Judaism and Modernity

[Harel13]

That was harsh ...

... but, I think, fair. ​

Oh... it wasn't meant to be harsh. That's why I added the smiley at the end...

 

[Harel13]

I suggest that when you write "And if a ger (technically means stranger but generally refers to converts)' you, along with folks like Rashi and Ibn Ezra, are doing precisely that - viewing the text through a distorting, post-exilic lens.

It is instructive that the Robert Alter, Everett Fox, Richard Elliott Friedman, Jacob Milgrom, and Jewish Publication Society translate ger as something akin to stranger or resident alien. The JPS Torah Commentary: Leviticus notes:

33. When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him The Torah, and the Bible generally, emphasizes the duty to treat the resident foreigner as fairly as one is commanded to treat the citizen. Verse 1- includes the ger, "stranger" among those entitled to the leftovers of the harvest. The ger referred to in the Bible was most often a foreign merchant or craftsman or a mercenary soldier. This term never refers to prior inhabitants of the land; those are identified by ethnological groupings, such as Canaanites and Amorites, or by other specific terms of reference.

In the biblical ethos, the importance of being considerate to foreign residents drew added impetus from the memory of the Israelite sojourn in Egypt -- Israelites should be able to empathize with the alien. In fact, because of xenophobic attitudes, which could lead to extreme acts of violence against strangers, most ancient societies had laws protecting foreign merchants, officials, and others.
Also, FWIW the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon defines the Leviticus 19 ger as:

1. sojourner; 2. dwellers in Israel with certain conceded, not inherited rights
He is the same ger that we find in Gen 15:13 and Gen 23:4.

In Conversion and Midrash: On Proselytes and Sympathisers with Judaism in Leviticus Rabbah, Lorena Miralles Macia begins by noting ...

At the beginning of the Common Era, the substantive ger and the verb (gwr) had already been specialized to refer to the conversion to the Jewish religion and nation.
... but to translate a text by selectively using a connotation that evolved centuries later strikes me as unseemly midrash.

I see that you're still hanging on to your belief that conversion is a post-exilic invention.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I see that you're still hanging on to your belief that conversion is a post-exilic invention.

I'm in very good company.

 

[Harel13]

I'm in very good company.

I, as well.

 

[dybmh]

Three-way conspiracy?

Hey I can help, maybe?

What's at issue? Ger as a "sojourner" vs. Ger as a "stranger"

Harel,

Essentially the Gerim in Eretz Yisrael should be treated more as a sojourner. That's the point they are making. It is a call for peace between the Zionists and the Palestinians who live in the Holy Land.

In English the word 'stranger' carries a negative valence. 'Sojourner', does not. And arguably, due to the protracted territorial dispute, the Palestinian residents should be considered "fellows" not "sojourners" at least when it comes to political policy, access to education, health care, financing opportunities, etc...

If all that makes sense then, what they ( Jay and Jake ) are saying is: { paraphrasing } Arguably the most important thing in order to move forward as a modern Jewish nation is:

Treat the Gerim like neighbors/fellows/kin ( who are temporarily stuck in a bad situation ) and advocate for *אָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ. ( Which is the meat and potatoes of Lev. 19:33-35 )

Focus on Love, and they are sojourners, not strangers. That's the point.

* For non-Hebrew speakers: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

 

[dybmh]

@Jayhawker Soule , @Jake1001 did I do OK translating from Jay/Jake-ish to Harel-ish?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

@Jayhawker Soule , @Jake1001 did I do OK translating from Jay/Jake-ish to Harel-ish?

That's not translation, that's midrash.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

If all that makes sense then, what they ( Jay and Jake ) are saying is: { paraphrasing } Arguably the most important thing in order to move forward as a modern Jewish nation is:
...

With respect, my initial goal is to understand what the text denotes irrespective my preferred connotation.

 

[dybmh]

With respect, my initial goal is to understand what the text denotes irrespective my preferred connotation.

okie dokie... little-baby-fail on my part. Sorry for the interruption.