I explained to one of the evangelical Xtian types that it is particularly offensive to me to proselytize because my religious beliefs are such that proselytizing is not permitted due to Biblical admonition. I realized that I don’t really know what I am talking about. Please advise the Torah location and passage(s) that we Jews interpret to mean that proselytizing our faith to those of other faiths is not to be done. Thank you very much. I live in an area where I am bombarded by these people all the time.
Answer:
The verse (Deut. 7:7) writes that G-d did not desire Israel for their numbers, “for you are the slightest of all nations.” The statement of the verse whereby Israel is the slightest of nations implies that we are not a missionary religion: Our strength is not in numbers, and the principle of proselytizing does not appear anywhere in the Torah, in Talmudic writings, or elsewhere. When a person wishes to convert to Judaism, the Talmud (Yevamos) writes that he must be warned that being Jewish is not a cup of tea, and involves obligations and prohibitions that do not apply to non-Jews. However, if he persists, he is of course welcomed into the religion with open arms, as was Ruth the Moabite, and many other righteous converts.
Good luck with dealing with your neighbors!
