The 13th blessing of the Amidah begins this way: “Let Your tender mercies be stirred for the righteous, the pious, the elders of Your people the House of Israel, and on the remnant of your devoted scholars and faithful converts and on us…”
I once saw a headstone that was inscribed with the first couple of words of this prayer, so it read “For the righteous and the pious…” And I thought it was rather cheeky for someone to describe themselves that way. But then it was explained to me that he was actually giving a tongue in cheek reading to the whole prayer. What he meant was “Have mercy on all these wonderful exemplary people, and then on us, who, like me, are not so wonderful and exemplary.” What could be seen as boasting was actually a mark of humility.
At least I hope he meant it that way.
In any case, there is one particular phrase in this prayer that stands out for me: “faithful converts and us.” Besides showing admirable appreciation for those who are crazy enough to throw their lot in with the Jewish people, this phrasing teaches us something important about all us JFB’s (Jews from birth).
The great Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig once commented that almost all of us in the modern age approach Judaism “from the outside in.” That is to say that, regardless of our birth heritage, our immersion in secular culture is far greater than our immersion in Jewish culture; and that if and when our fascination with Judaism finally awakens, we find ourselves approaching it “from the outside,” armed with all kinds of secular knowledge but barely literate when it comes to Judaism.
A quick example: Ask yourself if you have read more plays of Shakespeare or more chapters in the Mishnah, the foundational-post biblical collection of Jewish law.
Well, as Hamlet would say, “We know what we are, but we know not what we may be.” Sure, we’re Jews. But we could be JEWS, if we only knew how. So a convert, who has chosen to join the Jewish people and who has studied Judaism as an adult, who has learned “what he may be,’ has a leg up on the rest of us who for our Jewish identity rely on our accident of birth and the occasional lox and bagel rather than on our intentional education and mindful devotion.
The bottom line: We, too, need to be Jews by choice.
True enough, G-d could shed his tender mercies on us in spite of it all. But shouldn’t we, like the righteous and the pious and converts at least try to meet Him/Her halfway?