AN APOSTATE PROSELYTE Walter Jacob

QUESTION: What is the status of a proselyte who has decided to return to his/her original religion? What is the status of the children?*

ANSWER: Any convert to Judaism has acquired an entirely new status. Indeed, the Talmud has compared a proselyte to a new-born child(Yev. 22a). He or she has not only adopted the faith of Israel , but has also become a part of the people of Israel . For this reason, it has been customary to name proselytes"The son or daughter of our Father Abraham(Bet Yosef on Tur, Even Haezer 129; Shulhan Arukh, Even Haezer 129.20; Felder, Nahalat Tzevi 1.31, 124) or Sarah, our Mother"(Gates of Mitzvah, p. 24). Itis, therefore, the almost unanimous opinion that converts who revert to their original religions remain Jewish and are to be considered Jewish for all purpose(Bekorot 30b). Their status was the same as that of Jewish apostates. This problem has been dealt with again and again with the same conclusion(Yev. 47b; Asher Ben Yehiel , ibid., Tur, Yoreh Deah 268: Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 268.12, as well as the commentaries on these passages; Freehof , Reform Responsa, Pp: 192ff). The Shulhan Arukh and most of its commentaries agree that the child of an apostate female proselyte, or of a male married to a Jewish woman, would be considered Jewish and would need no formal conversion to Judaism . An adult proselyte who has become a Jew voluntarily cannot annul this process in any was (Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 268.2, 12). Isserles indicated that the Rabbinic ordinances, however, demanded of an apostate returning to Judaism or the child of an apostate woman(who had been born or converted to Judaism ), repentance before a court of hres; well as immersion in a miqveh(Radbaz , Responsd 11, 415; ers to Yoreh Deah 268.12; Hoffman, Melamed Lehoil II, 84) Te sa acceptance into the Jewish community. Abraham Cushing i x Avraham to Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim 326.8) reminded U go ritual immersion was not legally necessary, but was a fence aro

th. e law 13