The Presence of a Beis Din at a Woman's Conversion — Eruvin 92b

The Presence of a Beis Din at a Woman's Conversion — Eruvin 92b

תלמוד בבלי מסכת עירובין דף צב/ב

תשעה בגדולה ויחיד בקטנה מצטרפין תשעה בקטנה ואחד בגדולה אין מצטרפין

תוספות עירובין דף צב/ב

תשעה בגדולה ויחיד בקטנה מצטרפין - דוקא ביחיד בקטנה אבל חמשה בקטנה וחמשה בגדולה אין מצטרפין וסיפא דנקט תשעה בקטנה ה"ה חמשה בקטנה אלא אגב רישא נקט האי לישנא

The Rambam (Hil. Issurei Biah 14:6) writes: "And if she [the convert] is a woman, [other] women place her in the water up to her neck, while the judges are outside. They tell her some of the less stringent and some of the more stringent mitzvos as she is sitting in the water. She then immerses before them, and they turn around and exit so that they so not see here when she comes out of the water." The Aruch LaNer (to Yebamos 74b) understands the Rambam to be saying that the judges must themselves observe the immersion. A similar inference may be made from the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah §268).

R' Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah 5:127) adds that it is not only preferable, but essential that the Beis Din observe the convert's immersion. It is from our Tosafos that Reb Moshe infers that the presence of the judges in an adjacent room does not suffice, for we see here that when there are five people in a smaller courtyard and five people in an adjacent larger courtyard, they cannot be considered one group for the purpose of forming a minyan (see also Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 55:16). Hence, even if the judges are standing in a room that is open to the mikveh, this does not suffice for them to be considered as if they are present in the place where the immersion is taking place. Thus, it is as if the immersion of this convert is taking place in the absence if a Beis Din, and it is doubtful whether a conversion in the absence of a Beis Din is valid (see also Teshuvos Yabi'a Omer, vol. 1, Yoreh De'ah §19).

The Presence of a Beis Din at a Woman's Conversion — Eruvin 92b

תלמוד בבלי מסכת עירובין דף צב/ב

תשעה בגדולה ויחיד בקטנה מצטרפין תשעה בקטנה ואחד בגדולה אין מצטרפין

תוספות עירובין דף צב/ב

תשעה בגדולה ויחיד בקטנה מצטרפין - דוקא ביחיד בקטנה אבל חמשה בקטנה וחמשה בגדולה אין מצטרפין וסיפא דנקט תשעה בקטנה ה"ה חמשה בקטנה אלא אגב רישא נקט האי לישנא

The Rambam (Hil. Issurei Biah 14:6) writes: "And if she [the convert] is a woman, [other] women place her in the water up to her neck, while the judges are outside. They tell her some of the less stringent and some of the more stringent mitzvos as she is sitting in the water. She then immerses before them, and they turn around and exit so that they so not see here when she comes out of the water." The Aruch LaNer (to Yebamos 74b) understands the Rambam to be saying that the judges must themselves observe the immersion. A similar inference may be made from the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah §268).

R' Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah 5:127) adds that it is not only preferable, but essential that the Beis Din observe the convert's immersion. It is from our Tosafos that Reb Moshe infers that the presence of the judges in an adjacent room does not suffice, for we see here that when there are five people in a smaller courtyard and five people in an adjacent larger courtyard, they cannot be considered one group for the purpose of forming a minyan (see also Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 55:16). Hence, even if the judges are standing in a room that is open to the mikveh, this does not suffice for them to be considered as if they are present in the place where the immersion is taking place. Thus, it is as if the immersion of this convert is taking place in the absence if a Beis Din, and it is doubtful whether a conversion in the absence of a Beis Din is valid (see also Teshuvos Yabi'a Omer, vol. 1, Yoreh De'ah §19).