Father of Nations
Rabbi Kaganoff
Avraham, Father of the Nations
By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
Question #1: Names
When praying or making a mishebeirach for a geir, how should we refer to him?
Question #2: Vows
If someone vowed not to benefit from the descendants of Avraham, is he permitted to benefit from a geir, who is not descended from Avraham?
Question #3: Shemoneh Esrei
Can a geir refer to Hashem as the G-d of our forefathers?
Foreword
In parshas Lech Lecha, Hashem told Avraham Avinu that his name was being changed to Avraham because He has appointed him the spiritual father of all nations (Bereishis 17:5). As the Gemara (Yerushalmi Bikkurim 1:4) expresses it, when he was called Avram, he was the “father” of the Arameans, interpreting Avram as a contraction of av Aram. When he was promoted to Avraham, he became the av hamon goyim, the “father” of all the many nations.
This name change is not merely an added title or an intangible tribute, but it incorporates a status that contains halachic ramifications, which is the subject of today’s article. Among the shaylos we will discuss is whether a geir is able to refer to Hashem as the G-d of our forefathers, when Avraham was not his biological father, nor was Yitzchak or Ya’akov.
Names
At this point, let us examine our opening question: “When praying or making a mishebeirach for a geir, how should we refer to him?” May we use his given, non-Jewish name? Should we use his biological mother’s name? Should we pray for a geir as the son/daughter of Avraham Avinu or as the son/daughter of Sarah Imeinu?
When providing the names of geirim in documents, such as kesubos and gittin, we refer to them as the son (or daughter) of Avraham. To quote the Beis Yosef (Even Ha’ezer 66): “In kesubos, the custom is to identify geirim as ploni ben Avraham.” In a get, the halacha is to write “ploni ben Avraham Avinu” (Even Ha’ezer 129:20). The Beis Shemuel explains that we should not write simply ben Avraham because this might create confusion that his biological father’s name is Avraham; a get must be written with precise identification. The Beis Shemuel suggests an alternative approach, to state in the get that he is a geir.
The universal practice when praying for a geir or a geyores for a refuah sheleimah or similar request, or upon reciting a mishebeirach is to refer to them as ben (or bas) Avraham. Similarly, a geir is called up to the Torah as ben Avraham. I am aware of people who pray for geirim or recite a mishebeirach for them as ben/bas Sarah. I am unaware of any halachic source for this practice, and I believe that it is based on an error. People make the assumption that since we usually pray for people by their mother’s name, we should use Sarah’s name instead of Avraham’s. However, I am unaware of anywhere in Tanach or Chazal that says that Sarah should be treated as the mother of the nations. The special status of being considered the “father” of all the nations was granted to Avraham Avinu only.
I will point out that Rav Moshe Feinstein had the following practice regarding the name used in a get for a geir. If the geir tzedek was halachically observant, then Rav Moshe referred to him or her in the get as ben Avraham Avinu or bas Avraham Avinu. If the person who “converted” to Judaism was never observant or is no longer observant, Rav Moshe referred to them in the get as giyura or giyurta, a term that is not disparaging and is used frequently in the Gemara as a highly respectful term to refer to geirim (Kiddushin 76b; Bava Basra 149a; Avodah Zarah 70a). Rav Moshe considered it a special honor to refer to a geir as ben or bas Avraham Avinu and he did not feel it proper to associate Avraham Avinu with someone who is not halachically observant, even if they once were. My experience is that this approach was followed by Rav Moshe’s talmidim and is followed today by their talmidim.
Vows
If someone vowed not to benefit from the descendants of Avraham, is he permitted to benefit from a geir, who is not descended from Avraham? The answer is that he may not (Rosh, Nedarim 31a; Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 217:40). The Rosh explains that geirim are included in this term because of the pasuk of av hamon goyim and also because Avraham Avinu is considered the first convert, and therefore anyone who observes the mitzvos is considered his (spiritual) progeny.
Shemoneh Esrei
At this point, we can discuss another of our opening questions: “Can a geir refer to Hashem as the G-d of our forefathers?”
We find a dispute among tana’im and rishonim regarding this question. Explaining these disputes will require an extensive introduction. We must first discuss a seemingly unrelated mitzvah, that of bringing the bikkurim. Each year, a property owner in Eretz Yisrael brings the first produce of the seven species grown in his land to the Beis Hamikdash. There, he presents his produce to the kohein and makes what we will refer to as a pilgrim’s declaration, thanking Hashem for His many salvations and gifts (Devarim 26:1-11). The Mishnah (Bikkurim 1:1) teaches that there are three levels of requirement to observe this mitzvah, depending on the extent of possession that the owner has of his parcel of land:
1. Meivi vekorei – Bring and read
The highest level is when the owner has two mitzvos, one of bringing the bikkurim and a second of reciting the pilgrim’s declaration, called mikra bikkurim by the Mishnah (Sotah 32a). This is performed when the fruit grew completely on land owned by one of the Benei Yisrael.
2. Meivi ve’eino korei – Bring but cannot read
The secondary level is when the owner brings the bikkurim to the Beis Hamikdash but may not recite the pilgrim’s declaration. One example of this is when the fruit grew in a way that it was not completely nourished by land owned by the pilgrim, but by land owned by someone else – even when the pilgrim has permission to use it (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:1 and Yerushalmi ad loc.). Another example is when the pilgrim sold his land before he brought the bikkurim to the Beis Hamikdash (Bikkurim 1:7). The author of the Mishnah places a geir into this category because, in that tanna’s opinion, a geir cannot declare that Hashem promised this land to his forefathers (Bikkurim 1:4).
3. Eino Meivi – May not bring
There is a lower level in which there is no mitzvah of bikkurim and therefore there is no sanctity on the fruits. An example of this is someone who owned the trees on which the new fruit grew, but does not own the land on which the trees grow (Bikkurim 1:6). Since his fruit are not the produce of land that Hashem gave him, he is excluded from the Torah’s definition of someone obligated to bring bikkurim.
From bikkurim to bensching
As I mentioned above, the Mishnah contends that a geir cannot declare that he received Eretz Yisrael as the land that Hashem gave to “us,” meaning the Jewish people, when neither the geir nor his ancestors received land when the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisrael. This tanna also holds that a geir must recite a modified form of the shemoneh esrei: since he is not a biological descendant of Avraham Avinu, he cannot recite the words Elokei avoseinu, “the G-d of our fathers,” at the beginning of the shemoneh esrei. The Mishnah implies that a son of parents who are both geirim also cannot recite Elokei avoseinu in the shemoneh esrei.
Some rishonim therefore rule that a geir may not be a chazzan or ba’al tefillah, which requires him to state Elokei avoseinu in order to be motzi someone who doesn’t know how to recite shemoneh esrei. The Mordechai (Mordechai, Megillah 786) mentions that, in his day (13th century), the city of Würzburg (in Bavaria) did not permit a geir to be the chazzan.
On the other hand, the Talmud Yerushalmi quotes Rabbi Yehudah, who disputes the conclusion of the Mishnah and these other rulings, contending that since Avraham Avinu is called the father of all the nations, a geir may and should recite the bikkurim declaration. The Yerushalmi then quotes both Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and Rabbi Avahu, who rule according to Rabbi Yehudah, against the Mishnah. This ruling is quoted by the Rambam, the Rash and Rav Ovadyah of Bartenura in their commentaries and by many other rishonim (Sefer Yere’im; Ramban; Semag; Sefer Hachinuch; Mordechai, Megillah 786). From this it would appear that a geir may recite the declaration on the bikkurim and should recite the shemoneh esrei as any other Jew would. This approach disagrees with the Würzburg custom that I cited above.
Nevertheless, the Tosefta (Bikkurim 1:3) appears to have understood Rabbi Yehudah’s opinion differently, stating that although Rabbi Yehudah rules that most geirim bring bikkurim, they do not recite mikra bikkurim, since they cannot state “the land that You, Hashem, gave me” (Devarim 26:10). However, geirim who are descended from Yisro do recite mikra bikkurim.
Why is Yisro different from all other gentiles?
Since Yisro and his descendants received land in Eretz Yisrael, as implied by the pasuk in Bamidbar (10:32) and stated there in the Sifrei and by Rashi (see also Rashi, Shoftim 16:1), they can declare “the land that You, Hashem, gave me.”
Rabbeinu Tam’s opinion
In general, the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam carries much weight among the rishonim and the poskim, as is manifest in a long list of halachic practices where his approach is accepted over the rishonim who preceded him. (I am deliberately not listing any of these rulings so as not to take us off our topic.) Rabbeinu Tam (quoted by Tosafos, Bava Basra 81a s.v. Li’me’utei) questions how any geir could recite mikra bikkurim. This bikkurim passage states Arami oveid avi, vayeired Mitzrayma “my father was a lost Aramean, who then descended to Egypt;” according to Chazal, this refers to Ya’akov Avinu. Furthermore, the pilgrim refers to the travails of the Jewish people as the experiences of his own family. Rabbeinu Tam concludes that the Tosefta which permits a descendant of Yisro to recite mikra bikkurim refers to someone whose father’s side of his family is descended from Yisro and his mother’s side descended from Ya’akov Avinu. Rabbeinu Tam’s reasoning is that this person descended from geirim can recite mikra bikkurim on the basis of his mother’s side of the family. However, mikra bikkurim also states “the land that you gave me,” which is inaccurate for someone whose father is a geir even if his mother is from a Jewish family. Therefore, someone of this status cannot declare mikra bikkurim. Nevertheless, since Yisro’s descendants received land in Eretz Yisrael, a geir whose father’s side is descended from Yisro and his mother’s side includes descendants from Ya’akov Avinu may bring bikkurim and recite the parsha.
Based on this Tosefta, and on a passage in the Talmud Bavli (Makkos 19a) that quotes the Mishnah in Bikkurim without the disputing opinion of Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbeinu Tam concludes that a geir cannot recite any prayers or declarations that refers to our ancestors receiving the land or being descended from the avos. Rabbeinu Tam even bans someone descended from geirim from reciting these passages unless he also has antecedents born from the avos. Thus, Rabbeinu Tam rejects the opinion of the Yerushalmi, even suggesting that our text of this passage of Yerushalmi is erroneous and should be expunged. Following this approach, a geir may also not lead services; his approach was implemented by the community of Würzburg, as I cited above.
Bensching
Tosafos (Bava Basra 81a s.v. Li’me’utei) and the Tur (Orach Chayim 199) record a dispute among the rishonim how a geir recites bensching. Rabbeinu Tam and the Behag contend that a geir cannot recite the words she’hinchalta la’avoseinu, “that You bequeathed [Eretz Yisrael] to our fathers.” In their opinion, he cannot recite the exact same text of the bensching that Jews descended from Avraham Avinu do.
Leading a zimun
The next factor requires a bit of an introduction. In earlier generations, the person leading the zimun recited the entire bensching for the others, who fulfilled their mitzvah by listening to his bensching. This is the practice we follow for fulfilling the mitzvos of kiddush and havdalah, which we perform by listening to what is recited by the head of the household. Thus, Rabbeinu Tam rules that a geir cannot lead a zimun for bensching. The reason for this is that Rabbeinu Tam holds that a geir cannot be motzi someone else in bensching since it requires stating that we received from Hashem the wonderful land of Eretz Yisrael (see Devarim 8:7-10; and also Berachos 20b, Rashi s.v. Oh Derabbanan and Tosafos s.v. Nashim).
This opinion of Rabbeinu Tam is recorded by the Tur (Orach Chayim 199), along with the disputing position of Rabbeinu Tam’s disciple (and nephew), Rabbeinu Yitzchak, usually called simply the R’Y.
How do we paskin?
The consensus of the rishonim rejects Rabbeinu Tam’s approach, ruling like the R’Y that Avraham Avinu’s status as the av hamon goyim allows a geir to recite the same version of birkas hamazon and shemoneh esrei that everyone else does, to be motzi others in birkas hamazon and shemoneh esrei, and to lead the services (Rambam, Hilchos Bikkurim 4:3; Tosafos, Bava Basra 81a s.v. Li’meutei; Ramban, Rashba and Ran in their respective commentaries to Bava Basra; Hagahos Maimoniyos, Hilchos Tefillah 8:20; Bartenura, Bikkurim 1:4; Beis Yosef, Orach Chayim 53). Uncharacteristically, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 53:19) makes a very strong statement rejecting Rabbeinu Tam’s approach: “There are those who refuse to allow a geir to be the chazzan, but their opinion is rejected.”
There is an important conclusion to be brought from the fact that the Shulchan Aruch writes this in such a strong way. The Gemara states that a guest who refuses to lead the bensching when requested to by the host causes himself great harm (Berachos 55a). This is because Avraham Avinu was given a beracha that those who bless him would always be blessed. But, the opposite is also true – those that deny blessing Avraham Avinu or his descendants are cursed. This does not bode well for someone who has the opportunity to bless the benefactor of the se’udah and turns down the opportunity. Thus, since we conclude unlike Rabbeinu Tam, a geir should not turn down the opportunity to lead the bensching, an opportunity he would be unable to take advantage of according to Rabbeinu Tam.
Technically, the ill effect of declining to lead the bensching may apply only when the others do not recite birkas hamazon on their own. If they do recite birkas hamazon, including the blessing that the guest gives to the host, turning down the honor of leading the birkas hamazon may not have such dire consequences.
The Rambam’s rulings
Not all our questions are fully resolved, because we have an apparent contradiction in the rulings of the Rambam. Whereas he concludes that a geir brings bikkurim and recites the mikra bikkurim (Hilchos Bikkurim 4:3), he rules that a geir does not recite what is called viduy ma’asros (Hilchos Ma’aser Sheini 11:17). This is the declaration that a farm owner in Eretz Yisrael recites after the three year ma’aser cycle (two consecutive years of ma’aser sheini, which have sanctity and must be eaten in Yerushalayim, followed by a year in which ma’aser ani to be distributed to the poor is separated instead) that he has properly separated all that he is required to and has dealt with them all appropriately (Devarim 26:12-15). In the viduy ma’asros, we request from Hashem to “bless Your people, Yisrael, and the land that you swore that you would give us.” Because of this statement, the Rambam rules that a geir does not recite viduy ma’asros, even though he rules that a geir does recite the mikrah bikkurim, which also refers to the land given to our forefathers.
This question is asked by several early acharonim, who propose a variety of answers (Kapos Temarim, Sukkah 38; Bach, Yoreh Deah; Shu’t Sha’ar Efrayim #14; Magen Giborim; Birkei Yosef). I will share the answer provided by the Mahari Kurkus: The last Mishnah in Mesechta Ma’aser Sheini rules that a geir cannot recite the viduy of ma’aser sheini and there is no mention there of a dispute. Ma’aser Sheini should be treated differently from all the other laws mentioned because there the declaration states, “the land that you swore that you would give us.” Although a geir is considered the progeny of Avraham Avinu, he cannot say that Hashem swore to him that He would give him the holy land.
Conclusion
Once his name has been changed, the Gemara forbids calling Avraham by his earlier name, Avram. The question is asked that we do not find such a prohibition of calling Ya’akov by this name, even after his name was change to Yisrael. Quite the contrary, the pasuk itself refers to him as Ya’akov.
The Seforno (Bereishis 17:5) explains that the name Yisrael represents the goal of the world situation. Ultimately, the world will recognize his mission as Yisrael, but at the moment it does not. This is different from Avraham, who, from the moment his name is changed has a new role in the world – and, as we have seen, this role includes many halachic ramifications.