The ancient rabbis grappled with that all the time, and their discussions, preserved in texts like Bereshit Rabbah, offer some fascinating, and sometimes surprising, insights.
We find ourselves in Genesis, chapter 17, where it's written, "And all the men of his household, born in the house or purchased with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him" (Genesis 17:27). This verse sparks a whole conversation about the lengths to which one should go to bring people (and even property!) under the umbrella of Jewish law and practice.
The rabbis ask: how far is too far? The text poses a scenario: Can you go to an idolatrous fair – that is, a fair dedicated, at least in part, to idol worship – even during the intermediate days of a Festival (Chol HaMoed)? Seems like a no-brainer: stay away! But the answer, according to Bereshit Rabbah 47, is yes! You can go to these fairs to purchase houses, fields, vineyards, slaves, and maidservants.
Why? Because acquiring property in the Land of Israel from idolaters is so important, it outweighs the prohibition against attending idolatrous events. Wow.
And it gets even more interesting. Rabbi Ami, quoting Reish Lakish, says it's permitted not only for slaves who have already been circumcised (meaning they were previously owned by Jews and converted), but even for uncircumcised ones! Why? Because by purchasing them, you bring them "under the wings of the Divine Presence." You give them the opportunity to convert and live a Jewish life. Reish Lakish goes on to say that this purchase is permitted even on Shabbat.
Imagine the scene: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asks Reish Lakish about buying slaves from idolaters. Reish Lakish replies, "Regarding when are you asking me, on a Festival? It is taught: Even on Shabbat." The urgency to redeem these souls, to bring them into the fold, trumps even the sanctity of the Sabbath!
The text continues: even purchasing a courtyard from an idolater in the Land of Israel is permitted on Shabbat. You can say, "I offer such and such a price, to be paid tomorrow." You can negotiate the deal, even though the payment is deferred until after Shabbat. It's because the Land of Israel is so beloved, so central to Jewish life, that these leniencies are granted.
Ḥizkiya teaches that you can even wage war to conquer a city in the Land of Israel on Shabbat, citing the conquest of Jericho on the seventh day (Joshua 6:15) as proof! The intensity of the desire to reclaim the Promised Land seems to override everything.
Bereshit Rabbah then mentions three specific idolatrous fairs: the Gaza fair, the Akko fair, and the Botnan fair, with the Botnan fair being the most overtly idolatrous.
Then, the text shifts, offering a touching anecdote about Abraham. Before his circumcision, Abraham worried that people wouldn't visit him anymore. But God reassures him, saying, "Before you were circumcised, people would come to you. Now, I, in My glory, am coming and revealing Myself to you." This is why it is written, "The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre" (Genesis 18:1).
What are we to make of all this? On the one hand, we see a willingness to bend the rules, even seemingly fundamental ones like observing the Sabbath, for the sake of bringing people closer to Judaism and reclaiming the Land of Israel. On the other hand, there's a deep awareness of the dangers of idolatry. It's a complex and nuanced perspective, one that challenges us to think critically about our own values and priorities. Where do we draw the line between preserving tradition and embracing new possibilities? Where do we compromise, and where do we stand firm? These are questions that continue to resonate today.