Some of my friends (born as non-jews) converted to reform judaism, mainly because it's very very difficult (practically almost impossible) to become an orthodox Jew in my country. Some of them have te wish to become orthodox in the future (e.g. by going to Israel, because this is allowed for converted reform jews under the law of return). How do you categorize these people; as gerim or as non-jews? They do more then only the 7 noachide mitvot, but are -like all reform jews - not (yet) full observant (while most of them are more traditional and observe more mitvot then other refom jews). Acording to the netzarim definition of gerim, also gerim are (and mostly can) not yet be full observant. So what is the netzarim criterium of being a ger: an official written certificate of a orthodox rabbi that you are studying to become orthodox (if so then they are still non jews), or is it the situation/circumstances you are in (so they are considerd as gerim)?

Gmar Chatima Tova!!

I wasn't able to get to this before Yom ha-Kipur. for the greeting.

This is a question in the minds of innumerable people, so it's good that you asked on their behalf. However, this question remains in their minds only because they persist in believing they are ok and have a place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ without having to fully keep Torâh despite the indisputably well-documented, contradictory facts. They persist in denying the facts because they reject the implications of the facts vis-à-vis Torâh's Instruction concerning non-selectivity, total commitment (see D^әvârim 6.5; 11.13; 15.39) and הבדלה. In other words, they are simply unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices to keep Torâh.

The Bible knows only Yisrâ·eil, defined by their doing their utmost to keep Torâh completely (i.e., non-selectively) or suffer catastrophic imprecations, and goyim, all of whom are to be destroyed. It is a discrete equation with no fuzziness or gray area.

Neither I nor Talmud have ever even remotely suggested that it is permissible for anyone to be less than fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh. It is never permissible for anyone to be less than fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh. I've always been as clear and straightforward as I can possibly be that the only acceptable criterion is doing one's utmost to keep Torâh non-selectively. Anything less than doing one's utmost to keep Torâh completely is absolutely unacceptable.

The question arose and is first documented among the first-century N^әtzârim regarding those in the process of learning to become fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh. A goy who decides to become fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh cannot flip a switch and suddenly know and understand all of Torâh in order to keep all of Torâh. It isn't magically – poof! – revealed to him or her in an instant. For goyim, there is unavoidably a learning period during which there is a transition from their present state to fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh. (Jews, who already know how, are required to instantly make t^әshuvâh. That is the only difference between the two. The same end-result is required of both.)

At the beginning point, it is clearly impossible for the goy to be fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh. Like any other law, however, ignorance is no excuse from its consequences. Thus, those who have never heard of Torâh aren't exempt from its consequences. It is everyone's responsibility to seek their Creator. While the Way is open for a non-Jew to correct his inadvertent transgressions of Torâh, unless he or she learns Torâh, he or she will not know the need, or how, to do so and, thus, remains doomed among the goyim. This also represents the responsibility of Yisrâ·eil to share the Light of Torâh to illuminate the goyim.

At the endpoint, the individual must be fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh. Nothing less is acceptable. Probably consequent to the death of a geir before he or she could achieve full Torâh observance and convert, the question arose, "Does the individual who is doing his or her utmost to live according to the full and non-selective observance of Torâh have a place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ during the transition period (or only upon achieving complete Torâh observance)?" Geir status applied to no other person.

The Beit-Din ha-N^әtzârim reasoned, logically, that the provisions of t^әshuvâh and kipur imply that even Yisrâ·eil isn't completely Torâh observant.

Torâh requires of the man or woman of Yisrâ·eil no more than that he or she do his or her utmost, (only) in which case kipur is enabled for the inadvertent error provided there has been t^әshuvâh. Furthermore, even for the Jew, there is no kipur for deliberate and rebellious transgression of Torâh (unless remedied by t^әshuvâh – in which case the transgression is no longer deliberate or rebellious.) Clearly, it is inequitable (not to mention racist) to have a different, especially a stricter, standard for non-Jews and Jews.

The non-Jew who doesn't willfully and rebelliously reject or transgress Torâh will immediately, upon learning of it, correct his or her practice, enabling kipur for the transgression. ("You shall know them by their fruits, which is their works." Sound familiar?) For the person doing his or her utmost to keep Torâh, therefore, inadvertent transgressions represent only a temporary and remediable barrier to his or her place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ.

This leaves only the case of wilfull and rebellious transgression of Torâh, for which there is no kipur. Logically, no person can be held to have willfully and rebelliously transgressed guidelines that he or she isn't even aware of. Thus, the non-Jew doing his or her utmost to keep Torâh non-selectively can only be guilty of inadvertent transgressions – which, consequent to t^әshuvâh, are kipeir.

Therefore, the question reduced to "Does a non-Jew who is doing his or her utmost to keep all of Torâh that he or she knows, but doesn't yet know all that Torâh requires, qualify, upon making t^әshuvâh for any transgression of Torâh, for kipur (which, in turn, qualifies the non-Jew for a place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ)? The Beit-Din ha-N^әtzârim found in the affirmative. Therefore, the geir, because he or she is doing his or her utmost to be fully and non-selectively shomeir Torâh, has a place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ. A non-obvious implication of this is that the only way a geir would be aware of a transgression of Torâh he or she is unaware of is when a Torâh teacher, or Beit-Din if necessary, points it out; hence, one conspicuous need to subordinate to a Torâh teacher and Beit-Din.

Without correction of transgressions of Torâh (i.e., t^әshuvâh) ha-Sheim refuses to provide kipur and, consequently, there is no place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ. Thus, (in addition to Torâh-keeping Jews, of course) only geirim can qualify for a place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ.

To understand this, you'll first need to click on the link and correct your misconceptions about the Biblical (and Talmudic) definition of a geir in contrast to the modern rabbinic impression.

Apart from doing one's utmost to achieve that endpoint, there is no geir. The person who keeps some part(s) of Torâh is a goy no different than any other goyim. They are not a geir.

In the T^әphutzâh, outside of some large cities, keeping Torâh is difficult. We have geirim all over the world who are successfully dealing with this difficulty daily. There is no dispensation from adhering to any mitzwâh. Each person lives where they live and does what they do because they choose to. All of the rest is the amount of sacrifice required to succeed within that environment or change the environment. What sacrifice is too great to serve ha-Sheim with all one's heart, with all one's nëphësh and with all one's might – which is exactly what Torâh requires, not one nanoparticle less (cf. D^әvârim 6.5; 11.13; 15.39)???

Many Christians do more than the Shëva mitzwot B^әnei-Noakh. That doesn't make them Jews or geirim. All devout Muslims do more than the Shëva mitzwot B^әnei-Noakh, but they're not Jews or geirim either. Only uncompromised, unconditional, total dedication to doing with all one's heart, with all one's nëphësh and with all one's might to keep all of Torâh non-selectively defines the Jew; and a non-Jew doing one's utmost to get there defines the geir. Nothing short of that is acceptable.

Thus, it is never alright or ok to be less than fully Torâh-observant. The geir is no exception to that rule and he or she learns that, and does his or her utmost to change accordingly, everyday until he or she achieves full Torâh observance.

The endpoints of all non-Orthodox are selective-observance – rejecting Torâh as an indivisible whole. This defines everyone subscribing to non-Orthodox "Judaism" as tō•imꞋ by Orthodox criteria and as goyim by Biblical (kâreit) criteria (and, therefore, by N^әtzârim criteria). (Note, however, as I've pointed out before, that, like Christians, not everyone who calls themselves Masorti or Reform truly "subscribes" to the official Masorti or Reform line. Some, in each group, excel above the group and, properly, shouldn't identify with the group.)

Defining these principles precisely brings the discrete operation of Havdâlâh into sharp focus: להבדיל בין קדש לחול. ha-Sheim always maintains הבדלה between Himself and חול. That is an ironclad principle of the Immutable ha-Sheim. Therefore, the only question becomes on which side of the individual הבדלה falls: between himself or herself and the goyim (not doing their utmost to keep all of Torâh – whether or not they are family changes nothing) or between ha-Sheim and himself or herself (one of the goyim not doing their utmost to keep all of Torâh). Thus, mixing with non-Orthodox places the individual on the goyim side of הבדלה.

הבדלה then distinguishes between Yisrâ·eil (including Y^әhudim and geirim) the Qodësh and, l^ә-havdil, the goyim who are the khol.

One's situation or circumstances change nothing except what sacrifices must be made to achieve this end. It's a matter of choice and free will – with the emphasis on will.

This temptation may be resolving itself. As I understand it, as of the last month or so, even Orthodox converts (and only those converted by limited, Israeli-rabbinate approved shortlist, not all Orthodox rabbis) can no longer make âliyâh to Yisrâ·eil until they have lived, as a Torâh-keeping Jew in their local – Orthodox (only) – community for a year or more.

The good news is that they can – and everyone, without exception, must – get on the Orthodox Torâh path of logical Halâkhâh immediately; right now, this instant, doing their utmost to keep all of Torâh without compromise or selectivity, wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. No one needs approval from an Orthodox rabbi or any other human to serve ha-Sheim according to His Torâh. It's the individual's choice that not even ha-Sheim usurps; much less any human. Orthodox rabbis can tell you whether or not you can convert (be a Y^әhudi) but, as shown above, conversion isn't essential to keeping Torâh (as a geir included in Yisrâ·eil but not as a Y^әhudi), and t^әshuvâh, in order to reap kipur and your resulting place in hâ-olâm ha-bâ. You must simply begin learning and doing it. There is no case in which a person cannot do their utmost to keep Torâh completely and non-selectively. Period. How to do that is in our Khavrutâ (the link is in our Foreign Ministry).

Furthermore, it's a matter of time (though perhaps not in our lifetime) until legitimate geirim demonstrate that they are as fully and uncompromisingly Torâh-observant as any Orthodox Jew and, where their marital status permits, deserving of conversion.

We stopped issuing certificates a long time ago because [1] the certificates had to have expiration dates because of the transitory nature of the geir having to meet standards of progress leading to full observance, [2] people were tending to feel satisfied at having gotten a certificate instead of progressing in their practice of Torâh and [3] mainstream Orthodox rabbis have lost touch with the Biblical definition of geir so they found the certificates confusing. All of the certificates we issued expired long ago, while those geirim who continue to do their utmost to progress toward full implementation of Torâh remain in good standing. We recognize geirim by maintaining a database of geirim in current good standing so that we can always advise an Orthodox rabbi or other inquirer whether someone claiming to be a N^әtzârim is legitimate or a Christian imposter.