Avraham Converted the Men and Sarah Converted the Women |
At the end of Parshat Noach, we learn of the birth of Avram,
the marriage of Avram to Sarai, the fact that Sarai is barren as well as the
start of their journey to the Rashi asks what is meant by the words “the souls that they had made in Charan”, after all souls cannot be made. Rashi answers with an explanation from Breisheet Raba 39:14, they brought the souls under the protective wings of the Divine Presence. Avraham would convert the men and Sarah would convert the women. Therefore they are considered to have made them. We can learn from here some very important information about conversions. Avraham and Sarah, converts themselves understood the importance of not just converting people, but rather touching souls. When working with a person who is converting, a mentor has to understand that they are not just going through the motions of filling out paperwork and teaching a curriculum, they are creating a Jewish soul. Avraham and Sarah realized that when it comes to studying for conversion, it is often more comfortable for the men to have a male mentor and for the women to have a female mentor. For the past seventeen years, I have mentored female
converts, first in the Avraham and Sarah’s goal was to reach the We are now in the year |