דברים, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ח׳

A profound moral standard is demanded of the Israelites, one that deeply challenges natural human intuition. They are required to act with nobility, gratitude, and family loyalty even toward nations that caused them tremendous suffering. This law regulates the integration of converts from Edom and Egypt into the Israelite community. While the first and second generations of these converts are restricted from marrying into the community, the third generation is fully welcomed [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, בכור שור]. An explicit warning was necessary to enforce this acceptance, because human logic would naturally dictate banning and despising these nations forever due to their historic cruelty [מלבי״ם].

When addressing Edom, the underlying motivation is family ties. Genealogically, Edom is Esau, Jacob’s brother, making their connection much closer than that of Ammon and Moab, who merely descend from Abraham’s nephew Lot [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, Edom carries the merit of their forefathers, being the seed of Abraham and Isaac [הדר זקנים, רבינו בחיי]. Despite this lineage, Edom acted with deep hostility in the desert, coming out with swords and blocking the Israelites' passage. Nevertheless, the Israelites are commanded to remember their brotherhood [רש״י, הרא״ש]. Some interpret this directive as a mandate to avoid hatred even though Edom failed to act like a true brother [קונטרס חיבה יתירה]. Interestingly, the restriction on Edomite converts applies only to males, as it is the nature of men to wage war. In contrast, the restriction on Egyptian converts includes females, since the entire population participated in the enslavement [יריעות שלמה].

Regarding Egypt, the Israelites are reminded of their history as guests and lodgers in the land, rather than as religious converts [לבוש האורה]. The warning not to despise Egypt is particularly comprehensive, as the Egyptians actively murdered and drowned infants in the Nile. Given this horrific history, the natural human tendency would be to harbor eternal hatred [דברי דוד]. Yet, despite the bitter years of enslavement, the Israelites must remember the initial kindness the Egyptians extended when they provided refuge and respect during the severe famine in Jacob’s time [רש״י, רבינו בחיי, ביאור יש״ר]. The primary approach among commentators is that this serves as a profound education in gratitude, intended to uproot the destructive trait of ungratefulness. It embodies the principle that one must not throw a stone into a well from which they once drank [תורה תמימה, העמק דבר]. Even if the Egyptians initially offered hospitality purely out of self-interest, gratitude is still owed to them [תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, the Egyptians were ultimately acting as agents of God to fulfill a preordained decree of exile, whereas Edom’s evil intentions were considered a deliberate action of their own, which is why both are only distanced for two generations [שפתי כהן].

A sharp contrast is drawn between the temporary restriction on Edom and Egypt and the eternal ban placed on Ammon and Moab. While Edom and Egypt sought to inflict physical harm through the sword and drowning, Ammon and Moab intentionally led the Israelites into sin. This distinction establishes a profound spiritual principle: causing another person to sin is far worse than killing them. A murderer takes away life in this world alone, but one who causes another to sin destroys their portion in both this world and the World to Come [רבינו בחיי, שפתי כהן].

From a historical and practical perspective, the geopolitical landscape eventually shifted. Following the conquests of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, who deliberately mixed and relocated conquered populations, the original national identities of Edom and Egypt were lost. Consequently, any person from those regions who converts today is assumed to be from the general majority of nations. Therefore, they are permitted to integrate and marry into the Israelite community immediately, without the need to wait three generations [רש ר הירש, בכור שור].