(16) But Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (17) Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus and more may the LORD do to me if anything but death parts me from you.” (18) When [Naomi] saw how determined she was to go with her, she ceased to argue with her;

(14) Rabbi Zeira says, "This scroll [Ruth] does not have anything in it concerned with impurity or purity nor what is forbidden and what is permitted. So why is it written? To teach us the greatness of the reward for acts of lovingkindness."

(18) This is the line of Perez: Perez begot Hezron, (19) Hezron begot Ram, Ram begot Ammi-nadab, (20) Amminadab begot Nahshon, Nahshon begot Salmon, (21) Salmon begot Boaz, Boaz begot Obed, (22) Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

Rabbi Abba Bar Kahane cited "tremble and don't sing" (Psalms 4:5). King David complained before the Holy One: 'for how long with they taunt me and complain 'is he not of defective lineage, is he not descended from the Moabite, Ruth?' ' {the verse continues "Say in your heart regarding your own bed" (Psalms 4:5) [The Almighty answered: Respond to them that they are the children of incestuous siblings [for Adam and Eve's children had to marry each other to beget the world] so "be silent" (Psalms 4:5).

לא תונו [AND IF A STRANGER SOJOURN WITH THEE IN THY LAND], YE SHALL NOT VEX HIM — This implies vexing him with words (cf. Rashi on Exodus 22:20) — do not say to him, “Yesterday you were an idolator and now you come to study the Torah which was given from the mouth of the Almighty!” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8 2; Bava Metzia 58b, 59b.)

"And Ruth said: entreat me not to leave you and to return from following you (Ruth 1:16)"-- what does "entreat" [lit. "hurt"] mean? Ruth said to Naomi, "Do not sin against me by telling me to leave and return from following you. I intend to convert anyway, and it is better that I do it with you than with someone else." When Naomi heard this, she immediately began to lay out before her the laws of conversion. Naomi said, "My daughter, Jewish women do not go to the non-Jews' theaters and circuses." Ruth said, "Where you go, I will go." Naomi said, "My daughter, Jewish women do not live in a house where there is no mezuzah." Ruth said, "Where you lodge, I will lodge." "Your people shall be my people," refers to warning and punishment, and "Your God shall be my God" refers to the rest of the commandments.

The Rabbis taught in a Brayta: A convert who comes to convert [to Judaism] in the present era, we say to him "What did you see that prompted you to come to convert? Don't you know that nowadays Jews are afflicted, oppressed, downtrodden and harassed and that hardships are frequently visited upon them? "If he says I know and I am unworthy" - we accept him immediately and we inform him of some of the minor mitzvot (minutia of daily life) and some of the major mitzvot (less often but more severe consequences).

(STEP 1: Determine the sincerity of the motivation)

He is told of the transgressions of neglecting the mitzvot of Gleanings, the Forgotten Sheaf, the Corner and the Poor Man's Tithe. He is also told of the punishment for the transgression of the commandments.

(STEP 2: Inform him what he is signing up for)

Furthermore, he is told: 'Please know that before you came to convert, if you ate forbidden fats you would not have been punishable with karet. If you violated the laws of Shabbat, you would not have been punishable with stoning; but if you convert, and you eat forbidden fats you would be punished with karet. If you were you to violate the laws of Shabbat you would be punished with stoning'.

(STEP 3: Give plenty of opportunities to walk away with no judgment)

But we do not press him too much, and we are not exacting with him, lest this pressure cause him to leave the good path for the way of evil. For at first we must draw a person with soft, pleasing words, as it says, "I drew them with human ties" and then "with cords of love" Hosea 11:4.

(STEP 4: Do not make the process overly difficult)

Just as we inform him of the punishments for the commandments, so do we inform him of their rewards. And we inform him that through keeping these commandments he will merit the life of the World to Come, and that the only perfectly righteous man is a wise person who keeps these commandments and understands them.

So we say to him: "Know that the World to Come is kept hidden away for the righteous alone, and they are Israel. And although you see Israel suffering in this world, this is a good that is kept hidden away for them, because they cannot enjoy great good in this world like the other nations, lest their hearts become haughty and they err, thereby losing the reward of the World to Come, as it says, "And Jeshurun fattened and kicked" (Deuteronomy 32:15).

But the Holy One, blessed be He, spares them from the the full extent of affliction, so that they do not perish. Rather, all the other nations will perish and they will still stand." And we elaborates on this matter at great length, in order that he find it pleasing.

If he reconsidered, and decided not to accept, he may go his own way.

(STEP 5: It's not all bad. Some interesting theological disagreements on the above notwithstanding, we essentially teach that Judaism is about delayed gratification regarding observing the mitzvot. He should not expect instant reward)

If he accepted, he is circumcised forthwith. Should any shreds which render the circumcision invalid remain, he is to be circumcised a second time.

(STEP 6: Brit Milah)

As soon as he is healed, arrangements are made for his immediate immersion,

Three judges stand over him and inform him of a few light commandments and a few severe commandments a second time, as he stands in the water.

(STEP 7: Acceptance of the Mitzvot and Mikveh. This is where processes diverge. How many is a few? Which are light and which are severe?)

If she was a woman, women sit her down in the water up to her neck, while the judges are outside. They inform her of a few light commandments and a few severe commandments while she sits in the water, and then she immerses before them, while they turn their faces away and leave, so that they cannot see her when she rises from the water.

(Preservation of modesty)

Whether a man who converts for a woman or a woman who converts for a man, or one who converts for the royal table, or to be a servant of Solomon -- are not converts. These are R. Nehemia’s words. It was said on this: Rabbi Yitzchak bar Shmuel bar Marta said in the name of Rav: The law follows the opinion that they are all converts. The rabbis taught: Converts are not accepted in the messianic era; ... similarly, they did not accept them in the times of David and Solomon.

The Gemara asks: What is the reason to say this to him? It is so that if he is going to withdraw from the conversion process, let him withdraw already at this stage. He should not be convinced to continue, as Rabbi Ḥelbo said: Converts are as harmful to the Jewish people as a leprous scab [sappaḥat] on the skin, as it is written: “And the convert shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave [venispeḥu] to the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1).

GEMARA: Rav Huna said: With regard to a convert who is a minor, one immerses him in a ritual bath with the consent of the court. As a minor lacks the capacity to make halakhic decisions, the court is authorized to make those decisions in his stead. What is Rav Huna coming to teach us? Is he teaching that it is a privilege for the minor to convert, and one may act in a person’s interests even in his absence? We already learned that explicitly in a mishna (Eiruvin 81b): One may act in a person’s interests in his absence, but one may not act against a person’s interests in his absence. Rav Huna’s statement was necessary lest you say: With regard to a gentile, licentiousness is preferable for him, so conversion is contrary to his interests, just as we maintain that with regard to a slave, licentiousness is certainly preferable. Just as a slave has no interest in assuming the restrictions that come with freedom, in that a freed Canaanite slave is a convert to Judaism, a gentile would have the same attitude toward conversion. Therefore, Rav Huna teaches us: That applies only with regard to an adult, who has experienced a taste of prohibition. Therefore, presumably he prefers to remain a slave and indulge in licentiousness. However, with regard to a minor, who did not yet engage in those activities, it is a privilege for him to convert. The Gemara suggests: Let us say that the mishna supports Rav Huna’s statement: With regard to a female convert, or a captive woman, or a maidservant, who were ransomed with regard to the captive, or who converted with regard to the convert, or who were freed with regard to the maidservant, when they were less than three years and one day old; what, is it not referring to a case where they immersed the minor converts and the maidservants with the consent of the court? Apparently, a conversion of that sort is valid. The Gemara rejects that proof: No, with what are we dealing here? It is with a convert whose minor sons and daughters converted with him, as they are content with whatever their father does in their regard. However, that does not apply to a child who is converting on his own. Rav Yosef said: In any case where minors convert, when they reach majority they can protest and annul their conversion.

By the consent of the court - There must be three [judges] present at his immersion, just as is the rule concerning all immersions for conversion. They become as his father, and he is a convert by way of them. And his contact with wine does not contaminate it.

It was taught in a barraita: A non-Jew came before Shammai. He asked, "How many Torahs do you have?" Shammai responded, "Two, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah."

The non-Jews said, "I believe in the Written Torah, but not in the Oral Torah. Convert me and teach me only the Written Torah." Shammai berated the non-Jew and chased him out.

The non-Jew came before Hillel and Hillel converted him.

One day Hillel taught him the alef-bet, and the next day he switched the names of the letters.

He said to Hillel, "Didn't you teach me the opposite yesterday?"

Hillel responded, "Just as you trust me in the instruction of letters, so to you must trust me in the instruction of Torah."

Another time a non-Jew came before Shammai and said, "I will convert if you can teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot."

Shammai pushed the non-Jew aside with the ruler that was in his hand.

The non-Jew came before Hillel and Hillel converted him.

Hillel said to him , "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor, that is the entire Torah, the rest is just commentary, now go and study."

Another time a non-Jew was passing behind the Beit Midrash and heard the voice of the sofer who was saying, "These are the garments you shall make, a breastplate, and an ephod" (Exodus 28:4)...

The non-Jews asked, "Who are these garments for?" The sofer responded, "For the Cohen Gadol.

The same non-Jews said to himself, "I will go and convert so that they will make me the Cohen Gadol."

The non-Jew came before Shammai and said, "Convert me on the condition that you make me Cohen Gadol." Shammai pushed him aside with the ruler that was in his hand.

The non-Jew came before Hillel, and Hillel converted him.

Hillel said to him, "We cannot anoint someone unless they learn the ceremonies of kingship, go and learn the ceremonies of kingship. The new convert went and learned the ceremonies of kingship.

When he arrived at the verse, "and the common man that comes near shall be put to death" (Numbers 1:51), he asked, "Who is this verse speaking about?" Hillel answered him, "It's even relevant to David, King of Israel."

The new convert made himself a "kal v'chomer:" Israel are called Children of God, and out of God's love for them, they are called the first born children of God.

If even in regards to them it is said, "and the common man that comes near shall be put to death..." how much more so for me who comes to the Jewish people with his staff and bag.

​

(1) There are three ways in which someone enters the covenant: by circumcision, by immersion, and by a Temple offering.

(2) Circumcision as it was in Egypt, as it says, "Every uncircumcised person shall not eat of it (the Passover offering)." Moses our teacher circumcised them and everyone spurned the covenant in Egypt with the exception of the Tribe of Levi. On this it says, "Your covenant was withheld."

(3) Immersion was in the desert before receiving the Torah, as is said, "Sanctify yourselves today and tomorrow; wash your clothes." The offering, as is said, "Send the young ones of Israel to bring elevation offerings" - and everyone in Israel brought them.

(4) Throughout the generations, any non-Jew who wants to enter the covenant and come in under the 'wings of the Presence of God' accepts upon him or herself the yoke of Torah - he needs circumcision, immersion and a Temple offering. If female, she needs only immersion and an offering, as is said "As for you, so for the foreigner." That's to say, just as you (entered via) circumcision, immersion and an offering, so too the foreigner (shall enter via) circumcision, immersion and an offering.

(1) How do we accept righteous converts? When one comes to convert from being a Gentile and they examine him and they do not find any ulterior motive, they say to him: What did you see that made you want to convert? Don't you know that Israel in these times is rejected, swept away, disturbed, and afflictions come on them. If he says, "I know, and I am not worthy" they accept him immediately.

(2) And they inform him of the main principles of the religion, which is the unification of God's name, and the prohibition of idol worship, and they dwell at length on this matter. And they inform him of some of the lenient commandments, and some of the stringent commandments. And they do not dwell at length on this. And they let him know the sin of “gatherings” “forgotten sheaves” “corners of the field” and “second tithe.” And they tell him of the punishments for not keeping the commandments. How so? They say to him: Know that before this point, if you ate forbidden fat, you would not be punished with karet, if you broke Shabbat, you would not be punished by being stoned. But now, after you have converted, if you eat forbidden fat you will be punished with karet, if you break Shabbat, you will be punished by being stoned. And they do not dwell at length on this, nor do they go into detail, lest this causes him to be troubled and turn away from the good path to the evil path. For at the beginning we do not draw a person except with words of appeasement and gentleness. I drew them with human ties, with cords of love.

(3) And just as they inform them of the punishment for keeping commandments so too they inform them of the reward of mitzvoth, and they inform them that by doing these mitzvoth they will earn the world to come, and that no one is perfectly righteous person except for one who is a master of wisdom, who performs these commandments and knows them.

(4) And they say to him: Know that the world to come is hidden only for the righteous, and this is Israel. And the reason that Israel is in pain in this world, it is a good hidden for them for they cannot accept too much goodness in this world, like the other nations, lest they get haughty, and go astray and they lose the reward of the world to come, as it says, "So Jeshurun grew fat and kicked."

(5) And God does not bring on them an abundance of punishment so that they will not be lost. Rather, all of the nations of the world are finished off, and they will remain. And they go on at length about this matter, in order to endear it to them. If he retracts and does not want to accept, he can go on his way. And if he accepts, they do not delay him. Rather they circumcise him immediately. And if he was already circumcised they spill some covenantal blood, and they delay him until he fully heals, and then they immerse him.