Vaykra 19:33
When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am Hashem your God.
Why do we need a commandment to love the convert as ouselves; is it not already included under the obligation to love our neghbor, as in:
".. but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am Hashem.( v.18)"
It is, of course human nature to mistrust strangers and for this reason an admonition to love a convert is necessary. However, what does it mean to love a convert as yourself?
We can start by pointing out that there are multiple areas in which a convert is not like "yourself". A convert has certain halachic restrictions in marriage, cannot be appointed into positions of communal authority, and does not receive land in Eretz Yisroel. These differences are why we must be told that although a convert is not like a born Jew in some respects, we must love him as "yourself", just as much (and perhaps more) than a born Jew.
Rav Y.D. Soloveitchik (and I recall seeing other acharonim who say the same to the 8th chapter of Bekhoros) analysed the differences in the following fashion. What makes a Jew is a combination of Kedushas Yisroel, a personal kedusha that is received from our forefathers and through our parents and Kedushas Hamitzvos, the holiness of following the Torah and accepting its commadments. A convert does not have the former and certain obligations and privilieges that depend on Kedushas Yisroel do not apply to a convert. However, he does have Kedushas Hamitvos, through the act of personal acceptance of the Mitsvos during a conversion ceremony. As such, all other obligations and parameters of personal status as a Jew apply to him. This is why full acceptance of Mitsvos is crucial to a proper and valid conversion.
A convert is a part of the jewish destiny, that he elects to share. The Tanya writes 1:32:
הרי זו דרך ישרה וקלה לבא לידי קיום מצות ואהבת לרעך כמוך, לכל נפש מישראל למגדול ועד קטן
is a direct and easy path toward fulfilling the mitzvah, “You shall love your fellow as yourself,” with regard to every Jew both great and small — in spiritual stature.
כי מאחר שגופו נמאס ומתועב אצלו, והנפש והרוח, מי יודע גדולתן ומעלתן בשרשן ומקורן באלקים חיים
Since his body is despised and loathsome he will not love himself on account of his body more than he loves his fellow; and as for the soul and spirit, the differences between his own soul and that of his fellow surely will not diminish the love between them, for who can know their (the soul and spirit’s) greatness and excellence in their source and root — the living G‑d
How, then, can one claim that his soul is superior to his fellow’s
בשגם שכולן מתאימות, ואב אחד לכולנה
Furthermore, they are actually all equal; and not only equal yet separate, but, furthermore, they all have one father — one source, and within their source they all comprise one entity.
ולכן נקראו כל ישראל אחים ממש מצד שורש נפשם בה׳ אחד
It is on account of this common root in the One G‑d that all of Israel are called “brothers” — in the full sense of the word, and not only figuratively, in the sense of “relatives” or “similar in appearance” and the like;
רק שהגופים מחולקים
only the bodies are distinct from each other.
Netsiv in his comment to v. 18 cites Yerushalmi Nedorim CH.9. There, the Jews are compared to a body. If one part of the body, let say an arm, hurts, a wise individual does not punish ansd strike it, for this arm is a part of the entire organism. Similarly one must love another Jew even if he or she is a source of trouble or pain.
Netsiv to v.33 extends this principle to converts. Converts are not always an asset. Rav Halbo's saying "קשים גרים לישראל כספחת"(Yabamot, 47,B) has been translated by Rambam to mean that converts are like leprosy for Israel. Yet, even a "bad" convert is a part of the body of Jewry, like an arm is a part of the organism. We must not be mindful of the problems that a convert may present but rather love him/her like ourselves. This is why the Torah does not suffice with the comamdnment to "love your neighbor as yourself " but also admonishes us to "love a convert like yourself".
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