2,167. Immersing a Woman

Hilchos Issurei Biah 14:5

God doesn’t bring abundant retribution on the Jews so that they won’t perish as other nations eventually will. We elaborate on the idea of the Jews being cherished. If the potential convert decides that he doesn’t want to accept the mitzvos, he simply departs. If he accepts them, we circumcise him immediately. If he was already circumcised, we draw blood of circumcision from him. We wait until after he has completely healed and then immerse him.

Hilchos Issurei Biah 14:6

Three judges stand over the candidate for conversion and, while he stands in the water, they tell him again about some of the easy mitzvos and some of the more difficult ones. If the convert is a woman, then women position her in the water up to her neck while the judges wait outside. They tell her about some of the easy mitzvos and some of the more difficult ones while she’s in the water, after which she immerses in front of them. The judges then avert their faces and leave so that they won’t see her when she comes up from the water.