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our chagrin] the adoptive parents themselves are not Torah observant
there is no acceptance of mitzvos on the part of the adopters, who are
thus bringing non Jews into the Jewish nation under the guise of Jews.
It would therefore be preferable to cancel this law, thereby enabling
Jewish parents who want to do so, to adopt a non Jewish child as
a non Jew, thereby obviating the need to have non Jewish children
undergo fictitious conversion.]

The Shelah Hakadosh wries that in the memorial prayer for the
dead, we say“provide fitting repose upon the wings of the Shechinah,”
whereas when mentioning the soul of a convert we say,“…beneath the
wings of the Shechinah.” Indeed, the Mashiach will be a descendant
of Ruth, who was a convert. And among the very greatest of the Jew-
ish nation’s Torah leaders have been converts, as the gemara says in
Sanhedrin (96b): “Some of Haman’s grandchildren studied Torah in
Bnei Brak – these were Shemayah and Avtalyon.” In his introduction
the Mishnah the Rambam writes, “From Rav Ashi [who sealed the
Talmud Bavli] until Moshe Rabbenu there were forty generations…
and Hillel and Shammai [received their Torah] from Shemayah
and Avtalyon.” Thus, we received the Torah in our possession today
through Shemayah and Avtalyon, who were righteous converts.

In maseches Yoma (71b) the gemara relates the great honor Yisrael
bestowed on Shemayah and Avtalyon, honoring them more than the
Kohen Gadol. The gemara tells us: “The Rabbanan learned: It hap-
pened that a certain Kohen Gadol left the Beis Hamikdash, all the
people went after him. When they saw Shemayah and Avtalyon they
left the Kohen Gadol and followed them. Eventually, Shemayah and
Avtalyon came before the Kohen Gadol to take their leave of him
and go home. He said, ‘May the sons of the nations enter in peace!’
[Rashi says that referring to them thus was an insult, because they
were descended from Sancherev.] They responded, ‘May peace rest
upon the sons of the nations who conduct themselves like Aharon
Hakohen [who pursued peace] but may peace not come upon the
descendant of Aharon Hakohen who does not conduct himself like
Aharon Hakohen.’” In light of all this, this baby could become one
of our nation’s greatest Torah leaders, even given that he is a convert.

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