Alleyways To Torah

Avromi was a young man who was pious and devout. What they call today Charedi or Ultra Orthodox [how come irreligious people are not called "Ultra Secular"?]. One Chol Hamoed Succos Avromi found out that his mother [the daughter of holocaust survivors] was not Jewish! Making Avromi a ..... Goy. With a capital G.

Uh oh.

So of course Avromi wanted to convert, but the question was, is there any reason for him to sit in a succah in the meantime.

Answer: YES! The Rambam [Melachim 10/10] says that a gentile who wants to keep a given commandment [besides shabbos] in order to receive reward should not be prevented from doing so. We learn from this Rambam that a goy may fulfill mitzvos and will be rewarded for his efforts.

So sit in the succah Avromi, sit. And if you wish you may also have a juicy cheeseburger. Wow! A mitva to sit in the succah while eating a cheeseburger ["simchas yom tov"]. Isn't Torah interesting?!

See Kovetz Shiurim Simman 54 and Chashukei Chemed page 212 for a discussion of how the Rambam's law squares with the talmudic principle that anyone who is exempt and nevertheless fulfills the mitzva is acting silly [kol hapatur min hamitzva viosehu nikra hedyot].

| Permalink