Identities of Choice
讘诪讚讘专 专讘讛 (讜讬诇谞讗) 驻专砖讛 讞
讛拽讘”讛 讗讜讛讘 讗转 讛讙专讬诐 诇诪讛 讛讚讘专 讚讜诪讛 诇诪诇讱 砖讛讬转讛 诇讜 爪讗谉 讜讛讬转讛 讬讜爪讗转 讘砖讚讛 讜谞讻谞住转 讘注专讘 讻谉 讘讻诇 讬讜诐 驻注诐 讗讞讚 谞讻谞住 爪讘讬 讗讞讚 注诐 讛爪讗谉 讛诇讱 诇讜 讗爪诇 讛注讝讬诐 讛讬讛 专讜注讛 注诪讛诐 谞讻谞住讛 讛爪讗谉 诇讚讬专 谞讻谞住 注诪讛诐 讬爪讗转 诇专注讜转 讬爪讗 注诪讛诐 讗诪专讜 诇诪诇讱 讛爪讘讬 讛讝讛 谞诇讜讛 注诐 讛爪讗谉 讜讛讜讗 专讜注讛 注诪讛诐 讻诇 讬讜诐 讜讬讜诐 讬讜爪讗 注诪讛诐 讜谞讻谞住 注诪讛诐 讛讬讛 讛诪诇讱 讗讜讛讘讜 讘讝诪谉 砖讛讜讗 讬讜爪讗 诇砖讚讛 讛讬讛 诪驻拽讬讚 专讜注讛 讬驻讛 诇专爪讜谞讜 诇讗 讬讻讛 讗讚诐 讗讜转讜 讛讝讛专讜 讘讜 讜讗祝 讻砖讛讜讗 谞讻谞住 注诐 讛爪讗谉 讛讬讛 讗讜诪专 诇讛诐 转谞讜 诇讜 讜讬砖转讛 讜讛讬讛 讗讜讛讘讜 讛专讘讛 讗诪专讜 诇讜 诪专讬 讻诪讛 转讬砖讬诐 讬砖 诇讱 讻诪讛 讻讘砖讬诐 讬砖 诇讱 讻诪讛 讙讚讬讬诐 讬砖 诇讱 讜讗讬谉 讗转 诪讝讛讬专谞讜 讜注诇 讛爪讘讬 讛讝讛 讘讻诇 讬讜诐 讜讬讜诐 讗转 诪爪讜讬谞讜 讗诪专 诇讛诐 讛诪诇讱 讛爪讗谉 专讜爪讛 讜诇讗 专讜爪讛 讻讱 讛讬讗 讚专讻讛 诇专注讜转 讘砖讚讛 讻诇 讛讬讜诐 讜诇注专讘 诇讘讗 诇讬砖谉 讘转讜讱 讛讚讬专 讛爪讘讬讬诐 讘诪讚讘专 讛诐 讬砖谞讬诐 讗讬谉 讚专讻诐 诇讬讻谞住 诇讬砖讜讘 讘谞讬 讗讚诐 诇讗 谞讞讝讬拽 讟讜讘讛 诇讝讛 砖讛谞讬讞 讻诇 讛诪讚讘专 讛专讞讘 讛讙讚讜诇 讘诪拽讜诐 讻诇 讛讞讬讜转 讜讘讗 讜注诪讚 讘讞爪专, 讻讱 讗讬谉 讗谞讜 爪专讬讻讬谉 诇讛讞讝讬拽 讟讜讘讛 诇讙专 砖讛谞讬讞 诪砖驻讞转讜 讜讘讬转 讗讘讬讜 讜讛谞讬讞 讗讜诪转讜 讜讻诇 讗讜诪讜转 讛注讜诇诐 讜讘讗 诇讜 讗爪诇谞讜.
Numbers Rabbah 8:2
The Holy One, blessed be God, greatly loves converts. To what may this be compared? To a king who had a flock which used to go out to the field and come in at evening. So it was each day. Once a stag came in with the flock. He associated with the goats and grazed with them. When the flock came in to the fold he came in with them; when they went out to graze he went out with them. The king was told: ‘A certain stag has joined the flock and is grazing with them every day. He goes out with them and comes in with them.’ The king felt an affection for him. When he went out into the field the king gave orders: ‘Let him have good pasture, such as he likes; no man shall beat him; be careful with him!’ When he came in with the flock also the king would tell them, ‘Let him drink’; and he loved him very much. The servants said to him: ‘Sovereign! You possess so many goats, lambs, and kids, and you never caution us about them; yet you give us instructions every day about this stag!’ Said the king to them: ‘The flock have no choice; whether they want or not, it is their nature to graze in the field all day and to come in at evening to sleep in the fold. The stags, however, sleep in the wilderness. It is not in their nature to come into places inhabited by man. Shall we then not account it as a merit to this one which has left behind the whole of the broad, vast wilderness, the abode of all the beasts, and has come to stay in the courtyard?’ In like manner, ought we not to be grateful to the convert who has left behind him his family and his father’s house, has left behind his people and all the other peoples of the world, and has chosen to come to us?
We live in an age in which we are all Jews by Choice. Whether born to Jewish parents or not, in 21st-century America our identities are a matter of our own selection. As such, we read this midrash as being about all of us who have “come to stay in the courtyard.” Some of us, born to other traditions and religions, have indeed left behind other peoples and have had to negotiate with parents and extended family what it means to take on the religion and culture of the Jews. Others of us have grappled with what it means to have been born into this people, this flock, and have made decisions鈥攁re constantly making decisions鈥攖o live as members of the community. All of us should feel the warm praise of the midrash, full of gratitude and commendation, for the commitments we make and the ways we choose to live our lives as Jews.
