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How do we understand the status of a ger katan before and after becoming obligated in mitzvos? The shiur develops distinctions between different types of conversion obligations and explores whether the Gemara (גמרא)'s principle of "higdil v'lo michah" applies equally to all cases of minor converts.
This comprehensive shiur analyzes multiple complex issues in Kesubos 11a regarding the status of a ger katan (minor convert) and related conversion laws. The shiur begins by examining the status of an eved (slave) after shichrur (manumission), noting that the Rambam (רמב"ם) requires a second tevilah for complete gerus. This raises fundamental questions about his intermediate halakhic status - is he permitted to live with a shifcha before the second tevilah, and what mitzvah (מצוה) obligations apply? A major focus is resolving Tosafos (תוספות)'s difficulty regarding how the Gemara (גמרא) answers Rav Yosef's question about ger katan with "higdil v'lo michah" (grew up and didn't protest). The Rivash and Gra cite this as proof that the principle applies to all conversion cases, not just specific circumstances. The shiur proposes that the distinction lies in who assumes responsibility for the minor's Jewish education - only when proper chinuch is guaranteed does the conversion avoid being considered a liability.
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Why does halacha forbid entering dangerous places if everything happens by Divine decree? The shiur examines the debate between Rashi and Tosfos on traveling at night, developing a fundamental distinction: Rashi holds one must avoid even deserved punishments that Hashem delays through mercy, while Tosfos holds the prohibition addresses self-inflicted harm through free will. This framework reveals how people rationalize self-destructive behavior as "hashgacha."
Why does the Gemara praise hospitality to scholars as a unique mitzvah rather than ordinary hachnasas orchim? The shiur distinguishes two mitzvahs: hachnasas orchim (providing for those in need) and connecting to talmidei chachamim (cleaving to God through scholars). Yisro's meal for the Jewish leaders wasn't charity—it was his way of bonding with those transformed by Torah, teaching that learning must fundamentally change who we are.
Kesubos 11a
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