BS"D

Whenever we take out the Torah to read it, we recite a portion of the Zohar, called “Brich shmay.” In it are the words, “Not in any man do I put trust, nor on any angel do I rely, only on the G-d of Heaven Who is the G-d of truth, Whose Torah is truth and Whose prophets are true and who acts generously with kindness and truth.”

According to the Zohar, G-d, the Torah, and the prophets can be trusted. No one else.

Think about who is left out.

Also, the Rambam’s 6th principle of Jewish faith states, “I believe with a complete faith that all the words of the prophets are true.”

Think about whose words this excludes.

Also, Albert Einstein said, “Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”

Think about the validity of that statement.

Ponder. Consider. Contemplate. And think about who tells you not to think. Think about who tells you that you must accept their authority blindly. The Church. The Other Side. The powers of darkness.

Above all things, the G-d of Israel wants to be known as a Liberator, as it says in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2), “I am the L-rd your G-d who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”   

G-d freed the slaves and then gave them His Torah. One who is not free, does not get the Torah. Freedom is what the Torah is all about. Freedom is what Geulah (Redemption) is all about.

As I have written and pleaded before: I believe wholeheartedly in the Oral Torah. Anyone who does not believe in the Oral Torah is either a fool or wicked. But I believe that the Oral Torah comes from Zion, not from Babylon. And I believe we have the right and the ability to tell the difference.

If one walks four cubits in Israel, he or she gets Olam HaBa, the World to Come. But if one walks four cubits in Babylon, he or she becomes tainted with spiritual impurity and loses his or her humanity. There were a few who were able to rise above it. Very few.

And thus Philo, an Egyptian Jew, not a Babylonian, is reputed to have said, “G-d comes to free the slaves and His servants come to return them to slavery.”

What’s my point? Ger in the gate is Torah of truth, Torah of Moses, Torah of Zion. Ger Toshav is Torah of Babylon.

And no matter how hard one or two righteous rabbis try to straighten out Ger Toshav, it will remain twisted because it is Babylonian.

Bottom line: Ger is not Ger Toshav. Ger is Ger in the gate. It is Torah of truth. See Exodus 20:10, Deut. 14:21, and Deut. 31:12.

Ger Toshav is a legal fiction imported from Babylon. It has the primary purpose of keeping Righteous Gentiles away from the Torah unless they want to convert or are willing to be subjugated and treated like dogs and donkeys. Ger in the gate, on the other hand, is an integral part of the people of Israel, and he is expected to keep Shabbat. We must love him and not cause him any emotional stress. Those who taunt the Righteous Gentile by telling him that he cannot keep Shabbat are sinners and they are advised to do tshuvah.

Here is how to do tshuvah according to the Rambam: Say the following formula: “I have sinned inadvertently, intentionally, and wickedly. (specifiy the sin, which in this cause is taunting the Ger). And then say: “I regret what I have done and will never do it again.”

And if the opportunity arises to repeat the sin, which in this case is telling the Righteous Gentile (who has renounced idolatry and shituf and believes in the G-d of Israel) that he is forbidden to keep Shabbat, restrain yourself from doing so. And then, you will have done tshuvah shalaimeh, complete repentance, and it will not be mentioned to you in judgment.

So says the Oral Torah. Trust it. I do. I get Ger. Do you? Think about it. Shabbat shalom, y’all.