ויחד יתרו - Yisro rejoiced. The
Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 94a (in the 5th wide line) relates a different translation to the Posuk. אמר רב שהעביר חרב חדה על בשרו that he passed a sharp sword on his flesh. Rashi says ונתגייר את עצמו שמל He
was Mal himself, he performed a Bris Milah on himself in order to be a Ger. That is the Gemara. The
question is that the Gemara in Maseches Avodah Zora 27a (top of Amud) says that a Goy is not eligible
to perform a Bris Milah. That the Bris Milah must be done by someone who himself is obligated in Milah.
As a matter of fact, Rav is the Baal Memra there that says that a non-Jew is ineligible to perform a Bris
Milah. Halo Davar Hu! How could Yisro perform a Milah on himself?
In Maseches Avoda Zora on Daf 10b (those who are learning with the Mishmar will get there shortly), we
have the story of (שלום בר קטיעה (who is someone who also performed a Milah on himself. In the back of
the Gemara, the Poras Yosef (one of the Meforshim) asks the same Kasha, how could he perform a Milah
on himself? A non-Jew is not eligible to perform a Bris Milah?
He answers that a non-Jew is not eligible to do a Bris Milah on a Jew. When he does it on himself for
Gairus that itself is turning him into a Jew and therefore, he is eligible. It is sort of Gito V'yado Ba'in
K'echad. An idea that the Bris Milah and the Gairus come simultaneously and therefore, to do a Bris
Milah on himself he is eligible. Wonderful Dvar Torah. Yisro was Mal himself and a Ger can do Milah on
himself because he becomes a Jew as the Milah is performed. Great! Not so great. There is a problem.
The Gemara in Yevamos 46a (7 lines from the bottom) teaches us that Mal V'lo Toval K'ilui Lo Mal
That somebody who is a Ger that had a Bris Milah for Geirus but he didn't go to the Mikvah it is as if he didn't have a Bris Milah. It doesn't count and he is not a Ger. The Shita of Tosafos (there in Yevamos) is that it has to be done in that order Bris Milah first and Tevillah second. If so, this entire episode is very difficult. How could Yisro perform a Bris Milah on himself? The Poras Yosef's Teretz that he became a Jew as he did the Milah is not true as he was still lacking Tevila in a Mikva. He wasn't a Jew at the end of the Milah. It is a tremendous Kasha. To answer this I would like to tell you one of my favorite stories, a story that I got from a Teshuva Sefer, the Aruch Laner's Teshuva Sefer. The Aruch Laner was asked a Shaila that was sent to him from Yerushalayim. There was a gentleman who was Megayeir and he had his Bris Milah. Typically, a Ger has his Bris Milah but doesn't go to the Mikvah until the Milah heals. So usually there is time, maybe a week between Milah and Tevilla. This non-Jew now a Ger had a Bris Milah but not yet a Tevilla. He came to Shul on Shabbos with his new Shtreimal and Bekeshe all proud to be a Jew. When he got to Shul someone there said, what? You are not a Jew yet. You had a Bris Milah but you didn't yet go to the Mikvah for Geirus. Mal V'lo Toval K'ilui Lo Mal. Someone who had Milah and not Tevilah is not a Ger. Not only shouldn't you be observing Shabbos but you are prohibited from keeping Shabbos. A Goy Sheshavas is Chayuv Misah. Therefore, go home and do Melacha. That he did. This (middle of Geirus ) gentleman went home and did Melacha and came back to Shul. When he came back to Shul, the Bais Din that was in the process of being Migayeir him said one minute. You did Melacha, no. we have a Kabbalah that once you do Milah even though you don't do Tevillah you are still supposed to keep Shabbos. Confusing introduction to Judaism. Others said no, what kind of Kabbalah is that as he is still a non-Jew. There was a dispute in Yerushalayim. It was sent to Rav Yaakov Elltinger (1798 - 1871) the Aruch Laner to resolve. He responded that it is true, after Milah he is still not yet a Jew and it is also true that we have a Kabbalah that he should keep Shabbos. Therefore, both are true. It must be that he is no longer a nonJew but he is not yet a Jew. That needs explanation. The Shoel Umaishiv explains that after Milah before Tevillah he is like the Jewish people before Mattan Torah. Before the Torah was given the Jews were commanded about Shabbos at Marah. He too, at that point is partially on his way to being a Jew just as Klal Yisrael were on the way to Har Sinai and therefore, he keeps Shabbos even though he is still not yet a full-fledged Jew. Taking this idea from this episode we can extend it here as well. The Jewish people were already obligated in Bris Milah as they performed Bris Milah in Mitzrayim. Therefore, a Ger with Bris Milah without Tevilah is a Jew for the Mitzvah of Bris Milah.
With this we can explain Yisro. Yisro could perform Bris Milah on himself. Why? For Bris Milah the Milah itself is Gito V'yado Ba'in K'echad or Milosoi V'geiruso Ba'in K'echad. Therefore, Gairus like Shabbos is something that a Ger post Milah pre Geirus (Tevilah) could keep.
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה