ADOPTION
THE RELIGIOUS CONSIDERATIONS
QUESTION
When the child of a non-Jewish mother is adopted by a Jewish family, is the child automatically Jewish?
cording to Torah precept, he
confers holiness upon himself,
since he has employed his
body for the needs of his soul.
Furthermore, the Torah
views our social relationships
as additional opportunities
for achieving holiness. The
famous dictum, "Love your
neighbor as yourself' (Lev.
19:18), appears in the Sedrah
of Kecloshim Tih'yu ("You
shall be holy"). This context
indicates that achieving har-
mony in our interpersonal in-
teractions requires behavior
which does not always come
naturally to us: the exercise
of sensitivity to the needs of
others in our social sphere, as
ordained by God.
Just as the Torah's concept
of holiness implies that each
Jew can go beyond his in-
dividual nature, so does it im-
ply that a "holy nation" can
transcend the most fun- .
damental aspect of nature —
time. Time is sanctified by the
Jewish nation, because God
has empowered the Jewish
court to determine the begin-
ning of each month,
automatically affecting the
arrangement of the festival
cycle (which is mentioned in
Lev. 23-24).
Moreover, the Sabbatical
and Jubilee year cycles (Lev.
21-25) are also dependent on
the court's influence over the
calendar. From a Kabbalistic
point of view, the festivals
provide a special opportunity
for the soul to relive the
spiritual emanations of Crea-
tion, the Exodus, and the
Revelation, thus freeing it
from temporal history.
From the perspective of a
"holy nation," time is no
longer viewed as inexorable,
but rather as a mechanism
created to serve the needs of
the soul.
It is interesting to note that
while Leviticus represents on-
ly one-fifth of the Torah, it
contains almost half of the
613 commandments. The pur-
suit of holiness and service to
God is not instinctual to man,
just as perfect pitch is not
automatic in a newly
assembled violin. But just as
finely tuned violin strings ex-
press the innate tone of the
instrument, so, too, a life
refined by mitzvah perfor-
mance and Divine service
evokes the full potential of
the Jewish soul. Thus do the
commandments serve as
guideposts on the path to
holiness.
❑
When the rabbis speak of
paradise and hell . . . these
are only metaphors for the
agony of sin and the hap-
piness of virtue.
—Kaufmann Kohler
ANSWER
No. The only thing that can alter a child's status is conversion according to Halacha.
DISCUSSION
ITEM
The COR is called by a religious school to
determine whether a child enrolled by
adoptive parents may be accepted as a
student because of .a questionable conver-
sion process.
ITEM
A child is prepared for Bar Mitzavh and in-
vitations are mailed out, when the Rabbi
becomes aware of the child's adoption and
recognizes that questionable conversion
procedures were followed.
ITEM
A wedding is scheduled and shortly before the ceremony it
becomes apparent that there is a question of whether one of
the parties is Jewish because of an incomplete religious
adoption.
As a result of the increase of adoption of .children of non-
Jewish mothers, the problem of Halachically valid conver-
sions has become a pressing issue. Many adoptions are
made without the knowledge of Jewish law and the means
and circumstances by which it may be applied.
CONVERSION ACCORDING TO JEWISH LAW
When a child is adopted, he does not automatically become
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Kosins
Also necessary is that the child converted be raised in accor-
dance with Jewish law as perscribed in the "Shnlchan
Orach", the code of Jewish laws, and that the home of the
adopting parents be kosher and the child be given a good
Jewish education.
WE ARE READY TO HELP
A PRESSING ISSUE
"Where You Come First"
Jewish. Even though the adoption process
may have been finalized, it does not
affect the child's religious status. The only
thing that can alter his status is conversion
according to Jewish law, including the three
basic steps for conversion in full conformity
with Halacha.
1. Having a bris (circumcision) specifically
performed for the purpose of conversion.
2. Acceptance to fulfill all the mitzvohs.
3. Mikvah rite for conversion.
FUR
STORAGE
(Even If Purchased Elsmihere)
Uptown
Southfield Rd, at
11 1 /2 Mile • 559-3900
The Council of Orthodox Rabbis stands ready to assist in
the areas of both conversion and adoption. Our staff will
deal sensitively and confidentially to aid you in any way
possible.
Council of Orthodox Rabbis
17071 WEST TEN MILE ROAD
SOUTHFIELD, MI 48075 • 559-5005
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
55