There is a common misconception, particularly within the Messianic Jewish blogosphere, that conversion to Judaism is a post-biblical, and rather late "rabbinic invention."

However, very few people have really taken the time to trace the development of conversion (גיור‎, giyur), and particularly its widespread existence already by the time of the Second Temple period (i.e. before the development of what we commonly understand as 'Rabbinic Judaism').

This blog post is an expansion of my comment to a particular discussion on Rabbi Derek Leman's blog, Messianic Jewish Musings.

The Torah

It is true that the Torah and the earliest portions of the Tanakh do not mention conversion clearly. With that said, the question of how to include non-Jews into the community of Israel has always been an issue.

In the Torah, there is recognition of non-Jews participating within the community life of Israel. Additionally, the Torah even recognizes various types of "sojourners" (gerim), and specifies certain requirements for levels of participation for each of these different types of non-Jews. So although non-Jews were included in many respects, there were also noted differences.

For example, non-Jews may not have been allowed to offer certain sacrifices on the altar in the Mishkan. Another example is the laws of Kashrut. According to Deuteronomy 14:21:

We have always valued the participation of non-Jews. This has been true even to the point that there has also been an evolving understanding of how to fully include non-Jews, not only has fellow partakers (as gerim), but as full participants in the social and religious life of the Jewish people. As a result, we do get glimpses of the beginnings of some type of conversion in order to bring someone into full inclusion into the community, even in the Torah.

The first glimpse of this is with with gerim and Passover. Gerim were not allowed to participate in the eating of the Passover lamb, unless they underwent circumcision (which in later times, would be one of the prerequisites for conversion). This is an example where a religious practice was forbidden for non-Jews, unless they chose to conform to a specific religious rite:

In this way, the ger was brought into the peoplehood. Through circumcision one became "as native-born." Although not a fully developed idea of conversion, there was indeed a process for inclusion even if not yet fully developed. Another example that may be relevant to a process of conversion involves non-Jewish women captured in war who could be adopted forcibly as wives (see Deut. 21:10-14).

Tanakh

By the last centuries BCE, there was certainly some sort of recognized conversion process in place. This is supported most clearly in Esther 8:17:

The ter m מתיהדים means “to become Jewish/to make oneself Jewish.” The Septuagint (c. 2nd cent. BCE) interprets מתיהדים as "circumcised themselves." The Jewish historian Josephus (c. 1st cent. CE) recounts that "Many of other nations circumcised themselves for fear of the Jews" (Antiquities 11.6.13).

In both rabbinic and scholarly understanding of this period, circumcision is clearly a reference to some type of conversion.

The first century Jewish philosopher, Philo of Alexandria, also discusses proselytes in his work, Special Laws I. In speaking of proselytes, Philo enjoins his own people to treat them respectfully and to guard themselves from jealousy:

"After they have given the proselytes an equal share in their laws, and privileges, and immunities, on their forsaking the pride of their fathers and forefathers, they must not give a license to their jealous language and unbridled tongues ... lest the proselytes should be exasperated at such treatment and in return utter impious language against the true and holy G-d" (IX, 51-53).

Thus, it seems clear that conversion is not a “later rabbinic invention,” as we already see traces of it in the Hebrew Scriptures and contemporaneous sources. Additionally, there are even references to proselytes in some of the Apocryphal and pseudopygraphic literature of the Second Temple period.

But what about the B'rit Chadasha? What do the Apostolic Writings have to say about conversion to Judaism?

The New Testament

According to Strongs Concordance, the term proselyte(s) is mentioned FOUR TIMES in the New Testament alone.

Here are just two examples:

-"And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven … both Jews (by birth) and proselytes” (Acts 2:5,10).

-"Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of G-d” (Acts 13:43).

There is an additional reference in Acts 6:5 to Nicolas from Antioch, "a proselyte to Judaism," who was among a handful of others chosen by the Jerusalem Council to serve among the Greek speaking Jews.

By the Second Temple period, the concept of proselytes to Judaism was already well-established. These references demonstrate that there was a category beyond that of Godfearers, who were full converts – Jews in every sense of the word.

And the Apostle Luke does not make any judgement against these “Jews by choice.” Rather, he places them in high regard by not only mentioning them, but mentioning them in three places within the book of Acts.

The only seemingly negative use of the term proselyte in the entire NT is Yeshua’s reference to particular Pharisees and scribes who go to great lengths to bring proselytes into the faith, but lead them down the wrong path. In this context, it is not the proselytes who are the problem, but the specific group of scribes and Pharisees he is addressing:

There is even some interesting scholarship on Acts 16 that supports a theory that Paul had Timothy undergo a type of conversion “because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek (16:3).”

Conclusion

So, after a little reflection, it seems that the assumption that conversion to Judaism is a "late rabbinic invention" is indeed false. The beginnings of a process to fully include non-Jews into the Jewish people began very early in Jewish history, maybe as early as the Torah.

However, the solid idea of a recognized conversion was already well established by the time of Yeshua, and the Second Temple period.

If Messianic Judaism claims to be a Judaism within the wider Jewish Community, than it behooves us to consider the place of halachah in our midst. Messianic Judaism is more than just a form of “Biblical Judaism.” To make such a claim denies the history of the Jewish people over the last two-thousand years, and the fact that other forms of Judaism are also “Biblical.” Such a perspective also fails to acknowledge the role Rabbinic Judaism has played in determining Jewish life, teaching and practice; as well as the preservation of us as a people throughout recent history.

We should understand halachah for what it is, and what it is not. What has been lost in the strictest forms of Orthodox Judaism in recent years is the fluidity of the halachic structure and the innovation out of which it was birthed. Gordon Tucker, of the Jewish Theological Seminary, helps to point out:

"The body of Jewish law is not uniform in texture, but is rather composed of materials which fall into two main categories, usually referred to as de-oraita (biblically ordained) and de-rabbanan (rabbinically developed). That which is de-oraita can be considered to be the very core of the system, which holds it in place and provides a frame of reference. It therefore must be treated as inviolable. Tampering with that which is de-oraita is tantamount to destroying the core of the Jewish pattern of life as it has existed for millennia…The much greater (that is, in terms of volume) overlay which is de-rabbanan, on the other hand, comes with procedures for change and development. What is de-rabbanan can develop, is in fact meant to develop, as the conditions of the Jewish community change. That is what ensures the vibrancy and the continuity of the halakha as the coordinate system which roots all Jewish communities."

Jewish law was never meant to be static, but rather to be reinterpreted in every generation. Rabbi Wayne Dosick describes halachah as “ever-developing” and “ever-evolving.” Halachah is derived out of evolving case law, which is based on prior precedent. As such, it is developed by wrestling with texts, the practicalities of daily life, and the teachings of previous leaders in order to decide halachic matters. It is a process. A process that is not set in stone, and not without inerrancy. However, while engaging with rabbinic texts and deciding halachah, Professor Tucker guides,

"Development in the domain of de-rabbanan must not be abrupt or discontinuous, [but] must be rooted in traditional exegetical methodologies, and above all, must be ratified by the community of the committed and informed."

This is exactly what the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council (MJRC) seeks to do - to wrestle with halachah in a way that is responsible to our history as Jews, to the halachic process, the inspiration of the Ruach, and the additional consideration of the Gospels and the Apostolic Writings. The MJRC is truly on the forefront of Messianic Jews who are re-engaging our texts, traditions, and the application of Torah in our lives today.

This is actually a historical moment! Although there have been significant rabbis who have come to faith in Yeshua over the last two millennia, and remained faithful to halachah and Jewish life, there has not been a body of Messianic Jewish leaders and rabbis engaging our tradition on this level since the earliest centuries. We as Messianic Jewish rabbis have a significant voice to add to the Jewish conversation of the last thirty centuries. As a body of ordained and educated rabbis, we are once again adding a voice for Yeshua within our tradition that has remained largely dormant for over 1,500 years.

Messianic Jews are obligated to engage in knowledgeable discussion with Jewish law. At times we may interpret it differently, especially in light of New Testament understandings. Yet, that does not mean we can just “do as we see fit.” We have a responsibility to ourselves and the larger Jewish world to engage in halachah through a knowledgeable and informed process.

"Rav Papa replied: What it means is this: When there is peace they [the minor fast days] shall be for joy and gladness; if there is persecution, they shall be fast days; if there is no persecution but not yet peace, then those who desire may fast and those who desire need not fast." (b. Rosh HaShanah 18b)

This is a continuation of my previous thoughts on Jewish law and the Halachic process.

As followers of a Jewish Messiah, we are obligated to engage in knowledgeable discussion with Jewish law. At times we may interpret it differently, especially in light of New Testament understandings. Yet, that does not mean we can just “do as we see fit.” We have a responsibility to ourselves and the larger Jewish world to engage in halachah through a knowledgeable and informed process.

As a part of this process it is paramount that we also recognize and incorporate the role of the Brit Chadasha (New Testament).

Mashiach as the Embodiment of Israel

Jewish tradition teaches that Mashiach must be the quintessential Jew. An embodiment of the experience, sufferings, and joys of the entire Jewish people. A number of scholars have recognized that within Yeshua, as the Mashiach, is the embodiment of all Israel. Rabbi Dr. Mark Kinzer often refers to Yeshua as "One Man Israel," as he is the perfect embodiment of Israel, and as such, Yeshua's life parallels Israel's experience.

The Sermon on the Mount as a Reflection of Sinai

Within this embodied pattern as mentioned above is a parallel (of what is often called) the "Sermon on the Mount" with the experience of Sinai. Since Yeshua embodies the existence of Israel, the Sermon on the Mount serves as almost a renewal, or sort of "re-giving," of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. As such, there is clear halachic imagery embedded within.

Halachic Formulas in the Sermon on the Mount

Judaism teaches that when the Mashiach comes, one of his roles will be to clarify ambiguities within halachic matters. Interestingly, this is exactly what Yeshua does within the Sermon on the Mount. Through halachic formulas known from the Second Temple period, Yeshua sets out to clarify and set straight popular misconceptions of specific mitzvot.

Before dealing with each specific mitzvah, Yeshua usually begins with the phrase “You have heard that our fathers were told…” This is actually a halachic formula known from the Second Temple period. It was a way that a Sage would state a particular halachic understanding, and then clarify its "proper" interpretation.

This phrase is actually paralelled in a halachic text discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Known as 4QMMT – "Miksat Ma’aseh Torah" (Some rulings pertaining to the Torah), the text introduces disagreements between the Qumran community and their opponents (namely the Sadducees) with a phrase: “You say … but we think/say.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua was using a halachic formula known at the time to clarify and give proper understanding to certain interpretations of Torah commands.

Weightier Matters of Torah

There are also ethical matters to be explored within the halachic process. In Matthew 23:23, Yeshua addresses a specific group of Pharisees, and reprimands them for violating these ethical considerations:

You pay your tithes of mint, dill, and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah - justice, mercy, and trust. These are the things you should have attended to - without neglecting the others! Blind guides! - straining out a gnat, meanwhile swallowing a camel.

Interestingly, Yeshua does not criticize them for adherence to halachic minutae, but for their hypocricy. For in their striving to be oh-so-extra-pious, they missed the mark. These additional tithes of "mint, dill, and cumin” are actually not even required by mitzvah de-oraisa (commanded in the Torah), but rather are supplimental/additional tithes known from the Talmud. Yeshua does not negate this understanding. His reprimand was an issue of weightier matters within Torah. Yeshua was setting up ethical considerations within the halachic process.

Conclusion

If our understanding of, or adherence to, a particular mitzvah violates one of these "weightier matters" of justice, mercy, and trust; then there is a problem and we must defer to the weightier matters. In Yeshua's understanding of Halacha, we must always put people first …"without neglecting the others [commands]!”

As we continue to grapple with halachah, we must take into consideration our Mashiach's teachings. As we develop interpretations of halachah that are guided by tradition, infused with Mashiach, and inspired by the Ruach; let us not forget that there are also "weightier matters" that must be considered.

Our core mission is to define, clarify, and foster normative standards of faith and halachic practice for our membership and for those in the Messianic Jewish community who look to the MJRC for leadership.

The MJRC also exists to serve the professional and personal needs of our membership by ensuring high standards of professional competence, ethical behavior, and halachic conduct; and by facilitating the professional placement of members into the growing number of congregations seeking new leaders.

Why a Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council?

There are some out there who feel we do not need such a council. So why bother?

We bother because Messianic Judaism is a growing movement in the world. As we slowly mature, we find ourselves facing a number of different needs and decisions. And like any other movement within Judaism, questions constantly arise in relation to Jewish practice, theology, and practical matters. As such, our growing Movement needs a Rabbinical Council to help develop standards for our wider community.

What we are NOT doing is telling people what to do. While the MJRC commends these standards for the consideration of the entire Messianic Jewish movement, it recognizes the limits of its own authority. The decisions of the MJRC are binding only on the members of the MJRC. Nevertheless, we hope that others in the Messianic Jewish world will benefit from the work being done.

And that is actually what is happening!

Many congregations now consult these standards as they develop their own practice, and many individuals from around the world seek the advice of the MJRC as they wrestle with their own personal observance. The MJRC website receives numerous hits a day, and the standards of observance currently posted on the website are only the beginning of continued work that is happening on matters of practice and halachah relevant to a Yeshua centered Jewish life.

The MJRC currently does not seek to necessarily establish "halachah" in its strictest sense, but rather proposes basic standards of observance. The currently established standards cover two different categories - a "basic practice" and an "expanded practice"

"Basic practice" refers to standards of observance that members of the MJRC are themselves committed to follow in their own lives. They will also seek to order communal events of their congregations in accordance with these standards, and will employ them in instructing those preparing for conversion. While members of the MJRC commend these standards of basic practice to all members of their congregations, they are not imposed as requirements for congregational membership.

The second term is "expanded practice." This refers to a more demanding level of observance, beyond basic practice, that includes a fuller expression of traditional forms of Jewish life. An expanded practice is one that is explicitly commended by the MJRC, but is not required of its Rabbis or those converted under their auspices. The practices so listed do not exhaust the range of worthy expressions of Torah observance that a Messianic Jew might adopt, but provide concrete examples of the shape such observance could take.

It is an honor to now be a part of the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council and serve with such a broad range of worthy colleagues as we seek to bring further maturity to the future of our Movement. With HaShem's help, the inspiration of the Ruach, and clear commitment to our Messiah, we hope to continue to serve our Movement in this important way.

Scroll of tractate Hullin, Babylonian Talmud (CUL T–S MISC. 26.53.17), acknowledgment to Dr. S.C. Reif, Director of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit at the Cambridge University Library, and the Syndics of the Library.

"Development in the domain of de-rabbanan must not be abrupt or discontinuous, [but] must be rooted in traditional exegetical methodologies, and above all, must be ratified by the community of the committed and informed."