& The Sincerity of Converts
July 2025
Rabbi Moshe Taub
A renown book on the in English language shares:
“One writer laments the decline of spelling by noting: ‘An English examination at New Jersey’s Fairleigh Dickenson University disclosed that less than one quarter of the freshmen class could spell professor correctly’. I wonder, for my part, how many of them could spell freshman class? Just as a quick test, see if you can tell which of the following words are mispelled. Supercede; Conceed; Procede; Idiosyncracy; Concensus; Accommodate; Irresistable; Rhythym; Opthalmologist; Diptheria; Anamoly; Afficianado; Caeserian; Grafitti.
“In fact, they all are. So was misspelled at the end of the preceeding paragraph. So is proceeding just there. I’m sorry, I will stop”
(Bill Bryrson, The Mother Tounge-English and How It Got That Way)
This brings me to a fascinating conversation I had with a beis din gerus candidate last week.
Some of my favorite questions come from those on their path toward yiddeshkeit. We once had such a person, who grew up in the south as a deeply religious Christian, at our Shabbos seuda. After asking if there was any mystical or halachic significance to the small piece of carrot always found on top of gefilte fish (a smart observation, indeed!), he then announced, “I believe with every fiber of my soul that everything is found or alluded to in the Torah. Throughout history, Jews turned to Tanach to remind themselves how to deal with secular, sometimes evil, monarchies, how to maintain a Torah kingship, and reminding the Jewish nation not to put their faith in military might alone or in any powerful human coalition”.
We all politely nodded in agreement. But he then shared his kicker: “But today, instead of kings, we have the spread of democracies. Too many Jews are putting their faith solely in political movements and parties instead of the Torah, (Rachama l’tzlan). Of course, democratically elected politicians are rarely to be trusted. So, my question is: Shouldn’t this be hinted to somewhere in Tanach?”
Before we could suggest a response, he quickly answered his own question:
“I recently learned that the colloquial term for a swindler, for deceit and subterfuge is ‘Bais Lavan’ (the house of Lavan). I asked my study partner what the literal translation of those words are and was astounded to discover that they literally translates to ‘White House’!”
The famous words of Tosefes come to mind (yevamus, 47b, s.v. kashin), how the sincerity and carefulness in Torah and mitzvos found among gerim can, at times, even cause Hashem to judge the rest of us more punitively.
This sincerity of faith allows for new insights and thoughts.
A similar request for translation arose recently. I brought up that now that we met with the beis din again, we were at the point when he needed to learn lashon kodesh. Learning a new language is always intimidating and, often, was not on the convert’s radar.
I explained that for now, “We only want you to be able to read Hebrew, so that soon you will to be able to recite shema, berachos, teffilah, etc.”
I explained that it is better to daven in Hebrew – even if their understanding is not there for the most part- than in English or any another language (see Mishneh Berura, siman 62:3).
“Don’t worry. Sadly, you will not be alone at the beginning. Even some Jews do not know the meaning of every word they are saying” (something the poskim lament).
He was genuinely shocked at this discovery.
After a thoughtful pause, he made the following brilliant observation: “The reason why many struggle with spelling in English is not because of some congenital human flaw, rather it is due to the simple fact that most native speakers are just that – speakers. Reading is not the most common relationship one has with English. So, rabbi, if you are correct that most read Hebrew even if they do not understand or speak it, that would mean that some Jews will know how to spell the words of Shemoneh Esreh even though they may not be able to translate them!”
“I guess that is true”, I responded, “Although they certainly know the meaning of the most important teffilos”.
But he wasn’t done.
A few weeks later, after getting his feet wet in his Hebrew reading, he called to ask me the following:
“I am certain then that there are some sentences or words that you or halacha feel I should know the translation for…”
“Yes” I replied, “The opening to shema would be a very good start. But, again, let’s focus for now on you be able just to read”.
A few more weeks passed, and he was getting anxious to practice his Hebrew in a siddur.
“I know it would take me too many hours to say all the proper daily prayers. But maybe there are there certain words that come up most frequently? Perhaps we can start with those. This way, at least at the start, the little I say, I would understand.”
I explained that even if he knew what those two or five most common words meant, this would not aid him in the context of a pasuk being quoted.
“Oh, so verses from Tanach are used in our prayers?”
“Sure. In fact, aside from what the Men of the Great Assembly composed, I would venture that over eighty percent of the siddur is made up by verses of Tanach”.
“Ok, I understand. I started practicing the shema and the first blessing of shemoneh esreh in Hebrew each day”.
“Good, I’m proud of you!” I earnestly shared, “It must be challenging to learn to read in a new language”.
A few more weeks go by, erev Shavuos, and he called again. He asked a question that has been on my mind ever since.
“Rabbi, can you share the most common verse in davening? I would learn how to say it, along with its meaning”.
I said I would get back to him with the verse/answer.
At first, I thought it was, “V’hu rachum yechaper avon v’lo yashchis, v’hirbah l’hushiv apo, v’lo irah kol chamoso//As for Hashem, He is merciful, He forgives iniquity and does not destroy, He consistently restrains His wrath, and does not fully awaken His fury”…” (tehillim 78:38). This pasuk is said in hodu, yehi kavod, Monday and Thurday’s tachanun, the daily uvah l’tzion, daily maariv, andmotzai Shabbos maariv. So, at least four times a day!
But there is another pasuk said even more frequently. In fact, this pasuk is from the Torah itself. It can be said at least seven times daily.
It is also said in yehi kavod, and said in birchas krias shema of both shachris and maariv. It is again repeated in uvah l’tzion, as well the daily maariv and, an extra time inthe motzai Shabbos maariv. It is also said every time we say aleinu. It is said once more daily in krias shema al hamita.
This was the perfect first pasuk to tach this soon-to-be-ger, and not just because of its frequency.
Indeed, this one pasuk encapsulates Yiddeshkeit, which may be why it is said with greater frequency than any other.
The pasuk?
It comes from the shiras yam suf, Shemos 15:18: “Hashem Yimloch l’olam va’ed//Hashem will reign for all eternity!”
He could not have been more delighted with my answer.
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