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I don't think there were any gerim amongst the nevi'im, but would it have been possible?

yoel
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  • Unless we want to say that Avraham and Sarah count as converts... I also note that Sarah is the only matriarch on the list of prophets, and the only matriarch who is easily described as not being a convert. – yoel Jan 11 '13 at 08:33
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    How is Sarah "easily described as not being a convert"? Did she have a more Jewish upbringing than the other matriarchs? – Isaac Moses Jan 11 '13 at 15:12
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    @IsaacMoses did she have a less Jewish upbringing than Avraham? – yoel Jan 11 '13 at 17:32
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    How do you distinguish either Avraham or Sarah from the other matriarchs on the "is similar to a convert" scale? – Isaac Moses Jan 11 '13 at 17:40
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    @IsaacMoses It seems intuitive to me. I think there is an assumption that the other matriarchs converted prior to marrying Yitzchak and Yaakov, whereas I presume Sarah converted at the same time as Avraham. – yoel Jan 11 '13 at 19:36
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    Why not? All of Klal Yisrael basically converted during the Exodus and received prophecy at Har Sinai. – Seth J Jan 24 '13 at 15:50
  • @SethJ Does receiving prophecy make one a prophet? ( I would think that a prophet is one who passes the prophecy on to others). More generally, I think you're touching on a more basic question: How do we define prophecy and prophets? Is any communication from God really prophecy? Is anyone God speaks to a prophet? – Tamir Evan Jan 24 '13 at 21:09
  • @TamirEvan, that's an issue RaMBa"M deals with at length, but if I'm not mistaken, he does classify all prophecy, along with that of Moses, and including passive reception of messages from G-d, as a spectrum (of prophecy). – Seth J Jan 24 '13 at 21:19
  • @SethJ Even so, one could still argue that they qualified for receiving certain lower levels of prophecy, but not for higher levels, or becoming prophets. Also, conversion is not the issue, being a Jew is, and Benei Yisra'el before Matan Torah were no less Jews than their descendants towards the end of time of the First Temple were. In any case, Judaism( in the form of the Torah) for them to convert into, was only given after they received prophecy( so they were gentiles rather than converts?). – Tamir Evan Jan 24 '13 at 22:15
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    Balaam was a prophet and he wasn't even Jewish. – Daniel Apr 11 '13 at 20:06

6 Answers6

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There is a tradition, recorded in various sources, that the prophet Ovadiah was an Edomite convert. This tradition is born of the fact that there is nothing within his short (one chapter) oracle that concerns Judeans or Israelites; the entire thing is an oracle about the Edomites instead.

Sources:

  • Sanhedrin 39b;
  • Tanchuma, Tazria 8.

See also Rashi and Radak on Ovadiah 1:1.

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    Not to mention that there were non-Jews who had the gift of prophecy, including the rasha Billaam. If he could be a prophet, why not a convert? – Bruce James Jan 11 '13 at 12:41
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    @BruceJames One could argue Billaam was given the gift of prophecy only to prove to gentiles that they did not refrain from repenting for lack of a prophet to guide them in God's ways( see Rashi on Bamidbar 22:5 s.v. "'Eretz Benei Amo"). So, one couldn't learn from that about gentiles qualifying to become prophets, or mi-Qal va-Chomer whether Gerim qualify either. – Tamir Evan Jan 11 '13 at 13:39
  • @TamirEvan, except that he was not just a prophet for that one instance. He was a career-prophet. In addition, that does not negate the fact that, yes, non-Jews could be prophets. That's just a (possible) reason why G-d structured prophecy that way, not a proof that only one person ever was made a prophet outside of Klal Yisrael. – Seth J Jan 24 '13 at 15:57
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    @SethJ I didn't say that Billaam's gift of prophecy was, in itself, limited, nor that non-Jews couldn't be prophets, nor that only one gentile was ever made a prophet( I wasn't even voicing my own opinion in the matter). I was saying that, according to the Rashi I cited, the bar for gentiles, especially Billaam, becoming prophets was lowered( to deny gentiles an excuse for not repenting), and one could not learn from them to Gerim who, like native born Jews, don't enjoy the same leniency( and have to be better qualified for prophecy). – Tamir Evan Jan 24 '13 at 20:51
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According to R. Yehudah Halevi, a convert cannot be a prophet. The question on R. Yehudah Halevi's view is that Chazal say Ovadiah was a convert. This question, which was raised by the commentators on the Kuzari, is addressed by R. Yitzchak Sheilat who suggests that R. Yehudah Halevi's view depends on a possible dispute in the Gemara about whether Ovadiah was a convert. According to the Rambam, R. Sheilat notes, a convert can certainly be a prophet.

Ariel K
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wfb
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    Where is this dispute about if Ovadiah was a Prophet? – Double AA Jan 15 '13 at 20:37
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    @DoubleAA I fixed his typo. – Ariel K Jan 17 '13 at 00:12
  • Does anyone ask from Bilam or Job? – Baby Seal Jan 16 '14 at 03:27
  • I saw today that Rabbi Uri Cherki writes in his commentary on the Kuzari that what the Rihal meant was that even if a convert becomes a prophet, his prophecies will be directed at the nation he originally came from and not to Am Yisrael. In Ovadiah's case, he was formerly of Edom so he prophecised on Edom. – Harel13 Feb 20 '20 at 15:36
  • @Harel13 interesting – wfb Feb 20 '20 at 18:06
  • @caprireds חזון עובדיהו כה אמר ה' אלוקים לאדום וגו' מאי שנא עובדיה לאדום? אמר רבי יצחק אמר הקב"ה יבא עובדיהו הדר בין שני רשעים ולא למד ממעשיהם וינבא על עשו הרשע שדר בין שני צדיקים ולא למד ממעשיהם. אמר אפרים מקשאה תלמידו של ר' מאיר משום ר' מאיר: עובדיה גר אדומי היה, והיינו דאמרי אינשי מיניה וביה אבא ניזיל ביה נרגא. – wfb Apr 20 '21 at 18:02
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    בילקוט שמעוני (ישעיהו רמז שפה; והדברים נמצאים ב'אגדת בראשית' פרק יד): חזון ישעיהו - שני נביאים נתנבאו בלשון זה, ישעיה ועובדיה, ישעיה גדול שבנביאים ועובדיה קטן שבנביאים, ויש אומרים גר היה – wfb Apr 20 '21 at 18:03
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Chananya ben Azur was a prophet (until he went bad), and he was a Givoni, who are a nation of converts (Rashi on Yirmiyah 28:6).

Double AA
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Shamiach
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    how do we know he was ever a real Prophet? the title הנביא could mean prophet (lower-case) ie fake – Double AA May 14 '15 at 05:20
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    @DoubleAA: Sanhedrin 89a says that his nevua was based on a kal vachomer, and it was a good kal vachomer except that the original nevua was said to Yirmiya and not to him. – Shamiach May 14 '15 at 05:25
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    And further on the Gemara calls him originally a navi emes. – Shamiach May 14 '15 at 05:27
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    @Shamiach Specifically on 90a: כגון חנניה בן עזור שמתחלתו נביא אמת ולבסוף נביא שקר. – Fred May 14 '15 at 05:48
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Tana D'Bei Eliyahu: " I testify on Myself heaven and earth, whether man or woman, whether gentile or Jew, whether slaveman or slavewoman, everyone according to his actions, the Ruach Hakodesh (Divine spirit) will dwell on him". from shaarei kedusha available here: http://dafyomireview.com/shaarei_kedusha.php?na=1

(i.e. anyone can reach Ruach HaKodesh even women, slaves, or non-Jews).

as far as being an official prophet, not clear

ray
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  • Is there any evidence about what the author of Tanna D'bei Eliyahu intended by "ruah hakodesh", such as other Geonic works as a reference point? What does it even mean to be "an official prophet"? – mevaqesh Jul 07 '16 at 03:16
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Not only did Adam and Ḥavah receive prophecy, but so did their son - after murdering his brother - and Noaḥ. And Lot and his family were visited and spoken to by angels. Hagar received prophecy after being exiled, and Pharaoh and his servants received prophetic dreams.

Certainly before Avraham there were no "Jews". Avraham himself "converted", if you can call it that, and so did all of Klal Yisrael, essentially, during the Exodus - and they all received prophecy at Har Sinai.

As for the status of Lot, he was either a "gentile" or a "convert", and the same would have been true of his family.

Similar for Hagar.

Pharaoh and his servants definitely were not Jewish, but, interestingly, Muslims believe that Pharaoh converted at the Sea in order not to drown (and I seem to recall a Midrash or something similar that he converted after everything - does anyone know if I'm making that up?).

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Seth J
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  • Don't forget Lavan. – Double AA Jan 24 '13 at 16:29
  • Good innovative answer I didn't think about adam, eve, and noah. But I'm not sure they converted. Did we really have conversion before the giving of the torah? And if it goes by region then clearly Avraham who was an "evri" would have been an Israelite. If you don't consider us a nation until after yaakov's name is changed then none of your examples apply. If you don't consider us a nation until har sinai then your examples don't hold either. Remember his question wasn't if non-jews could have prophecy, his question were if converts, as in now a jewish convert gets jewish prophecy from hashem. – JMFB Jan 07 '16 at 12:21
  • @JMFB We do in fact see that Osnas bas Potiphar(a) converted. Rashi brings the Medrish. When Yackov wanted to bless Yosef s sons the Ruach Hakodesh left him and he thought there was a פגם in Yosef's sons so he said "Who's are these?" Yosef brought him Osnas' Kesuva and Gairus Papers! (Without knowing the Full Medrish or Explianian of Rashi many people think he only took out his marriage papers) So it's clear she had a conversion whatever that means. – Sochacz Jan 22 '21 at 13:23
  • @JMFB You used the term 'Jewish Convert' towards the end of your comment. That status does not exist halachically. Maybe to refer to some as such socially, it might be a societally made up construct; but not halachically Either you are a Goy or a Jew. The moment you convert, you are a Jew. There are practically zero microseconds, that you spend as a convert. Once you convert, you are a Jew and as long as you did not convert, you are a goy. This is similar to a baby either being born or being in gestation. There is no concept of a baby who has been born and is still in gestation. – Mars Sojourner Oct 16 '23 at 04:08
  • @DoubleAA what about him? – Rabbi Kaii Oct 17 '23 at 17:56
  • @RabbiKaii He received prophecy – Double AA Oct 17 '23 at 17:58
  • @DoubleAA I didn't hear that before, could you send some further reading my way please? – Rabbi Kaii Oct 17 '23 at 18:00
  • @RabbiKaii https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.31.24 – Double AA Oct 17 '23 at 18:01
  • @DoubleAA oh duh! thanks – Rabbi Kaii Oct 17 '23 at 18:30
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The question was specifically about converts becoming Jewish prophets,so here goes:

Sh'maya, Sage and President of the Sanhedrin, from a Mideastern religion

Avtalyon, Sage and Vice-President of the Sanhedrin, from a Mideastern religion

Bithiah, Moshe's foster mother from traditional Egyptian religion

Jethro priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses from a Mideastern religion

Ruth, great-grandmother of King David, has her own book in the tanach

Osenath, from the Ancient Egyptian religion yoseph hatzadik's wife.

Zipporah, Moses's wife from a Mideastern or northern African religion

Yael, who saved the jews, and was the subject of devorahs song in judges

Onkelos, Hebrew scholar and translator wrote the targum-the only authoritative exposition of the torah(he added stuff), from ancient Roman religion. He spoke to deceased spirits in Gittin-56B, and asked them how israel would fare, then converted.

...were all converts. See any prophets in the list above? Doesn't it say in the Gemara that all tannaim were prophets? I believe Rambam said this as well but don't have the source for it, maybe somebody can add it.

JMFB
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    I don't think any of the listed people are certified prophets. – Daniel Jan 07 '16 at 15:21
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    "Doesn't it say in the Gemara that all tannaim were prophets?" No. – wfb Jan 07 '16 at 17:12
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    -1 Bisya, Yisro, Rus, Tzipporah, and Yael were all converts, but none were prophets. Osenas wasn't a convert; her mother was Dinah. Onkelos, Shamaya, Avtalion, and all Tannaim, lived after the era of prophecy ceased, so they had no chance. – DonielF Apr 01 '19 at 01:35
  • The Source for Asnas bas Potifra is the Medrish that Rashi brings were the Ruach Hakodesh departed from Yackov Avinu when he wanted to give Brachos to Menash & Efrayim. He asked Yosef "Mi Aila?"-Whose are these? Whereby Yosef took out his Kesuva and Osnanas' Geroris Papers, Showing that she Converted to Judiaism. – Sochacz Jan 22 '21 at 13:04
  • To all: I'm pretty sure that Basia was in fact a Nevia, listed as one of the 7 Female Prophets...... But the Tannaim were certainly Not Prophets because the Era of Prophesy was over soon after the 2nd Bias Hamikdash (Chagi, Mishel, Azariah were last 3) There was Ruach Hakodesh like Daniel had. – Sochacz Jan 22 '21 at 13:10
  • @Sochacz If Osenas was Dinah's daughter, then why did she need to convert? – Mars Sojourner Oct 16 '23 at 04:11
  • Accidentally wrote your answer in the wrong place here it is. – Sochacz Oct 17 '23 at 17:51
  • #1 According to a Talmud Chacham thats not widely accepted . I asked this Rav it says 70 descendants of Yakov went down to Mitzrim. Rashi counts each one and says Yoched bas Levi was born between the entrance of the walls of Egypt- That way you get 70. I asked a Talmud Chachum " Why do you have to come on to someone being born between the walls, count Osnas bas Dinah, Yosef's wife (as Yosef and 2 sons are also counted in the 70)? He answered me "it's just a Medrish

    My 2nd answer is that Osnas was born from the rape by Shechem, who wasn't Jewish. Before Matan Torah a Jew went by Father.

     – Sochacz Oct 17 '23 at 17:58
  • @Sochacz the 7 female prophets are Sarah, Miriam, Devora, Chana, Avigayil, Chuldah, and Esther. Basya is not in that list. – Esther Oct 19 '23 at 18:27