I Am A Rabbi Who Welcomes All Interested Non-Jews

Rabbi Allen Maller, who served as a Rabbi at Temple Akiba in Culver City, CA for 39 years, has always encouraged non-Jews who are interested in becoming Jews. Rabbi Maller is a prominent advocate for an open, welcoming approach to conversion to Judaism. He strongly believes in bringing people under the wings of the Divine Presence and often writes about the spiritual significance of converts.

His philosophical and religious views on the topic encompass several specific points:

Reincarnated Souls: Rabbi Maller believes that many non-Jews who are drawn to Judaism possess “Jewish souls” that have reincarnated, or have ancestors who were cut off from the Jewish people by assimilation or persecution.

Welcoming Converts: He heavily criticizes the “Ultra-Orthodox resistance” to welcoming non-Jews into the faith, citing classical Talmudic rabbis who actively encouraged converts.

Publications & Teachings: He has written extensively on this, notably in his book God, Sex and Kabbalah. You can find his ongoing articles on the subject via The Times of Israel.

Conversion Perspectives: He has published essays exploring how becoming Jewish compares to reincarnation or falling in love, as well as discussions on whether rabbis should accept candidates with mixed motives.

Gilgul: Conversion Often Is Becoming Jewish Again. Most people know that in Orthodox Jewish Law: if the mother is Jewish, the children are Jewish; if only the father is Jewish, the children are not Jewish. Why is it that Jewish women can make Jews; and Jewish men can’t?

The answer might go back to the first two Jews; Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah. Genesis 12:5 states, “Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all their accumulated property, and the souls they had made in Haran and they left to go to the land of Canaan.” Since it is impossible for any human to make a soul, this verse must refer to the people that Abram and Sarai influenced to join them in their religious quest. (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 39:14)

The Zohar says that all these converts formed a large caravan whose merits protected Abram and Sarai as they traveled from city to city. Ever since that time the merits of converts to Judaism have added to the strength of the Jewish people and thus helped protect us on our long journey. If this is true why do many Jews fail to encourage non-Jews to become Jewish? Sometimes they fear a negative reaction on the part of the non-Jew or on the part of the larger non-Jewish society.

The Midrash correctly indicates that Abraham and Sarah both influenced non-Jews to become Jewish but it doesn’t explain why Sarai made more converts than Abraham. He should have influenced more non-Jews to become Jewish than Sarah since he traveled around more and had greater opportunities to meet people.

Unfortunately, Abraham sometimes rebuffed non-Jews. Rabbi Yohanan claimed that Abraham “barred people from entering under the wings of the Shekinah” (converting to Judaism) and that is why his descendants were enslaved in Egypt. (Talmud Nedarim 32a) Abraham is specifically criticized for discouraging Timna the sister of Lotan (Genesis 36:12) who the Rabbis determined wanted to convert to Judaism. Because Timna was rebuffed by Abraham she married a pagan and her son Amalek attacked Jewish People escaping from Egypt.

Rabbi Helbo said that converts are an irritation like an itch, a sore or a scab. Rabbi Helbo might have felt that the enthusiasm and idealistic expectations of most converts irritated too many born Jews, who take their Jewishness much more casually.

Or maybe he agreed with Rabbi Isaac who said “Evil after evil comes upon those who receive converts”. Both these Rabbis lived in the early 4th century when the Catholic Church was vociferously attacking pagans who choose to become Jews rather than Christians. Perhaps Rabbi Helbo and Rabi Isaac feared Christian anti-Semitism if Jews were openly receiving converts. Or maybe they were just irascible and grouchy individuals like Shammai.

On the other hand, Rabbi Simon ben Lakish (who in his unorthodox youth was a bandit and a professional gladiator) proclaimed that a convert to Judaism is more beloved by God than all the Jews who stood at Sinai. This seems rather extreme; but it does fit in with the statement of Rabbi Abahu ‘Where Baalei Teshuvah stand, people who have never sinned cannot stand!” (Berachot 34b)

Equally amazing were Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat and Rabbi Johanan who both taught that the forced exile of the Jewish people among the Gentiles, was really a God given opportunity to influence Gentiles to become Jewish.

Some Rabbis tried to test the sincerity of potential converts by making great demands of time and effort from them. Opposing this, Rabbi Johanan advises that you should push potential converts away with your left hand and draw them close with your right hand. Since most people are right handed if you actually push away more than a few you are being too negative.

Rashi, the greatest of our Bible commentators, taught that Jews started seeking converts from the very beginning, when Rashi interpreted a verse that states that Abraham made souls in Haran, to mean that Abraham and Sarah made converts because no body except can make souls.