Q:
If the initial intent for conversion is done for the sake of marriage and then the intent changes for the sake of wanting to become a Jew and it’s done in the proper way, is it acceptable halachically?
A:
If somebody converts for the purpose of marriage without being sincere it’s accepted by halachah anyway.
We can’t do it; we wouldn’t encourage or accept them but once it’s done they are geirim anyhow. כולן אף על פי כן כולן גרים – they’re geirim anyhow. If they went through geirus they’re geirim. Only we don’t like that kind of ger.
So therefore if you ask halachically, halachically we don’t accept unless it’s sincere. For the purpose of a marriage we don’t accept. But if it was done, even though it’s done improperly – improperly means not that the geirus wasn’t done; the geirus was done with tevilah or milah, whatever is necessary – but it wasn’t done with the right intentions. Still, bedieved it’s a geirus.
Now if that ger will later become more sincere certainly it’s good. But it doesn’t mean that the people who accepted him did right. It was wrong to accept a ger who converts for marriage or other ulterior motives.
TAPE # 250 (December 1978)
