Yevamos - Daf 47
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- Why we attempt to dissuade a prospective ger from converting
The Gemara brings a lengthy Baraisa regarding the procedure for accepting converts. It was taught: גר שבא להתגייר בזמן הזה – When a prospective ger comes to Beis Din to convert nowadays, we say to him: מה ראית שבאת להתגייר – What do you see that you have come to convert? אי אתה יודע שישראל בזמן הזה דווים דחופים סחופים ומטורפין – Do you not know that nowadays the Jewish people are afflicted, oppressed, downtrodden, and harassed, and that hardships frequently come upon them? If he says, "ידוע אני ואיני כדאי" מקבלין אותו מיד – I know and I am not worthy, we accept him immediately, which means we begin the process of accepting him as a convert and try to dissuade him. We inform of the מצות קלות ומצות חמורות – the minor mitzvos and the major mitzvos, and of all the different types of punishments he will be liable for transgressing them. The Gemara explains that the reason for dissuading him is דאי פריש נפרוש – if he abandons his attempt to convert, let him abandon it, for Rebbe Chelbo said: קשים גרים לישראל כספחת – Converts are as harmful to Yisroel as sapachas, (tzaraas), as it is written: "ונלוה הגר עליהם ונספחו על בית יעקב" – The convert shall accompany them, and they shall cleave (nispechu) to the House of Yaakov.”
- Why a prospective convert is told about the mitzvos of leket, shich’chah, peah and maaser ani
The Baraisa stated that we inform the prospective ger of the sin of failing to observe the laws of leket, shichchah, peah and maaser ani. The Gemara asks what the reason is for informing him about these halachos, and Rebbe Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan: בן נח נהרג על פחות משוה פרוטה ולא ניתן להשבון – A ben Noach is executed for stealing something which is even less than a shaveh perutah and it is not subject to being returned. Rashi explains that the reason they are executed is that gentiles are not forgiving even if someone steals such a small amount. A Jew on the other hand who steals less than a shaveh perutah, is not liable since the Jew he stole it from would likely forego its loss. Since a non-Jew is concerned about losing even less than a shaveh perutah’s worth of property, we tell him that he will have to give leket, shich’chah, peah and maaser ani for perhaps that will dissuade him from converting.
- Naomi stopped arguing with Rus after Rus’ responses to Naomi’s attempts to dissuade her
The Baraisa taught: ואין מרבים עליו אין מדקדקים – But we do not overwhelm, and we are not too strict with him. Rebbe Elazar brings the source for this from Rus, where it is written: "ותרא כי מתאמצת היא ללכת אתה ותחדל לדבר" – When Naomi saw that Rus was determined to go with her, she stopped arguing with her. Naomi said to Rus: “It is prohibited to go beyond the techum Shabbos.” Rus responded, "אל אשר תלכי אלך" – “Where you go, I will go.” Naomi said that yichud was forbidden, to which Rus responded, "באשר תליני אלין" – “Where you lodge, I will lodge.” When Naomi told her about keeping the Taryag Mitzvos, Rus responded, "עמך עמי" – “Your people are my people.” When Naomi told her that avodah zarah is forbidden, Rus replied, "ואלקיך אלקי" – “Your G-d is my G-d.” When Naomi told her about the four capital punishments, Rus responded, "באשר תמותי אמות" – “Where you die, I will die.” When she was told that Beis Din has two types of cemeteries, depending on the severity of the crime, Rus answered, "ושם אקבר" – “And there I will be buried.” Immediately after this, Naomi stopped arguing with her.
