Born Jews and New Members. 22 February 2026, 5 Adar 5786.
Contents:
1. Israelite Origins.
2. Ruth and Naomi.
3. Commanded to Love the "Ger."
4. Why do we need Converts"?
5. Jews and DNA.
6. The Bible describes the LTTs Prior to their Exile.
7. Subbotnicks in Russia.
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Indications in the Zohar ("VaYechi") and elsewhere indicate that many Converts to Judaism are descended from the Lost Ten Tribes.
Becoming a Jew entails a certain degree of self-sacrifice and dedication. Not everyone is suited for it.
Not only converts to Judaism are probably of Israel stock but also
the same appliers to very many people in the west today especially Christian Fundamentalists and Christian Zionists.
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2. Ruth and Naomi.
One of the first recorded converts to Judaism was Ruth. Ruth was a daughter-in -law of Naomi. Due to a famine Naomi and her husband and two sons had moved from Judah to Moab. Ruth had fist married the son of Naomi apparently without converting to Judaism. The husband of Naomi and her two sons passed away. Naomi was the left with her two daughters-in law, Ruth and Orphah. Meanwhile the situation had improved in Judah so Naomi set off to return home. The two widowed women accompanied her part of the way. When they reached the border Naomi urged the ladies to turn back. Orphah did but Ruth remained.
Conversion to Judaism.
Ruth made a declaration which is considered the equivalent of conversion:
WHERE YOU GO I WILL GO, AND WHERE YOU STAY I WILL STAY; YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE MY PEOPLE AND YOUR GOD MY GOD; WHERE YOU DIE I WILL DIE, AND THERE I WILL BE BURIED; MAY THE LORD DEAL WITH ME, BE IT EVER SO SEVERELY, IF EVEN DEATH SEPARATES YOU AND ME" (Ruth 1:16-17).
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3. Commanded to Love the "Ger."
Becoming a Jews means in principle irrevocably attaching oneself to the Jewish People. In Biblical Hebrew the word for convert is 'ger' meaning literally 'sojourner.' It is usually translated into English as 'PROSELYTE' OR 'STRANGER.' There are two types of 'Stranger' in the Bible, a 'resident alien', and a ' righteous convert.' In this essay we are only concerned with the righteous convert.
For their part the Jews are urged to love the convert:
Deuteronomy 10:
19 YOU SHALL LOVE THE STRANGER, FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT.
Leviticus 19:
34 THE STRANGER WHO SOJOURNS WITH YOU SHALL BE AS A NATIVE FROM AMONG YOU, AND YOU SHALL LOVE HIM AS YOURSELF; FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. I AM THE LORD, YOUR GOD.
Deuteronomy (TCB) 10:
18 HE EXECUTES THE JUDGMENT OF THE ORPHAN AND WIDOW, AND HE LOVES THE STRANGER, TO GIVE HIM BREAD AND CLOTHING.
19 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE STRANGER, FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT.
20 YOU SHALL FEAR THE LORD, YOUR GOD, WORSHIP HIM, AND CLEAVE TO HIM AND SWEAR BY HIS NAME.
Exodus (TCB) 22:
20 YOU SHALL NOT WRONG A STRANGER OR OPPRESS HIM, FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT.
Numbers (TCB) 15:
14 IF A PROSELYTE RESIDES WITH YOU, OR THOSE AMONG YOU IN FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND HE OFFERS UP A FIRE OFFERING OF PLEASING FRAGRANCE TO THE LORD, AS YOU MAKE IT, SO SHALL HE MAKE IT.
15 ONE RULE APPLIES TO THE ASSEMBLY, FOR YOURSELVES AND FOR THE PROSELYTE WHO RESIDES [WITH YOU]; ONE RULE APPLIES THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS JUST AS [IT IS] FOR YOU, SO [IT IS] FOR THE PROSELYTE, BEFORE THE LORD.
16 THERE SHALL BE ONE LAW AND ONE ORDINANCE FOR YOU AND THE PROSELYTE WHO RESIDES [WITH YOU].
Leviticus (TCB) 19:
33 WHEN A STRANGER SOJOURNS WITH YOU IN YOUR LAND, YOU SHALL NOT TAUNT HIM.
34 THE STRANGER WHO SOJOURNS WITH YOU SHALL BE AS A NATIVE FROM AMONG YOU, AND YOU SHALL LOVE HIM AS YOURSELF; FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. I AM THE LORD, YOUR GOD.
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4. Why do we need Converts"?
The Jews were exiled. In their places of Exile the Jews took in converts.
A convert is someone who accepts Judaism before a Religious Court or is other wise assimilated.
A non-Jew who believes they are Jewish and acts like a Jews and is accepted as a Jew becomes a Jew. What proportion of Jews are descended from non-Jews is debatable. Many descendants of non-Jewish converts leave Judaism whereas others remain and intermarry with Jews.
The Talmud (Pesachim 87b) comments:
HOSEA 2:25: "AND I WILL SOW HER TO ME IN THE LAND." DOES A PERSON SOW A SE'AH (A SMALL AMOUNT OF SEED) UNLESS THEY INTEND TO HARVEST MANY KORS (A MUCH LARGER AMOUNT)? SIMILARLY, THE EXILE IS UNDERSTOOD AS A WAY TO "SOW" THE JEWISH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, RESULTING IN A HARVEST OF CONVERTS JOINING THE FAITH.
Most Jews are probably at least to some degree descended from the original stock.
The Bible commanded us to accept converts and to love them.
The Sages said that the reason for the Jews having been exiled was in order that they may take in converts.
Conversion may be difficult. It can take a long time, and many drop out. Nowadays conversion to Orthodox Judaism is regulated and involves a great deal of effort. Despite this less than 15% of converts remain observant. They who do not remain observant often may still retain an emotional attachment to Judaism.
See Also:
https://etzion.org.il/en/halakha/yoreh-deah/topics-yoreh-deah/relating-convert-2-biblical-and-rabbinic-attitudes-towards#:~:text=The%20Sages%20taught:%20One%20who,gemara%20further%20teaches%20that%20R.
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5. Jews and DNA.
Conventional DNA says that most of the Ashkenazi women are descended from converts alongside 30% or more of the males. It says that all the females of Jews from Yemen, and North Africa, are descended from locals, whereas a good portion of the Males may be from the region of Israel. Most males from Yemen however are also considered to be of local stock.
THESE FIGURES ARE PROBABLY WRONG but for the time being they are more or less accepted as correct.
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6. The Bible Describes the LTTs Prior to their Exile.
The Lost Ten Tribes (LTTs).
The LTTs should help the Jews in the Land of Israel and elsewhere.
The LTTs should also believe in God and learn the Bible.
They among them who are suited to convert to Judaism should do so.
Others should do what they can from were they are or move to areas more conducive to correct behaviour.
The LTTS were exiled because they committed idolatry and other sins. In the End Times they will return.
Here is a description of their behaviour before being exiled.
2-Kings (TCB) 17:
6 IN THE NINTH YEAR OF HOSHEA, THE KING OF ASSYRIA TOOK SAMARIA AND EXILED THE ISRAELITES TO ASSYRIA, AND HE REPATRIATED THEM IN HALAH, AND IN HABOR, THE GOZAN RIVER, AND THE CITIES OF MEDIA.
7 AND IT WAS, WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SINNED TO THE LORD THEIR GOD, WHO BROUGHT THEM UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT, FROM UNDER THE HAND OF PHARAOH THE KING OF EGYPT, AND THEY FEARED OTHER GODS.
8 AND THEY FOLLOWED THE STATUTES OF THE NATIONS WHOM THE LORD HAD DRIVEN OUT FROM BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND [OF] THE KINGS OF ISRAEL THAT THEY PRACTICED.
9 AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FABRICATED THINGS WHICH WERE NOT SO ABOUT THE LORD THEIR GOD, AND THEY BUILT THEMSELVES HIGH PLACES IN ALL THEIR CITIES, FROM WATCHTOWER TO FORTIFIED CITY.
10 AND THEY ERECTED FOR THEMSELVES MONUMENTS AND ASHERIM ON EVERY HIGH HILL AND UNDER EVERY GREEN TREE.
11 AND THEY BURNED INCENSE THERE ON ALL THE HIGH PLACES, LIKE THE NATIONS THAT THE LORD HAD EXILED FROM BEFORE THEM, AND THEY DID EVIL THINGS TO ANGER THE LORD.
12 AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE IDOLS, WHICH THE LORD HAD SAID TO THEM, "YOU SHALL NOT DO THIS THING."
13 AND THE LORD WARNED ISRAEL AND JUDAH THROUGH ALL PROPHETS OF ALL VISIONS, SAYING, "REPENT OF YOUR EVIL WAYS, AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, ACCORDING TO THE ENTIRE LAW THAT I COMMANDED YOUR FOREFATHERS, AND THAT I SENT TO YOU THROUGH MY SERVANTS, THE PROPHETS."
14 BUT THEY DID NOT HEED, AND THEY HARDENED THEIR NAPE LIKE THE NAPE OF THEIR FOREFATHERS WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE LORD THEIR GOD.
2-Kings (TCB) 18:
11 AND THE KING OF ASSYRIA EXILED ISRAEL TO ASSYRIA, AND HE SETTLED THEM IN HALAH AND IN HABOR, THE GOZAN RIVER, AND THE CITIES OF MEDIA.
12 BECAUSE THEY DID NOT OBEY THE LORD THEIR GOD AND TRANSGRESSED HIS COVENANT, ALL THAT HE HAD COMMANDED MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, AND THEY DID NOT OBEY NOR DID THEY DO [HIS WILL].
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Extract from:
Conversion to Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism
There are some groups that have adopted Jewish customs and practices. For example, in Russia the Subbotniks have adopted most aspects of Judaism without formal conversion to Judaism. However, if Subbotniks, or anyone without a formal conversion, wish to marry into a traditional Jewish community or immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return, they must have a formal conversion.