Treatment of Anusím upon Returning to Judaism
"Rabbi Yosef Caro (1488 – 1575) agreed in the Shulkhan Arukh with the decision of R. Isaac b. Sheshet that the Anusím, who practice the Jewish faith in secret and who were unable to flee the country, are to be regarded as Jews"
According to Rabbinic Tradition
One needs to set forth a few pointers regarding the treatment of Anusím, when they
return to Judaism. First, we need a few definitions.
Formally, an Anús / Anusá is a Jew / Jewess coerced to abandon Judaism against his / her
will. Furthermore, an Anús is a Jew who keeps Jewish Law to the best of his / her abilities under
the coerced condition, and does whatever in his / her power to abandon the situation of coercion.
A Jew by Rabbinical definition is not only the son or daughter of a Jewess, but also –
from the behavioral standpoint – one who keeps living within Rabbinic tradition. Rabbis make a
difference between a Jew who lives within Judaism, and one who does not.
Rabbinic tradition is the interpretative and exegetical mode of transmission formalized
since the times of the Mishná (2nd and 3rd c. CE) to our present century. The Mishná is the Oral
tradition, as formulated by the post-2nd Temple Rabbis from the 1st to the 3rd centuries, and it has
regulated the entire interpretive tradition ever since. Formally, the Jewish-way-of-life is set
according to Rabbinic tradition, from birth to death. Hence, the sect of the Qara‘im (i.e. literalist,
who date back to the 8th c. CE) created by ‘Anan ben David – who do not follow the Rabbinic
mode of hermeneutics, or interpretation – are not called Jews. Likewise, a Jew who willingly and
knowingly denies the Law, either in its Written and Oral forms, is called an “apostate” (heb.
min13). A first-generation coerced-Jew (heb. anús), or an Israelite who is a rebel, who stays in
that condition and starts assimilating to a non-Jewish praxis is called a “renegade of the Law” or
“heretic” (heb. meshumad14). The children of any of the aforementioned can be considered an
anús / anusá – since he / she was born under that condition of abodá zará (i.e. foreign service)
against his / her will, providing the mother is an Israelite.
Key Rabbinical Responsa on Anusím per Categories*
1. Anusím are to be regarded as Jews
A) It is known that a “Jew, even a sinner, is still a Jew.” If the Anús takes a wife, the
Kiddush is valid, even if he is an Anús who was born [as] a non-Jew and was not
circumcised – as long as the mother is an Anusá, even when his father was a non-Jew; the case
is even stronger if both of them were Anusím.16
B) They do not require a Mikveh as it is assumed their mother was Jewish. They are not
proselytes but regarded as _`ab cadec, dfghb bci and as j_ehc bda_. Their Kiddush is valid.17 A
Levire (a widow) whose brother-in-law is an Anús is tied to him even when he is not
circumcised.
C) R. Jacob ibn Habib (born in ca. 1460, died ca. 1515) declares that the Anusím and their
descendants are to be regarded as Jews.18
D) R. Salomon b. Simon Durán (born ca.1400, died 1467), declares that the Anusím are to be
regarded as Jews, even their uncircumcised children, as long as their mother was Jewish, i.e an
Anusá. They are not to be compared to the common Proselytes. The Mikveh is also not required
of them when they revert back to Judaism. The children of the Anusím are regarded as their
children in all aspects; nothing refers to them as non-Jews. “Proselytes do not have any
relationships with their parents.” (Mishná Yeb.XI 2).19
An nús who is willing to be circumcised has to say the prayer:
elb_f mjg_f dh ecbg__ nlojd ep_`f
As the Anusím are regarded as Jews, and to entice them back to Judaism, they have to be
treated gently as not to frighten them at their return. An Anús should be accepted into Judaism
even if he converts out of love for a Jewish girl.
E) Kislev 5315 (October 30, 1555), Abraham Sirelao declared that there is no difference
between the Anusím who were forced into baptism in 1391 and those of later years (1492, 1497,
1498).20
F) R. Yosef Caro (1488 – 1575) agreed in the Shulkhan Arukh with the decision of R. Isaac
b. Sheshet that the Anusím, who practice the Jewish faith in secret and who were unable to
flee the country, are to be regarded as Jews.21
G) R. Shelomo b. Isaac ha-Levi (d. 1635)22 regarded those Anusím who secretly adhered to
Judaism as Jews. He based his decision on RSbA [R. Shalomo b. Aaron ibn Hason] and RibS [R.
ibn Simon b. Durán].
H) The danger of being discovered by the Christians made the Anusím more pious than the
ordinary Jews who could observe their faith without danger. At a wedding, which was conducted
in secret, the Anusím asked other Anusím as witnesses and not Jews, although they knew that the
Jews would not recognize the Anusím as witnesses. The [rabbinic] reason [to consider
Anusím as witness] was: In their own eyes they regarded the Anusím as more suited than
the Jews as “their hearts were turned toward Heaven.”23
The rabbis took pity on those Anusím who tried so hard to meet some of their Jewish rituals
and they regarded them as “complete Jews.”24 These Anusím carry the name or mbieq`j mbnelf or
mblehfgj mbnelf.
J) R. Shalomo b. R. Simon Durán wrote: “I am often asked with regard to those Anusím
whose heart are in the right place and who want to live by the rituals: what to do with the food
during Pesah. If they abstain form everything and only eat rice or the equivalent, the Christians
would accuse them: You are still adhering to the rituals of your ancestors in only eating rice.
Rice is cooked in all households. These tormented people live in fear and defy only the less
serious offenses.”25
K) Isaak Levi, said: “I asked David who he is, whether his family are descendants from Jews
or non-Jews,” and he answered. “My father was the personal physician to the queen and he told
me that he is of Jewish descendent and that he has Jewish brothers in Turkey.” When I arrived
here, I was informed that I have a cousin in Tiberias, therefore I, David, said: “It seems to be true
what I heard of my father and what other people told me who knew my family. The witness said
to him,: “If this is so, you should have mercy on him, he is of noble heritage.” David answered:
“I shall do whatever I can.” David Oliviera died and R. Moshe Gedilya, son of Yosef Gedalia,
appeared as the heir.26
L) Those “who were born into heresy, misled by their parents to believe in it and
educated on it from their childhood” must be considered “forced ones” (Anusím) . . . every
man, convinced that his father would like him to believe in truth, not in falsehood, believes in the
teachings of his father more than in those of a hundred other people. (circa 1444)27
M) “Indeed, when it comes to lineage, all the people of Israel are brethren. We are all the
sons of one father, the rebels and criminals, the apostates and forced converts, and the proselytes
who are attached to the house to the house of Jacob. All these are Israelites.
Even if they left God or denied Him, or violated His Law, the yoke of that Law is still upon their shoulders
and will never be removed from them.”28
N) [R. Aaron Soloveichik, 5754] They [the Anusím] must be treated like full Jews in every
way (counted for minyan, given aliyot, etc.)
One needs to set forth a few pointers regarding the treatment of Anusím, when they
return to Judaism. First, we need a few definitions.
Formally, an Anús / Anusá is a Jew / Jewess coerced to abandon Judaism against his / her
will. Furthermore, an Anús is a Jew who keeps Jewish Law to the best of his / her abilities under
the coerced condition, and does whatever in his / her power to abandon the situation of coercion.
A Jew by Rabbinical definition is not only the son or daughter of a Jewess, but also –
from the behavioral standpoint – one who keeps living within Rabbinic tradition. Rabbis make a
difference between a Jew who lives within Judaism, and one who does not.
Rabbinic tradition is the interpretative and exegetical mode of transmission formalized
since the times of the Mishná (2nd and 3rd c. CE) to our present century. The Mishná is the Oral
tradition, as formulated by the post-2nd Temple Rabbis from the 1st to the 3rd centuries, and it has
regulated the entire interpretive tradition ever since. Formally, the Jewish-way-of-life is set
according to Rabbinic tradition, from birth to death. Hence, the sect of the Qara‘im (i.e. literalist,
who date back to the 8th c. CE) created by ‘Anan ben David – who do not follow the Rabbinic
mode of hermeneutics, or interpretation – are not called Jews. Likewise, a Jew who willingly and
knowingly denies the Law, either in its Written and Oral forms, is called an “apostate” (heb.
min13). A first-generation coerced-Jew (heb. anús), or an Israelite who is a rebel, who stays in
that condition and starts assimilating to a non-Jewish praxis is called a “renegade of the Law” or
“heretic” (heb. meshumad14). The children of any of the aforementioned can be considered an
anús / anusá – since he / she was born under that condition of abodá zará (i.e. foreign service)
against his / her will, providing the mother is an Israelite.
Key Rabbinical Responsa on Anusím per Categories*
1. Anusím are to be regarded as Jews
A) It is known that a “Jew, even a sinner, is still a Jew.” If the Anús takes a wife, the
Kiddush is valid, even if he is an Anús who was born [as] a non-Jew and was not
circumcised – as long as the mother is an Anusá, even when his father was a non-Jew; the case
is even stronger if both of them were Anusím.16
B) They do not require a Mikveh as it is assumed their mother was Jewish. They are not
proselytes but regarded as _`ab cadec, dfghb bci and as j_ehc bda_. Their Kiddush is valid.17 A
Levire (a widow) whose brother-in-law is an Anús is tied to him even when he is not
circumcised.
C) R. Jacob ibn Habib (born in ca. 1460, died ca. 1515) declares that the Anusím and their
descendants are to be regarded as Jews.18
D) R. Salomon b. Simon Durán (born ca.1400, died 1467), declares that the Anusím are to be
regarded as Jews, even their uncircumcised children, as long as their mother was Jewish, i.e an
Anusá. They are not to be compared to the common Proselytes. The Mikveh is also not required
of them when they revert back to Judaism. The children of the Anusím are regarded as their
children in all aspects; nothing refers to them as non-Jews. “Proselytes do not have any
relationships with their parents.” (Mishná Yeb.XI 2).19
An nús who is willing to be circumcised has to say the prayer:
elb_f mjg_f dh ecbg__ nlojd ep_`f
As the Anusím are regarded as Jews, and to entice them back to Judaism, they have to be
treated gently as not to frighten them at their return. An Anús should be accepted into Judaism
even if he converts out of love for a Jewish girl.
E) Kislev 5315 (October 30, 1555), Abraham Sirelao declared that there is no difference
between the Anusím who were forced into baptism in 1391 and those of later years (1492, 1497,
1498).20
F) R. Yosef Caro (1488 – 1575) agreed in the Shulkhan Arukh with the decision of R. Isaac
b. Sheshet that the Anusím, who practice the Jewish faith in secret and who were unable to
flee the country, are to be regarded as Jews.21
G) R. Shelomo b. Isaac ha-Levi (d. 1635)22 regarded those Anusím who secretly adhered to
Judaism as Jews. He based his decision on RSbA [R. Shalomo b. Aaron ibn Hason] and RibS [R.
ibn Simon b. Durán].
H) The danger of being discovered by the Christians made the Anusím more pious than the
ordinary Jews who could observe their faith without danger. At a wedding, which was conducted
in secret, the Anusím asked other Anusím as witnesses and not Jews, although they knew that the
Jews would not recognize the Anusím as witnesses. The [rabbinic] reason [to consider
Anusím as witness] was: In their own eyes they regarded the Anusím as more suited than
the Jews as “their hearts were turned toward Heaven.”23
The rabbis took pity on those Anusím who tried so hard to meet some of their Jewish rituals
and they regarded them as “complete Jews.”24 These Anusím carry the name or mbieq`j mbnelf or
mblehfgj mbnelf.
J) R. Shalomo b. R. Simon Durán wrote: “I am often asked with regard to those Anusím
whose heart are in the right place and who want to live by the rituals: what to do with the food
during Pesah. If they abstain form everything and only eat rice or the equivalent, the Christians
would accuse them: You are still adhering to the rituals of your ancestors in only eating rice.
Rice is cooked in all households. These tormented people live in fear and defy only the less
serious offenses.”25
K) Isaak Levi, said: “I asked David who he is, whether his family are descendants from Jews
or non-Jews,” and he answered. “My father was the personal physician to the queen and he told
me that he is of Jewish descendent and that he has Jewish brothers in Turkey.” When I arrived
here, I was informed that I have a cousin in Tiberias, therefore I, David, said: “It seems to be true
what I heard of my father and what other people told me who knew my family. The witness said
to him,: “If this is so, you should have mercy on him, he is of noble heritage.” David answered:
“I shall do whatever I can.” David Oliviera died and R. Moshe Gedilya, son of Yosef Gedalia,
appeared as the heir.26
L) Those “who were born into heresy, misled by their parents to believe in it and
educated on it from their childhood” must be considered “forced ones” (Anusím) . . . every
man, convinced that his father would like him to believe in truth, not in falsehood, believes in the
teachings of his father more than in those of a hundred other people. (circa 1444)27
M) “Indeed, when it comes to lineage, all the people of Israel are brethren. We are all the
sons of one father, the rebels and criminals, the apostates and forced converts, and the proselytes
who are attached to the house to the house of Jacob. All these are Israelites.
Even if they left God or denied Him, or violated His Law, the yoke of that Law is still upon their shoulders
and will never be removed from them.”28
N) [R. Aaron Soloveichik, 5754] They [the Anusím] must be treated like full Jews in every
way (counted for minyan, given aliyot, etc.)