News
No halachic grounds against proselytising
In his call for Jews to spread Judaism and actively seek converts, Colin Jantjies has absolutely hit the nail on the head. Allow me, if I may to quote a recent and most poignant Facebook post by Rabbi Asher Meza, an Orthodox rabbi whose organisation, Torah Judaism International (bejewish.org), promotes actively seeking converts.
Jared Joel
Rabbi Meza writes: “I have to say it seems ridiculous that a religious Jew could EVER complain of the backlash they suffer from non-Jews (such as Muslims) practising their religion around them.
“When Jews have not lifted a finger or care in educating especially radical Muslims on a different better belief system, such as their own, Judaism…when there is no Halachic source that prohibits them from doing so but only baseless bigoted hatred.
“This is one of the main reasons there exists so much animosity towards Jews, because the outside world translates the religious Jewish indifference to anyone not born Jewish as an act of hostility. The way you combat Bad religion is with Good religion not No religion.”
Agree or not agree with some of Rabbi Meza’s characterisations, he makes excellent points countering the inertia against spreading Judaism, something there is no prohibition against whatsoever.
Though one might wonder if the powers that decide upon policy fear that they would end up having to convert large numbers of spiritually seeking poor people and thereby have to forego the often exorbitant charges that these profiteers charge?
Could these be the same powers that refuse to do anything about the exorbitant costs of certain kosher products?
Sydenham, Johannesburg