The Converso Dilemma: Halakhic Responsa and the Status of Forced Converts by Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez

Author:Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez
Language: eng
Format: azw
Publisher: Yaron Publishing
Published: 2020-01-04T23:00:00+00:00

On the one hand, Rabbi Simeon ben Zemah Duran comments about the state of some Conversos who had journeyed to Algiers. He described these individuals as “complete Gentiles” based on rumor. But I believe that this references their lifestyle and not their halakhic status and is, in fact, an overstatement. If their halakhic status were in question, the matter of discussion would be mute. Nor do I believe that he was necessarily implying a complete lack of Jewish identity. There is room to interpret this passage as exaggeration much in the way that a present-day orthodox synagogue often considers non-observant Jews or at least those who do not reflect their halakhic understanding as goyishe (i.e., Gentile like) regardless of their affiliation in other movements.

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