CARR 73-74 - Central Conference of American Rabbis

Conversion

QUESTION: What is the origin of the miqveh for the

purpose of conversion? When was this practice instituted? (Rabbi C. Levy, Pittsburgh,

PA)ANSWER: It is clear that there was no Biblical requirement of immersion in any

body of water for the purpose of conversion. Males who wished to join the community needed to

be circumcised (Gen.17.11,12, 34.14; Ex. 4.25), while females who wished to join us did so

simply through marriage to a Jew. As far as we know nothing was required, for example, of Ruth,

who married Boaz and earlier had married one of Naomi’s sons (Ruth 1.4, 4.13), Jezebel who

married Ahab (IK 16.31) or Moses who married Zippora, a Midianite (Ex. 2.21). Conversion is

presumed by later authorities, though none may have taken place. In Mishnaic times

the well known tale of the pagan who wished to learn about Judaism while standing on one foot

may indicate that no ritual was required (Solomon Zeitlin, “Proselytes and Proselytism”); other

scholars feel that we can not argue from silence in this matter; the ritual requirements were

simply not mentioned there. Subsequent discussions of rites to be followed by converts were

conducted between the followers of Hillel and those of Shamai. They argued whether there was a

need for both immersion and circumcision for males as a conversion rite. They agreed that the

convert had to bring a sacrifice to the Temple. Immersion in a miqveh was obviously not

yet an established custom although it existed (Ker 9a; Yeb. 46b ff; Tosefta Shab. 31a,

135a). Solomon Zeitlin, on the other hand, felt that the ritual was not intended as an introduction

to Judaism, but dealt with ritual uncleanliness which was extended to pagans in the first century

(Solomon Zeitlin, “Proselytes and Proselytism”; Harry Wolfson, Jubilee Volumes, Vol. 2,

pp. 587 ff). We can see from the New Testament’s John the Baptist (Matthew 3.7) and

from the rites of the Essenes (Josephus, Wars, 2.129 ff, 148), as well as the Qumram

community (Manual of Discipline), that immersion of a special nature was mandatory to

join these pietistic groups. That would place the ritual in the first century before our era. As there

is no discussion of this practice as something new or unusual, it probably antedated this period.

There is, however, nothing in the older literature to indicate the beginning of the custom. We can

safely say that it has been conducted as a Jewish rite for the admission of proselytes since the

first century of our era.June 1983