It's a feeling that Judaism, in its wisdom, addresses head-on. We find a fascinating exploration of this theme in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. Specifically, Shemot Rabbah 19 wrestles with the question of the "foreigner" – the ger (גר).
Now, ger can mean both "foreigner" and "convert," and that double meaning is really at the heart of this whole discussion. The text starts with a seeming contradiction. On one hand, we have the verse about the Paschal offering: "No foreigner shall eat of it" (Exodus 12:43). But then, another verse opens the door: "When a stranger will reside with you, and will perform the paschal offering to the Lord, circumcise all his males...and he will be like a native of the land" (Exodus 12:48-49). So, what's going on here? Is the Torah welcoming or exclusionary?
This is where the Rabbis step in, offering profound and compassionate insights. They use the words of the prophets and the wisdom literature to paint a picture of a God who welcomes everyone. Job says, "The stranger shall not spend the night outside" (Job 31:32). And Shemot Rabbah connects this to the idea that God "does not reject any creature, but rather, He accepts everyone. The gates open at all times, and anyone who seeks to enter may enter." Beautiful. Rabbi Berekhya takes it a step further. He suggests that converts (gerim) are destined for greatness, even to serve as priests in the Temple! He bases this on the verse, "The stranger will join himself with them, and they will be appended to the house of Jacob" (Isaiah 14:1), linking the word "appended" (venispeḥu) to the priesthood, drawing a parallel from I (Samuel 2:36). Talk about inclusivity! They are even destined to partake of the showbread (lechem hapanim), the special bread offered in the Temple!
The text even brings in the story of Akilas, a proselyte, who asks a very pointed question: if God loves the stranger, promising food and clothing (Deuteronomy 10:18), is that all there is to it? The Rabbi answers by connecting this to Jacob's request for "food to eat, and clothing to wear" (Genesis 28:20). But it's not just about physical needs. Jacob, whose name became Israel, was asking for assurance that God would be with him, establishing the world through his descendants – sons who would be priests, partaking in the showbread and wearing priestly garments. In other words, Akilas—and all converts—are not merely tolerated but embraced as vital parts of the community.
And the text doesn't shy away from addressing potential objections. What about those who might feel disqualified because of their past? The Rabbis bring up the story of the Gibeonites, who deceived the Israelites but were ultimately protected by God, even when King Saul tried to harm them (II Samuel 21). If God could show mercy to the Gibeonites, who acted out of fear and deceit, how much more so will He accept and exalt converts who come in love and serve for the sake of His name?
However, Shemot Rabbah also offers a stark warning. While the door is open to all, there are still conditions. The text emphasizes the importance of circumcision as a sign of commitment to the covenant. It even suggests that those who scorn the statute (ḥok) of circumcision risk being cast into Gehenna (hell). But even here, there's a twist. Rabbi Berekhya suggests that even wicked, circumcised Israelites might have their foreskins restored by an angel before descending to Gehenna! It's a powerful image, underscoring the idea that true belonging requires more than just outward symbols.
So, what does all of this mean for us today? I think it's a powerful reminder that Judaism, at its best, is a tradition of radical inclusion. It challenges us to look beyond superficial differences and to recognize the inherent worth and potential of every human being. It reminds us that the gates are always open, and that anyone who seeks to join themselves to the Divine is welcome, not just to enter, but to flourish. And it also asks us to examine our own hearts, to ensure that our commitment is more than skin deep. Are we truly embracing the stranger, the convert, the outsider? Are we creating a community where everyone feels like they belong? That's the challenge, and the promise, of Shemot Rabbah.
Another interpretation: “This is the statute of the paschal offering [no foreigner shall eat of it]” – that is what is written: “The foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord shall not speak, saying: The Lord has separated me from His people” (Isaiah 56:3).6The verse quoted prohibits foreigners from partaking of the paschal offering. However, a later verse presents the possibility of that foreigner joining himself to Israel and then partaking of the offering: “When a stranger will reside with you, and will perform the paschal offering to the Lord, circumcise all his males, and then he may draw near and perform it; and he will be like a native of the land; and all uncircumcised shall not eat of it. There shall be one law for the native, and for the stranger who resides with you (Exodus 12:48–9). Job said: “The stranger shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32). The Holy One blessed be He does not reject any creature, but rather, He accepts everyone. The gates open at all times, and anyone who seeks to enter may enter. That is why it says: “The stranger shall not spend the night outside,” corresponding to: “The stranger who is within your gates” (Deuteronomy 31:12). “I opened My doors to the road” (Job 31:32), [is said] of the Holy One blessed be He, that He tolerates His creations. Rabbi Berekhya said: Corresponding to whom did He say: “The stranger [hager] shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32)? Rather, converts [gerim]7The Biblical word for stranger, ger, also means convert in Rabbinic Hebrew. are destined to be priests serving in the Temple, as it is stated: “The stranger [hager] will join himself with them, and they will be appended to the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1). Appended [venispeḥu] means nothing other than priesthood, as it is stated: “Append me [sefaḥeni], please, to one of the priestly watches” (I Samuel 2:36). They are destined to partake of the showbread, for their daughters will marry into the priesthood. And so did Akilas the proselyte ask our Rabbis. He said to them: ‘That which is written: “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – are all the promises that He promised to the stranger that He would give him food and clothing?’ One [of the Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is what Jacob, whose name is Israel, requested from the Holy One blessed be He: “…and will give me food to eat, and clothing to wear” (Genesis 28:20). You, who have come among us, it is not enough for you that you are like us, but it should be sufficient for you to be like Jacob, the firstborn of the Holy One blessed be He.’ Ultimately, you should not suppose that Jacob requested food and clothing. Rather, Jacob said: The Holy One blessed be He promised me that He will be with me, and that He will establish the world from me. When will I know that He is with me and that he is protecting me? When He establishes from me sons who are priests partaking of the showbread and wearing priestly vestments, as it is stated: “And will give me food to eat,” that is the showbread; and clothing to wear, those are the priestly vestments, as it is stated: “You shall clothe Aaron in the holy vestments” (Exodus 40:13). Here, too, “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” – in other words, He provides children to the stranger who will eat showbread and wear priestly vestments. That is, “the stranger shall not spend the night outside.” The Holy One blessed be He said: After all the honor that I am destined to accord to the penitents, you are complaining? That is: “The foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord, shall not speak…” (Isaiah 56:3). Alternatively, “the foreigner…shall not speak” – that is what is written: “Sing and rejoice daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14), and it is written: “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord” (Zechariah 2:15). The Holy One blessed be He said: If I say so about converts, all the more so about Zion and Israel. “The foreigner…shall not speak.” The Holy One blessed be He said to the converts: You are concerned because I disqualified you and said regarding the paschal offering: “No foreigner shall eat of it?” Why don’t you ask the Givonites how I acted favorably to them? They are people who behaved deceitfully; acting out of fear [they] approached My children and took an oath to them. [Nevertheless,] what did I do to Saul and his household because he sought to kill them [the Givonites]?8See II Samuel 21:1 and Yevamot 78b. They [the Givonites] killed seven of his descendants, as it is stated: “The king took the two sons of Ritzpa…and the five sons of Mikhal” (II Samuel 21:8).9These descendants of Saul were handed over to the Givonites to be executed. The Holy One blessed be He said: If regarding the Givonites, who were Emorites, who acting out of fear behaved deceitfully with Israel, I accepted them, acted favorably to them, and I gave them satisfaction from My children; the converts who come in love, and serve for the sake of My name, won’t I accept them and exalt them? Therefore, “the foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord shall not say” (Isaiah 56:3) – these are the circumcised converts. The idolaters, however, have uncircumcised hearts, for thus the Holy One blessed be He disqualifies those with uncircumcised hearts and takes them down to Gehenna, as it is stated: “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and take them down” (Ezekiel 32:18). Likewise, Isaiah says: “Therefore, the grave expanded itself, and opened its mouth without measure [ḥok]” (Isaiah 5:14) – for an idolater who scorns the statute [ḥok] of circumcision, as it is stated: “He established it for Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalms 105:10). Israel, who are circumcised, do not go down to Gehenna. Rabbi Berekhya said: In order that the heretics and the wicked of Israel will not say: ‘Since we are circumcised, we will not descend to Gehenna,’ what does the Holy One blessed be He do? He sends an angel who extends their foreskin [rendering them uncircumcised] and they descend to Gehenna, as it is stated: “He extended his hands…profaned his covenant.” (Psalms 55:21). When Gehenna sees that the foreskin is connected to them, it opens its mouth and consumes them in fire; that is: “And opened its mouth without measure [ḥok].”
