called complaining about bloody kosher eggs, the
OU decided it wasn't worth it to mark the brown ones as kosher, so
they pulled the certification, but they'll still as kosher as ever.

Mikha'el Makovi

Does anyone know of any poskim that discuss pranks vis-a-vis goneiv al menas
l'meikat?

KT,
Michael
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R' Michael Makovi wrote:
>>  There are many sources that conversion took place prior to Sinai.
>>     
> But this doesn't help us. The pasuk us, "Love the ger because you were
> gerim in Egypt".
>
> Did we convert to Judaism in Egypt? Either a person was a Jew the
> moment he came out of his pre-Sinai mother's womb, or he converted at
> Sinai. Either way, what does Egypt have to do with anything? 
>
>   
The sources clearly indicate that we were gerim (proselytes in Egypt) 
and that this is the reason for being nice to contemporary gerim. While 
some of the sources seem ambiguous - let me present some that leave no 
doubt.

*Alshech[1] <#_ftn1>(Devarim 10:19): You shall love the ger because you 
were gerim in Egypt. *Don?t say that this reason does not apply to us to 
justify loving the ger. Don?t claim that since the reason doesn?t apply 
why should the ger be loved since he is from impure seed while we are 
all holy ? and love can exist only between equals?  Therefore the verse 
says you shall love the ger because you are in fact his equal . The 
reason that you are equal is because you were gerim in Egypt. It was in 
Egypt that you were idolators and you converted there and came to 
holiness. This ger also converted just as you did by means of 
circumcision and immersion in a mikveh as is known from the laws of 
conversion.**

*Alshech[2] <#_ftn2>(Shemos 22:20): Don?t wrong or oppress the ger 
because you were gerim in Egypt. *G?d is saying, Please Israel, even 
though idolatry is disgusting, don?t blame and ridicule a former 
idolator after he has converted by saying to him such insults as 
?Yesterday you were an idolator.? That means one should not wrong a ger 
with words of ridicule nor should you oppress him financially. The 
reason against this behavior is that you were once idolators in Egypt 
where you also converted.* *Since G?d does not despise you because you 
were once idolators and He gave you His Torah ? you should not despise 
this ger because you are very similar to him in background. That is 
because a ger who converts is considered a new born (Yevamos 22a).

*Alshech[3] <#_ftn3>(Shemos 23:9):* The Torah gives a reason for loving 
the ger because you were gerim in Egypt. Don?t get the idea that when a 
ger comes with a born Jews to court that perhaps that the ger who comes 
from a family devoted to an alien divinity must be a fraud and therefore 
the ruling must be in favor of the the born Jew who shares ancestry with 
you. That is why the verse says  not to oppress the ger because you are 
well aware of the fact that a ger is like a new born child (Yevamos 22a) 
and his past is erased because  he has a new soul. Thus ?you know the 
soul of the ger? ? that  it is good - because he is like a newborn 
child. Because you yourselves were gerim in Egypt. In Egypt you 
yourselves were idolators but you converted there and became holy by 
means of the blood of the korbon Pesach and the blood of circumcision. 
Thus the soul of the ger is good - both his  mind and soul - so 
therefore why should you consider him a fraud?**

*Alshech[4] <#_ftn4>(Vayikra 19:34): *The verse gives a reason for 
loving the ger because ?you were gerim in  Egypt.? G?d asks why should 
you degrade the ger because he once worshipped idols ? weren?t you were 
also idolators who converted in Egypt? Furthermore he has converted in 
your land of Israel ? not in Egypt.

*Alshech[5] <#_ftn5>(Vayikra 19:34): *The verse says that the ger will 
be with you in your land. Meaning when he converts in Israel the ger 
instantaneously becomes equivalent to you [when he converts in Israel]. 
That is because he immediately enters in actual holiness under the wings 
of the Shechina which is in the land of Israel which corresponds to the 
?upper land?. In contrast you were originally gerim in the land of Egypt 
? an impure land. Therefore your conversion was not a direct attachment 
to G?d like that of this ger who converts in your land - Israel.**


------------------------------------------------------------------------


?? ??? ?????, ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ???? 
?????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????. ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????, ?? ??? 
?? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?????, ?? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? 
????????? ?? ????? ?? ??????, ???? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? 
????? ?????? ????? ????? ?????:

[2] <#_ftnref2>  *????? (???? ??:?):* ??? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ???? 
????? ???? ?????:

?? ???? ?? ?????, ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???, ?? ???? ????? ?? ?? 
????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???. ??? ??? 
???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????, ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??????, ?? ??? ?? 
??? ????? ???? ?????, ?? ?? ????? ????? ??? ??? ????????, ????? ?? ???? 
?' ?? ????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???, ?? ????? ????, 
?? ?? ??????? ???? ????? ??? (????? ?? ?):

?? ????? ??? ???? ??????, ??? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ???? 
????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???. ???? ???? ?? ????? ???' 
???? ?????:

[3] <#_ftnref3>  *????? (???? ??:?):* ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??? 
?? ???? ????? ???? ?????:

??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????, ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? 
????? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ????. ??? ??? ??? ?? ????, ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? 
??? ??? ???? ???? ????? (????? ??.) ?????? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ???? 
??, ???? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????. ?? ??? ???? ????? 
???? ?????, ?? ?? ????? ????? ????? ??? ????????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? 
???? ????. ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?????, ???? ??????? ?????:

[4] <#_ftnref4>  *????? (????? ??: ??):* ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????? 
???? ?????. ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ???, ???? ?? ?? ??? 
????? ???? ????????? ???? ?????, ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ??????:

[5] <#_ftnref5>  *????? (????? ??:??):* ?????? ??? ?? ??????, ?? ??? ??? 
????? ???, ?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? 
?????? ??? ???????. ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????, 
??? ??? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????:

*Chinuch[1] <#_ftn1>(#63): Prohibition from wronging the ger verbally ? 
*That means there is a requirement not to upset the ger - even with 
words. The ger referred to here is a member of one of the nations that 
has converted to Judaism. This prohibition is not to ridicule or debase 
him even with words (Shemos 22:20). Even though we are also commanded by 
the Torah not to upset any Jew and the one who has converted is a Jew ? 
nevertheless the Torah has added an additional prohibtion against 
upsetting the ger. This prohibition against upsetting the ger is even 
repeated (Vayikra 19:33) because there is greater likelihood that a ger 
will be wronged than a born Jew - since born Jews have those to defend 
them. Another reason for the extra warnings about upsetting a ger is the 
concern that if he is oppressed that he might give up Judaism because of 
his anger about being insulted. The Sifra (Vayikra 19:33) says not to 
tell a ger ?Yesterday you were an idolator and not you have become a 
Jew.? ?**


------------------------------------------------------------------------


??????? ??????? ??? ????? ??????, ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ????? 
??????, ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??????, ????? [???? ??:?] ??? ?? ????. 
??? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ??????, ??? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????, 
????? ????? ??? ????? ??, ??? ????? ?????? ???? ????? [????? ??:??] ?? 
[???? ????] ??? ????, ??? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???????, ?? 
?????? ?? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????. ???? ??? ??? ??, ??? ??? ?? ??? 
????? ????? ???? ????????. ????? ????? [????? ??] ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? 
???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??????.

*Rambam[1] <#_ftn1>(Positive 207): *This is the mitzva to love gerim as 
it says in Devarim (10:19), And you should love the ger. Even though the 
ger is already included in the Jewish people and thus ?And you should 
love your fellow Jew as yourself? applies to the ger also since Devarim 
(10:19) applies to a proselyte  - but since the ger  has joined himself 
to our Torah ? G?d adds additional love to him and added a special 
mitzva for him. He also added prohibitions about wronging the ger. We 
are thus also obligated to love the ger not only because of ?And you 
should lover your fellow Jew as yourself? but because of ?And you should 
love the ger?. This is clear and there is no doubt about it. I don?t 
know anyone who counts mitzvas who rejects this. Many medrashim also 
says that G?d has commanded the love of the ger to be comparable to love 
of Himself?


------------------------------------------------------------------------


????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??' (????? ?:??) ?????? ?? ???, ???"? ???? ???? 
??? ?? ????? ????? ????? ???? ????, ??? ??? ??? ?? ???, ??? ????? ????? 
??????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? 
???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? (???) ???? (?????' ??) ??? ?? ???? ?????? 
????? ???' (??? ????? ??:) ??????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? 
????? ????? ??? ?? ???? [??"? ?? - ?]. ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? 
????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ???. ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? 
??? ???? ????? ??? ???. ????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? 
????? ?? ???? ????? ??? (?' ???) ????? ?? ?"? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ???:

*Ohr HaChaim[1] <#_ftn1>(Shemos 22:20): Do not wrong a ger because you 
were gerim in Egypt. *Rashi explains because the ger can retaliate and 
upset you because you were gerim in Egypt. The Ibn Ezra says that you 
should remember that they are like you used to be. Ramban rejects both 
of these interpretations and says simply that you should know that G?d 
hears the cries of the poor and the oppressed just as He heard your 
cries in Egypt. The explanation of this verse, based on well known 
facts, is that the Jewish soul is rooted in holiness because they are 
descendants of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov who are the heritage of G?d. 
Everyone else has an inferior lot. It is well known that people have no 
concern about the debasement and ridicule of others who are different 
from them from the aspect that the other is inferior in holiness. This 
is the cause of ridiculing others. That is why G?d commanded them not to 
wrong and oppress gerim. G?d is saying that the reason that He is 
commanding this is because you should not say that the ger has his 
source in evil or that since he is by nature connected to klipah that he 
is inferior to you. That is because you were gerim in Egypt. This is in 
accord to what I have explained in Bereishis (46:3), That I will make 
you into a great nation there. Also concerning (Shemos 20:2) Which I 
have brought you out of the land of Egypt, I explained that the souls of 
the Jews themselves were connected to klipah. Because of this the ger is 
one of you without any distinction. Since the ger is not spiritually 
inferior to you there is no basis for wronging or oppressing him.**


------------------------------------------------------------------------


??"? ?"? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???????, ?? ???? ???', ??' ????? ???? ???? ?? 
????? ????? ????"? ??? ?' ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? 
????? ???':

 ????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ??????, ?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??????, ??? 
????? ???? ?????, ??? ????? ?????, ??? ????? ?? ??? ??, ???? ?? ?????? 
?????? ??? ????? ??? ????????, ??? ???????? ????? ??? ??????? ??????, 
???? ???? ???? ??????, ??? ???? ??? ?????, ??? ????? ??? ??????, ??? 
???? ???? ???? ??? ?????, ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???, ?? ???? ???? 
????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????, ?? ??? ???? ????? ??????, ????? ?? 
??? ?? ??????? (?????? ?? ?) ????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ??, ?????? ??? 
??????? ???? ????? ????? ???? (???? ?: ?) ?????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? 
??????, ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ????, ???? ?? ????? ??? ??????:

However the Chinuch hedges his bets and includes strangers in the 
commandment.

*Chinuch[1] <#_ftn1>(#431): Loving the ger - * We are commanded to love 
gerim. In other words we are prohibited from upsetting germ in any 
manner. Instead we must be good to them and show them kindness according 
to what they need and what we are capable of doing. Gerim are all those 
who have joined us from the other nations and have abandoned their 
original religion and have now accepted Judaism. Concerning them Devarim 
10:19) says ? You should love the ger because you were gerim.? Even 
though gerim are protected from being upset by the prohibitions that 
protect all Jews ? as it says ?You shall love your fellow ? (Mitzva 243) 
? nevetheless G?d has added an additonal obligation on us specifically 
to love the ger. Similarly they are not to be defrauded or fooled. Even 
though there is already a prohibition against this for all Jews (Mitzva 
338) ? there is still a specific mitzva for concerning the ger (Mitzva 
63). It says in Bava Metzia (59b) that one who upsets a ger violates two 
prohibitions. In addition he is also violating the requirements to ?love 
your fellow? and ?love the ger.??A person who transgresses this command 
and afflicts gerim or is slow in saving them or their money or is not 
serious about their honor ? because they are gerim and don?t have 
supporters amongst the nation ? has nullified this commandment. The 
punishment for this transgression is very great. That is because this 
issue is menitoned in many places in the Torah. Furthermore we should 
generalize from this important mitzva of concern for gerim to also be 
merciful to all men who are living in a city which is not their 
birthplace or place of their family. We should not ignore someone who is 
a stranger and lacking support and defenders. Just as we see that the 
Torah warns us to be merciful to all that who are lacking support. One 
who is concerned about the helpless will merit mercy from G?d for 
himself and the blessings of heaven will be on his head. The Torah 
alludes to the reason for this commandment by saying ?because you were 
gerim in Egypt.? The Torah reminds us of the great pain and suffering 
that comes to all men who see themselves amongst strangers in a strange 
land. When we remember the great agony that exists in such circumstances 
? because we have already been saved by G?d and taken from there ? we 
will express our mercy on all men in similar circumstances.**


------------------------------------------------------------------------


????? ?????, ????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???, ??? ???? ??? ???? 
?????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???????. ?????? ?? ?? ?? ?????? ????? ???? 
?????? ????? ??? ????? ?????, ?????? ???? [????? ?:??] ?????? ?? ??? ?? 
???? ?????. ??? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ?????? ??????, ????? ???? ????? 
???? [???? ??"?], ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???, ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????? 
?? ??????. ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ????, ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? 
??? ?? ????? [???? ??"?], ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? 
?? ???? [???? ?"?], ????? ????? [??? ????? ??:] ?????? ??? ???? ???? ?? 
???? ???', ????? ??? ?? ????, ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ????, ????? ?????? 
?? ???...????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ???? 
?????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????, ???? ??? ??. ?????? ???? ???, 
???? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????. ??? ??? ????? ?? ????? ????? ???? 
???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ??????, ??? ????? 
???? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??????, ??? ???? ????? ?????? 
??????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ????? ???, ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ???? 
?????, ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????. ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ???? 
????? ???? ?????, ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??? 
????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????, ??????? ???? ???? ??? ??? 
???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???, ????? ?????? ?? ?? ??? 
???? ??:


However the Minchas Chinuch does not accept this as pshat.

*Minchas Chinuch[1] <#_ftn1>(431):Loving the ger - *This that the 
Chinuch writes that this mitzva applies to all men ? this is only an 
ethical consideration (mussar) but in fact it is not part of the mitzva 
which only applies to a ger who has converted to Judaism.This is obvious.


------------------------------------------------------------------------


???', ??? ???? ?????, ??? ???? ???? ?????, ?? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ???? 
??????, ??? ????:

Chofetz Chaim possibly understands it as you do -  though he is probably 
based on the Chinuch.

*Chofetz Chaim[1] <#_ftn1>(Kitzur Sefer Hamitzvos 61): *Loving the ger ? 
it is a positive mitzva to love the ger as it says in Devarim (10:19): 
And you shall love the ger. This is an additional mitzva and not 
included in the mitzva to love your fellow Jew as yourself (since a ger 
is also included amongst the Jewish people.) G?d loves the ger as it 
says in Devarim (10:18), And He loves the ger to give him bread and 
clothing . And it also says in Shemos (23:15), ?And you know the soul of 
the ger. The explanation of the word ger here is someone who comes from 
another land or city to dwell amongst us ? and surely a proselyte is 
included. This applies to all places and all times both for men and 
women. **


------------------------------------------------------------------------


????? ?? ???. ????? (????? ?:??): "?????? ?? ???". ????? ???? ????? ?? 
"????? ???? ????", (???? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?????). ?????? ???? ??? ???? 
?? ???, ????? (????? ?:??:) "????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?????", ????? (???? 
??:??): "???? ????? ?? ??? ???", ?????? "??" ???, ???: ??? ???? ???? 
????? ???? ???? ????, ???? ??? ?? ???????. ????? ??? ???? ???? ???, 
?????? ???????:




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