Halacha Yomit
Someone who is offended and he forgives, then in Heaven they forgive him too, and this is exactly what Yosef did! In the future Hashem says, Am Yisrael sinned against me but despite this I forgive them. If Yosef my son can forgive, then I too will forgive Am Yisrael, and if Yosef can console his brothers, then I too will console Am Yisrael, “I, only I, am He Who comforts you” (Yeshaya 51:12). This was Yosef’s greagreatness, that he, so to speak, obligated the Shechinah how to act. When Am Yisrael will see the future miracles that Hashem will perform for them, they shall say, we aren’t worthy of all this! Why is Hashem doing this for us? They will cry, “With weeping they will come and through supplications I will bring them” in Yosef HaTzaddik’s merit, “for I have been a Father to Yisrael, and Ephraim is my firstborn” (Yirmiyahu 31:8).


: AMAZING LETTER
Rambam writes that all those who reject idolatry and adopt monotheism are students of Avraham and members of the Abrahamic household. Jewish peoplehood is not purely biological; it has a distinctly ideological component. From that ideological perspective, Avraham fathered every convert in Jewish history. “After you enter under the wings of the shechinah and come to God, there is no difference between us and you at all.This formulation moves away from a conception of an inherent biological superiority shared by Jews. If that would be the case, even conversion would not create absolute equality, a position adopted by R. Yehuda haLevi in his Kuzari (1:27). Rambam disagrees, seeing any differences between Jews and gentiles as the product of historical choices and not due to genetic makeup. Once the gentile converts, no differences remain.
In the last part of the letter, Rambam returns to evaluation of the convert. Ovadiah had debated his teacher regarding the halachic status of Islam. In the course of that discussion, the teacher had insulted Ovadiah. Rambam writes harshly about the teacher who seems to have forgotten how adamant the Torah is about not oppressing the ger. He eloquently praises someone who leaves the comfort of the environment they grew up with to join a persecuted people for the sake of a religious ideal. He also makes the fascinating point that the Torah commands love for converts (Vaykira 10:19) but not for parents or prophets. Obviously, all things being equal, a person should love his or her parents but the Divine word does not make such love mandatory while it does do so regarding the convert.
I imagine Ovadiah eagerly awaiting a response from the Great Eagle, R. Moshe ben Maimon. When the courier brought it, that letter must have filled Ovadiah with joy and comfort. Rambam both answered his religious questions and comforted him on a personal level. The grand intellectual was also a man of kindness and sympathy.

Equality of Converts
Moshe Ben-Chaim
Question: How would you describe the acceptance of converted person? Is the person accepted as equal or are there still some prejudice, besides the fact that by law if you are converted properly you are considered as Jewish.
Mesora: Judaism accepts the convert fully with no discrimination. God didn’t discriminate, as our kings (David and Solomon) are descendants from Ruth the Moabite who converted. The prayers we say each day are taken from David.
The Torah is sensitive to our feelings, and therefore protects the converts feeling of “second rate Jew” by commanding our distinct love for the convert. Moses married a Midianite. Joshua married Rachav.
We must follow the Torah’s sound principles, not man’s corrupt idiosyncrasies.
Editors Comments
Not only does Judaism accept the convert fully, but we are commanded as it says in Deuteronomy 10:19 “and you shall love the converts.” Just as we are commanded to love God (Deuteronomy 11:1) “and you shall love God, your Lord.” The Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, loves converts as stated in Deuteronomy 10:18: “and He loves converts.” A convert is included in the commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
In the Book of Ruth, chapter 2:12: Boaz says to Ruth: “May Hashem reward your actions, and may your payment be full from Hashem, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”
The Rambam says in Chapter 6 of Hilchot De’ot: “Loving a convert who has come to nestle under the wings of the Shechinah fulfills two positive commandments: one for he is also included among the “neighbors” (whom we are commanded to love-see above) and one because he is a convert and Torah states this.” Deuteronomy 10:19) “One’s love for the convert should be as unlimited as one’s love of God…”
A number of the Rambam’s responses are dedicated to strengthening the spirits of the converts. He wrote to a convert Ovadiah that although the Jews trace their lineage to Abraham, the converts’ connection to Judaism is dependent on God, Himself and is therefore, more praiseworthy. In another letter to a convert the Rambam praises by saying: “leaving his father and homeland…pursuing God…and reaching such heights…”