Shulchan Aruch/Yoreh Deah/268
Seif 1 – A convert who enters the congregation of Jews is obligated first for circumcision. If he was circumcised when he was a non-Jew (or he was born circumcised), it is necessary to take from him a drop of the blood of the covenant, but one does not bless over him. If his penis has been cut off, [the requirement of] his circumcision does not hinder him from converting to Judaism – it is enough for him to dunk. (If he immersed prior to circumcision, it is effective, because post facto it is considered immersion, and some say that it is not a valid immersion).
Seif 2 - When one comes to convert, three people say to him: What prompted you to come and convert? Or, don’t you know that at this point in time Israel is pushed, oppressed, (hopeless and oppressed from, “Why are your stalwarts swept away”[Jeremiah 46:15]? ) and insane and tormented ones come upon them? If he (the prospective convert) says, “I know, yet still I am not worthy to join them,” accept him immediately and inform him of the principles of the faith, of the unity of God, of the prohibitions against idolatry, and go on at length with him about this. Also, instruct him a bit in a few of the less strenious mitzvot and a few of the more serious mitzvot, about a few of the punishments (for transgressing) the mitzvot, and say to him, “When you first came to learn this, if you ate (forbidden fats) you would not be punished by being cut off. If you desecrated Shabbat, you would not be stoned, and now if you eat (forbidden) fats, you will be cut off, and if you desecrate Shabbat, you will be stoned. Do not expound on this at too great a length, and in as much as you have informed him about the punishments (for the transgressing) of the commandments, so too should you inform him of the rewards of (following) the mitzvot, that in the doing of these mitzvot he will merit life in the world to come, and that there is no such thing as a complete saint except for one who has wisdom and that does the these commandments and knows them. Say to him, “As for the world to come, it is not hidden, rather it is for the righteous ones, that is, Israel, and that those who see Israel in sadness in this world, they will see goodness for them (in the world to come), for they are not able to receive the majority of their goodness in this world as idolaters lest they shoot them and they make a mistake and they loose their reward in the world to come. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not bring them most of the calamities in order that they are not desteroyed, rather all of the idolaters are tools (of God), and they are standing. Expound at length upon this in order to make the words attractive. If he accepts, cicrumcise him immediately. Wait until he heals completely and afterwards dunk him (in the mikveh), and he should have no clothing or barrier between him and the water. Three people stand behind him and inform him of a few of the less strenious and a few of the more serious mitzvot a second time and he stand in the water. If the convert is a woman, women sit her down in the water up to her neck and the rabbinic judges remain outside and inform her of a few of the less strenious and more serious mitzvot while she sits in the mater and afterwards she submerges in front of them and they return their and leaves in order that they do not see her while she is getting out of the water. And then comes the blessing over immersion after the convert gets out of the water, and because he immersed, behold, he’s an Israelite! And if he returns to his original state, he’s an apostate of Israel. If he becomes holy, he remains holy.
Seif 3 - All of the elements of conversion – whether informing him of the mitzvot in order to receive them, milah (i.e. ritual circumcision), immersion (i.e. in a mikvah) – they need to be done before three who are kosher to judge, and during the day. However, this is limited to ab initio circumstances, but in post facto circumstances, if his circumcision or immersion was in front of only two (or relatives) or at night, even if he did not immerse for the sake of conversion but a man who immersed because of a seminal emission or a woman who immersed on account of her state of separateness (i.e. because of her period) this is a convert and is permitted to a Jewish woman – except for the receiving of mitzvot, which blocks [conversion] if it is not done in front of three and during the day. But according to the Ri”f and the Ramb”am, even bediavad if someone immersed or was circumcised in front of two or at night, this blocks and he is forbidden to a Jewish woman. But if he married a Jewish woman and he had a child with her, we do not invalidate that child.
Seif 4 - Since the immersion of a convert needs a bet din of three, they do not immerse him on Shabbat, and not on the yom tov (holidays), and not at night. But if he immersed, he has converted.
Seif 5 - One who circumcises converts blesses “Praised are you Adonai, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to circumcise converts.” And afterwards he blesses, “Praised are you Adonai, King of the universe who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to circumcise converts and to draw a drop of covenantal blood from them since without the covenantal blood, the heavens and the earth would not have existed as it says, ‘As surely as I have established My covenant with day and night – the laws of heaven and earth…’ ”
Seif 6 - A non-Jewish woman who converted while she was pregnant, her child does not require immersion.
Seif 7 - If a non-Jewish minor has a father, he may convert him, and if he does not have a father and he comes to convert, or his mother brings him to convert, a bet din (i.e. religious court) converts him since it is to his advantage and we do things that are beneficial for someone even without that person’s knowledge. Either a minor whose father converted him or he was converted by a bet din, he may reject the conversion when he matures and his legal status is not like a yisrael mumar (i.e. a Jew who converts out of Judaism), but rather like a non-Jew.
