How the Convert Enters the Covenant and Keeps the Passover

"And when a stranger sojourns with you" (Exodus 12:48) — when an Israelite immerses a gentile for the sake of becoming a convert, he is a convert; for the sake of becoming a slave, he is a slave; for the sake of becoming a free man, he is a free man. As for a convert whose male and female slaves preceded him and immersed in his presence, they thereby acquired themselves as free persons. There was an incident concerning Beruliah, whose male and female slaves preceded her and immersed in her presence, and the matter came before the sages, and they said: they have acquired themselves as free persons. Yet the slaves did not stir, and they continued to serve her until the hour she died. "Then let every male of his be circumcised." I have only one wholly uncircumcised. From where do I include one who was circumcised but did not immerse, or immersed but was not circumcised, or who had shreds of foreskin that obstruct him? Scripture teaches "let every male be circumcised": the shreds that prevent him from eating the Passover offering also prevent him from eating terumah. "And then he may draw near to keep it." This is fully explained: "then" is said here, and "then" is said elsewhere, "then he shall eat of it." Just as the "then" stated elsewhere means then he may eat of it, so the "then" stated here means then he may draw near to keep it. "And he shall be as one native to the land." Just as a native enters the covenant only through three things — circumcision, immersion, and the acceptance of an offering — so too a convert enters the covenant only through three things: circumcision, immersion, and the acceptance of an offering. "And no uncircumcised person shall eat of it." I have only one wholly uncircumcised. From where one who was circumcised but did not uncover the circumcision, or who had shreds that prevent him from eating the Passover offering? Scripture teaches "and no uncircumcised person shall eat of it": the shreds prevent him from eating the Passover offering and prevent him from eating terumah. "And no uncircumcised person shall eat of it." Since we find that the community may perform the Passover in impurity when most of them are impure, one might think that an individual could override the matter of being uncircumcised; therefore Scripture teaches "and no uncircumcised person shall eat of it." "He shall not eat of it" — of it he does not eat, but he may eat of the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs.