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to remain quiet and not reveal that his father was a non-
Jew.4 In our case however, it is probably correct to reveal
the adoption, for since the adopted child is considered the
child of the adoptive parents, keeping quiet is tantamount
to deceit not merely covering up the truth.
3. In the case of the adoption of a convert or a possible
convert, such as our case, if he is ever a candidate for any
position of communal authority, the fact of his conversion
[or possible conversion] must be revealed because “A king
must not be appointed from the community of converts, as
it is written, “‘You may not appoint a foreign person over
you who is not your brother’” (Devarim 17:15). This applies
not only to ruling the nation but to holding any position of
authority in Yisrael,“even to the official appointed over the
water channel that apportions water to the fields, as it says,
‘From among your brethren shall you appoint a king over
you’ – any appointment that you make can only be from
among your brethren,” as explained in Yevamos (45b) and
the Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 1:4). A convert may serve
as a judge in monetary cases only if his mother is Jewish, as
explained in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 269:11 and
Choshen Mishpat 7:1). So if this baby is a convert and mer-
its studying Torah and becomes a judge, he is forbidden to
judge Jews, only other converts, and his adoptive parents
will have to reveal this.

Now, when adopting a convert, the adoptive parents have an addi-
tional merit, namely, the mitzvah of loving a ger:

Besides Jews being commanded to love one another – a mitzvah

4. See earlier, siman 78, on the topic ‘Telling a Fiancée that His Left Testicle was
Removed or that His Father is a non-Jew,’ and also siman 256, ‘Deception in
Arranging Matches and the Possibility of a Marriage being rendered Null and
Void,’ where we discuss the Kehilos Yaakov’s ruling at length.

Adopting a Child 2 501