DEUT451 See [[DEUT53]] Deuteronomy 4:6 proof OXFORD 40

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DEUT452 See [[LEV1062]] Leviticus 25:36 interest OXFORD 46

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DEUT453 In the Sages' view, humility is an attribute of the Almighty Himself. There is a moving Talmudic passage, included in our prayers at the end of the Sabbath: Said R. Yohanan: In every instance where you find a mention of the Holy Blessed One's greatness, there you will also find His unassuming modesty. ... It is written in the Torah, "the Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who will not be partial nor take a bribe"; and immediately afterwards it is written, "He achieves justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the stranger, in giving him bread and clothing"… [this and preceding verses, T.B. Megillah 31a]. Great in transcendent majesty is He, says the Torah -- and at once it assures us that no pride blocks His deep concern for those who need Him. So does the true Torah scholar become: his mind and vision are opened to soar to the heights and understand the loftiest and deepest matters of existence; yet he walks humbly among his fellow-men, ready to be concerned and give his help.

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DEUT455 See [[EXOD648]] Exodus 22:20 strangers AMEMEI 219-20

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DEUT458 See [[LEV802]] Leviticus 19:34 strangers AMEMEI 220

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DEUT456 See [[EXOD873]] Exodus 23:9 stranger CCCBM 79

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DEUT454 Love the Proselyte: the Torah commands us to show love towards a convert to Judaism. As a matter of fact, in thirty-six verses the Torah urges us to love converts and cautions us not to wrong them, either monetarily or through words. God loves them more, and they are more precious to Him than Israel. We can compare it to two people, one who loves the king, and the other who is loved by the king. The parallel is this: Israel loves God, but God loves the convert, as it says, "He loves the proselyte, granting him food and clothing" (this verse). Therefore, it is a mitzvah to love those whom the King loves, as it says, "You must show love towards the proselyte" (Deuteronomy 10:19) (Sefer Chasidim, paragraph 116).

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DEUT457 See [[LEV800]] Leviticus 19:34 stranger TELVOL2 267-8

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DEUT459 We must be especially careful to have compassion on converts to Judaism. This is a positive commandment. Although we are obligated to love all Jews, there is an additional commandment to love a convert to Judaism. The verse ends by mentioning that we also felt the discomfort of being strangers and therefore we must act to alleviate this discomfort for others. By extension we should learn from this commandment to befriend anyone who is a stranger in town. (Chinuch 431) ... If you see a stranger in town, take the initiative to welcome him. Very often you will be able to give him invaluable advice. Even if you are unable to offer him tangible assistance, a friendly word to a stranger is a great kindness in itself. It is not sufficient to merely shake hands with a stranger and then walk away as if fulfilling a ritual. You must sincerely care about his welfare and try to assist him. ... If you see someone standing on a street corner with a map in his hand, it usually means that he needs help. Try to assist him if you can.

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DEUT460 Show love for converts. Having made the nation of Israel His chosen and holy people, Hashem seeks to elevate us and make us more worthy. Therefore, He teaches and guides us so that we develop feelings of mercy and pity. He enjoins us to crown ourselves with all of the positive and desired character traits, so that we will cast our charm upon everyone around us. When the nations of the world will look upon us, they will exclaim, “These are the people of God” (Yechezkel 36: 20). How very pleasant and charming it is when Jews show love for converts and go out of their way to be kind to them and protect them from any sort of suffering. The convert has left his native people and family, and has placed himself under the wings of a different people because he loves them, and because he has chosen truth and hates falsehood. We also learn from this mitzvah to show mercy on any visitor who comes to a strange city, far from his homeland. When he is amongst us, alone and with no one to help him, we may not turn our eyes from him and ignore his plight. We see that the Torah commands us to show kindness to all who need help. If we strengthen these traits in ourselves, we become worthy of Heaven's mercy. The blessings of Hashem will rest upon our heads, and His good will cling to us.

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