On Mikva and Matan Torah: Observations from Witnessing the Conversion Process

s director of the Mechina program at Stern College for Women, a program geared Mrs. Shoshana Schechter towardA women who are coming Director of Mechina Pathways and Assistant from unaffiliated or less affiliated Professor of Bible, Stern College for Women backgrounds with limited to no formal Jewish education, I have had the opportunity and privilege of I’m not sure if she or I was more she’s older,” at which point the rabbi, seeing young women from all over anxious, though in all fairness it was to help lighten the mood, smiled and the world accept the yoke of heaven probably she. The mere thought of said, “You know, we can change that and the yoke of mitzvot and choose entering a mikva with a group of three now too.” a life of Torah. For some of these rabbis was itself anxiety-provoking In my experience in accompanying women, though, the choice was not to say the least. It certainly didn’t these young women, the most merely choosing a Torah lifestyle make it easier after the news media inspiring part of the geirut process over a secular Jewish one, but rather reported about mikva scandals is the proceeding that takes place choosing Judaism altogether. I have involving a corrupt rabbi abusing his immediately before the woman had the unique opportunity to guide power over vulnerable women seeking is about to immerse in the mikva. several of my students through the conversion. The members of the beit While partially immersed and geirut process and to experience the din (that served on the cases that I completely covered except for her event as a layperson from the inside. have dealt with), Rabbis Rapp, Romm head, Rabbi Romm asks her a series And I must say, the entire experience, and Willig, deal with the immersion of questions before her complete from the initial beit din meetings, to with tremendous sensitivity and immersion. Discreetly, from just follow-up communication with the modesty. Numerous steps are taken to outside the doorway, he begins by members of the beit din, culminating ensure that the immersion takes place asking her, “By immersing at this in the finaltevillah (immersion), I with the utmost standards of tzniut. time, do you agree to believe in one have been struck time and time again Additionally, the rabbis, aware of the G-d and reject other gods and other by the sensitivity in which the process potential anxiety, do everything they religions?” He then continues asking was handled. [Note: I have dealt solely can to put each woman at ease. My her about the acceptance of other with the Manhattan Beth Din for favorite line at one conversion of twin aspects of Judaism including belief Conversions under the leadership of sisters was when one of the rabbis in G-d’s revelation of the Torah, both Rabbi Zvi Romm.] asked, “OK, who’s going first?” and the Written and Oral Law, belief in one of the young women pointed to To be perfectly honest, the first time I reward and punishment, acceptance accompanied a student to the mikva, her sister and said, “she will because

PERSPECTIVES ON CONVERSION Special Symposium • Shavuot 5777

44 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5777 of Shabbat, kashrut, tzniut, tefilla. Experiencing these events have been covenant and this imprecation, but with He then asks about her commitment and continue to be among the most whoever is here, standing with us today to Jewish community: living in a inspiring experiences of my life. As before Hashem, our G-d, and with Jewish community and being actively Rabbi Romm asks the young women whoever is not here with us today. involved in a community that is to agree to a lifelong commitment Devarim 29:13-14 committed to Torah Judaism and to Torah and mitzvot, I find myself The Torah is a gift from G-d and halacha. He asks if she is committed directing the very same questions to is ours for the taking, even if we to raising her future children in a me. And as she agrees after each one, weren’t actually at Har Sinai. Just as Jewish community conducive to I find myself agreeing silently, noting Moshe urges the next generation to Torah growth and sending those that over the course of my life no one take ownership of their Torah after children to Jewish schools that ever asked me those questions. they leave the supernatural bubble embody those values. He asks about Moshe tells Bnei Yisrael at the of the midbar and enter the Land of her commitment to her fellow man beginning of Sefer Devarim: Israel, we too must take ownership and her commitment to mitzvot bein of our portion in Torah. It makes ה’ אֱֹלקֵ ינּו ּכָרַ ת עִ ָ ּמנּו ּבְרִ ית ְ ּבחֹרֵ ב. לֹא אֶ ת interpersonal mitzvot , adam lachaveiro no difference whether we grew up אֲ בֹתֵ ינּו ּכָרַת ה’ אֶ ת הַ ּבְרִ ית הַ ּזֹאת ּכי אִ ָ ּתנּו ִ like tzedaka and chessed. Each loaded with Torah or we didn’t, whether אֲ נַחְ נּו אֵ ֶה ּלפֹה הַ ּיֹום ֻּכּלנּו חַ ּי ִָים. question begins with the identical our knowledge of Torah was taught wording, “By immersing at this time Hashem, our G-d, sealed a covenant as the “Old Testament” or even if we do you agree to…” And after each with us at Horeb. Not with our learned the “new” one, at some point question there is a pause, and the forefathers did Hashem seal this in our lives each one of us must try to woman responds with, “I agree.” The covenant, but with us — we who are reflect, take ownership of our Torah questions culminate with the woman here, all of us alive today. and commit ourselves actively, not immersing herself in the waters of Devarim 5:2-3 just passively. Na’aseh v’nishma, we will the mikva with the help of the female Toward the end of the Sefer Devarim, do and we will listen, is not confined mikva attendant as the rabbis leave the he repeats this idea: to the national unilateral response room. A few minutes later when she at Har Sinai over 3,000 years ago. וְ לֹא אִ ְ ּתכֶם לְ בַ ְ ּדכֶם אָ נֹכִ י ּכֹרֵת אֶ ת הַ ּבְרִ ית emerges Rabbi Romm gives her a mi Nobody is asking us the questions that הַ ּזֹאת וְאֶת הָאָ לָ ה הַ ּזֹאת. ּכִי אֶ ת אֲ ׁשר יֶ ְ ׁשנֹו ֶ blessing and like any new sheberach the convert is asked before entering ֹּפה עִ ָנּו ּמ עֹמֵדהַ ּיֹום לִפְ נֵיה’ אֱֹלקֵ ינּו וְאֵ ת אֲ ֶ ׁשר Jewish neshama born into the Jewish the mikva, but our na’aseh v’nishma אֵ ינֶּנּו ּפה עִ ָנּו ּמהַ ֹּיֹום. .people, she receives her Jewish name Not with you alone do I seal this can be manifested even in a silent “I agree,” more than 3,000 years later. It is most apropos to dedicate a Shavuot- It makes no difference whether we grew up with themed publication to the topic of Torah or we didn’t, whether our knowledge of geirut. As we celebrate z’man matan Torateinu, the period of receiving the Torah was taught as the “Old Testament” or even Torah, there is no better way to glean inspiration than to look at those who if we learned the “new” one, at some point in truly accepted the yoke of Torah in a our lives each one of us must try to reflect, take very personal and profound way. On this Shavuot, may we all experience ownership of our Torah and commit ourselves our own matan Torah individually and actively, not just passively. proactively.

Find more shiurim and articles from Mrs. Shoshana Schechter at http://www.yutorah.org/Mrs-Shoshana-Schechter

45 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5777