Sometimes it's good that things reach the point of absurdity, because then everything becomes clear.
For years we have been debating the issue of 'who is a Jew', and whether the conversion process should be 'easier', and then the issue of bringing non-Jews to the country makes headlines, and suddenly it becomes clear that what is actually meant is some kind of revolving door through which complete Gentiles enter and 'Jews' leave.
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A rabbi who has been involved in the subject of conversion for years is interviewed on public radio. He claims that few are truly interested in converting. To illustrate, he notes that the court discovered among those seeking conversion some who do not believe in God at all.
And then the interviewer doesn't let go of him and asks again and again: "So you want to force him to believe? If he doesn't believe in G-d, let him be a Jew without believing.".
The source of the distortion
It's like when you're going to buy a used car. You're already willing to compromise on all sorts of defects. The rear window won't open? Okay. The air conditioning switch is broken? Whatever. The radiator is leaking? Okay, we'll manage. And then they tell you that the car has no wheels, no engine, and no chassis. But what do you want, it's also a car...
What exactly is a Jew? It is a people with whom the Creator of the world made a covenant at Mount Sinai, assigned them a special role, and gave them Torah and commandments.
The Creator allows people of other nations to join this covenant, and this is the essence of conversion. Whoever accepts the covenant of Mount Sinai and the obligation it imposes on a person – joins the people of Israel and becomes a righteous stranger, a Jew in every sense of the word.
Now a man comes and says: Please convert me, but I don't want to keep the commandments, I don't want to keep the Sabbath, I don't want to eat kosher, I don't want to fast on Yom Kippur, and I also don't want to believe in G-d. I actually want a car without an engine, without a chassis, and without wheels...
And a Jewish radio broadcaster in the Jewish state does not understand the ridiculous absurdity of this.
Where does this distortion come from? From the strong embrace that the Torah embraces every Jew, even those who deny it. "Israel, even though it has sinned, is Israel." But one should not make the mistake of thinking that denial of Judaism and disdain for its commandments are the new conditions of acceptance into the Jewish people's club.
It's like parents telling their son - we will always love you and our home will always be open to you, even if you rebel against us, disobey us, and even mock us. Then that beloved son brings a friend with him and tells the parents: He also wants to live in your house, disobey you, and mock you. Just as you accept me, accept him too...
One question
And all those who claim that it is possible to become a Jew without observing the commandments and without faith – let them ask themselves one question: Does this path ensure the continuity of the Jewish people? Would they themselves be Jews today if their ancestors had not adhered with all their heart and soul to the Torah of Moses and its commandments?
A Jew who is not observant remains a Jew, because he was born to a Jewish mother and the connection to Judaism is inherent in his very being.
But joining the Jewish people from the outside is impossible without accepting the covenant of Mount Sinai. Without this, there is and cannot be any conversion.
