Halachah 1: How Israel Entered the Covenant
The Jewish people entered the covenant with Hashem through three elements:
- Milah (circumcision)
- Tevilah (immersion)
- Korban (sacrifice)
These form the model for conversion in future generations.
Halachah 2: Milah in Egypt
Milah was performed in Egypt before the Exodus.
The Rambam explains that the Jewish people had largely neglected circumcision in Egypt, with the exception of the tribe of Levi, and Moshe Rabbeinu circumcised them in preparation for the Korban Pesach.
Halachah 3: Immersion and Sacrifice at Sinai
Immersion took place in preparation for Matan Torah, as indicated by the command to sanctify the people and wash their garments.
A communal sacrifice was also offered as Israel entered the covenant.
Halachah 4: Conversion for Future Generations
A non-Jew who wishes to:
- Enter the covenant
- Come under the wings of the Shechinah
- Accept the Torah
requires the same basic process.
For a male convert:
- Milah
- Tevilah
- Korban
For a female convert:
- Tevilah
- Korban
The Rambam derives this from:
ā××× ×××Øā, āAs you are, so shall the convert be.ā
Halachah 5: The Convertās Korban
The convertās sacrifice may consist of:
- An animal Olah, or
- Two turtledoves, or
- Two young pigeons
In the absence of the Beit HaMikdash, conversion proceeds through Milah and Tevilah.
When the Beit HaMikdash is rebuilt, the convert brings the required Korban.
Halachah 6: Both Milah and Tevilah Are Required
A male convert who underwent Milah but not Tevilah, or Tevilah but not Milah:
Has not completed conversion.
Both are required.
Tevilah requires a Beit Din of three. Ideally it is therefore not performed:
- At night
- On Shabbat
- On Yom Tov
If it was nevertheless performed under the circumstances described by the Rambam:
The conversion is effective.
Halachah 7: Conversion of a Minor
A minor may be immersed for conversion:
Al Daāat Beit Din, on the authority of Beit Din,
because becoming Jewish is considered a benefit for the child.
If a pregnant woman converts and immerses:
Her child does not require a separate immersion.
Private conversion without Beit Din is ineffective according to the Rambam.
A person already known to have been a non-Jew who later claims to have converted requires evidence before being permitted to marry into the Jewish community.
Halachah 8: One Who Claims He Converted Privately
If a man married to a Jewish woman or convert says:
āI converted privately,ā
he is believed regarding consequences for himself but not to invalidate the status of his children.
He undergoes another Tevilah before Beit Din.
Halachah 9: Presumption Created by Jewish Practice
A person who had previously been known as a non-Jew but is consistently observed living as a Jew may acquire a presumption of conversion.
Examples include:
- Observing the mitzvos
- Following Jewish ritual life
- Living consistently according to Jewish law
Nevertheless, for marriage into the Jewish people, the Rambam requires evidence of the conversion or a new Tevilah before Beit Din when the person was previously established as non-Jewish.
Halachah 10: A Person Who Says He Was Previously a Non-Jew
If a person was not otherwise established as a non-Jew and says:
āI was a non-Jew and converted properly before Beit Din,ā
the Rambam applies the principle:
××¤× ×©××”×Ø ××× ××¤× ×©××Ŗ××Ø
The mouth that created the prohibition is the same mouth that permits it.
The Rambam distinguishes between Eretz Yisrael and Chutz LaāAretz regarding proof required for marriage and explains that this additional requirement concerns lineage standards.
The Raavad disputes the Rambamās formulation.
Halachah 11: Immersion of a Canaanite Slave
A non-Jewish slave purchased by a Jew undergoes:
- Milah
- Tevilah
for the status of servitude.
If the slave instead immerses with the explicit intention of becoming a free convert before his master properly establishes the servitude status:
He may acquire his freedom.
For this reason, the master must make clear before Beit Din that the immersion is being performed for the sake of servitude.
Halachah 12: Tevilah Upon Emancipation
When the slave is freed:
He requires another Tevilah.
This immersion is performed:
- During the day
- Before three
and completes his entry into full Jewish status.
He does not require a new acceptance or explanation of the basic mitzvos because that process already began when he entered the status of an Eved.
Halachah 13: The Mikveh Used for Conversion
The same type of halachically valid Mikveh used for Niddah is used for:
- Converts
- Slaves entering servitude
- Freed slaves completing their conversion
The ordinary laws of Chatzitzah, intervening substances that invalidate immersion, apply equally here.
Halachah 14: Investigating the Motives of a Prospective Convert
Before accepting a convert, Beit Din investigates the personās motives.
They consider whether the person is seeking conversion because of:
- Money
- Status
- Fear
- Desire to marry a particular Jewish person
If no ulterior motive is found, Beit Din explains the weight and difficulty of Torah observance.
If the prospective convert accepts this sincerely and persists:
Beit Din accepts the conversion.
The Rambam cites Ruth as the model of genuine determination.
Halachah 15: Converts in the Days of David and Shlomo
The formal Beit Din did not readily accept converts during the reigns of David and Shlomo.
The concern was motivation:
- During Davidās reign, people might convert from fear.
- During Shlomoās reign, they might convert because of Israelās prosperity, power, and prestige.
Nevertheless, people did convert through informal courts.
The Great Beit Din did not immediately reject them after conversion, but remained cautious until their subsequent conduct revealed their sincerity.
Halachah 16: The Conversions Connected With Shlomo and Shimshon
The Rambam explains that neither Shlomo nor Shimshon simply married women who remained non-Jewish.
Rather:
These women underwent conversion.
The problem was that their motives were questionable and their conversions were not conducted through the ideal Beit Din procedure.
Their later return to idolatry demonstrated that their original motives had not been sincere. Scripture therefore speaks about them as though they had remained non-Jewish.
Halachah 17: Conversion Despite Improper Procedure or Motivation
This halachah establishes one of the Rambamās central principles of conversion.
If Beit Din:
- Failed to investigate the convertās motives, or
- Failed to explain the mitzvos and their consequences,
but the person nevertheless underwent the essential conversion process before three:
The person is a convert.
Even if it later becomes known that the person converted for an ulterior motive, the completed conversion is not automatically canceled.
The personās later conduct is observed to determine sincerity.
Even if the convert subsequently returns to idolatry:
Halachically, he is treated as a Jewish apostate rather than as someone who was never Jewish.
Thus his Kiddushin can be valid, and his underlying Jewish status remains.
Halachah 18: Why Chazal Warned About Insincere Converts
The Rambam concludes by explaining the difficult Talmudic statement that converts can be:
āAs difficult for Israel as a skin affliction.ā
He applies this criticism particularly to those who convert for ulterior reasons and later influence other Jews negatively.
Once they have undergone conversion, separating them from the Jewish people is difficult because:
They have acquired Jewish status.
The Rambam points to episodes in the wilderness as examples of harmful influences arising from the Erev Rav and others who had attached themselves to Israel without sufficient spiritual commitment.
Key Principles of Chapter 13
| Topic | Rambamās Ruling |
| Original entry into covenant | Milah, Tevilah, and Korban |
| Male convert | Milah, Tevilah, and Korban |
| Female convert | Tevilah and Korban |
| Today without Beit HaMikdash | Conversion proceeds without immediate Korban |
| Tevilah | Requires Beit Din |
| Minor | May convert Al Daāat Beit Din |
| Pregnant convert | Child does not require separate Tevilah |
| Conversion privately | Insufficient |
| Jewish conduct | Can create a presumption of conversion |
| Slave entering servitude | Milah and Tevilah |
| Slave becoming free | Additional Tevilah |
| Mikveh | Same halachic Mikveh standards apply |
| Prospective convert | Motives should be investigated |
| Ulterior motive | Reason for caution before conversion |
| Failure to investigate beforehand | Does not automatically invalidate completed conversion |
| Later abandonment of Judaism | Convert remains Jewish |
| Convert who returns to idolatry | Treated as a Jewish apostate |
Chapter Theme
Chapter 13 defines the halachic process of conversion by tracing it back to Israelās own entry into the covenant at Sinai. Milah, Tevilah, and, when the Temple stands, Korban form the basic structure. At the same time, the Rambam draws an important distinction between the ideal procedure before conversion and the convertās status afterward. Beit Din should carefully investigate motivation and teach the seriousness of Torah observance before accepting a convert. Yet once the essential conversion has validly taken place, even later misconduct or evidence of an ulterior original motive does not simply erase the personās Jewish status.