Know! when the Holy One takes note of a soul that is capable of getting people to repent and of making converts, then He Himself, as it were, seeks and arranges for that [soul] to have opposition.
This is because converts are not accepted in the messianic era or in the days of Shlomo (Yevamot 24b) on account of [Jewish] majesty. Under such circumstances they do not convert out of love, but rather because they witness the eminence of the Jews. [Sincere] GeRim (converts) are mainly those who convert at a time the Jews are suffering from poverty and oppression, as it is written (Isaiah 54:15), “who GoR (dwelled) with you”—in your poverty (Yevamot, ibid.).
It is therefore a necessity that someone who gets people to repent and makes converts suffer opposition, in order that he have no tranquility. For then, anyone who draws close to him is sincere; then he can make bona fide converts, not [converts who are] motivated by peace and contentment, as explained above.
This is the explanation of “Yaakov settled in the area of his father’s meguray (dwelling)” (Genesis 37:1). The Midrash states: “his father’s meGuRaY”—he made converts, as his fathers had (Bereishit Rabbah 84:4) ; as if it were written “miGiyuRaY (of the converts) of his father.”
This is the explanation of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Yaakov settled”—Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility, but he was beset immediately by aggravation regarding Yosef. That is, because Yaakov made converts, the aspect of “his father’s meguray,” he was unable to settle in tranquility—in order that the converts should be sincere. Had he had tranquility, he would not have been able to make converts, for converts are not accepted in the messianic era, as explained above.
דַּע שֶׁכְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל בַּנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁתּוּכַל לְהַחֲזִיר בְּנֵי אָדָם בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְלַעֲשׂוֹת גֵּרִים, אֲזַי הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל מְבַקֵּשׁ וְרוֹאֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מַחֲלֹקֶת עָלָיו,
Know! when the Holy One takes note of a soul that is capable of getting people to repent and of making converts, then He Himself, as it were, seeks and arranges for that [soul] to have opposition.
כִּי אֵין מְקַבְּלִין גֵּרִים לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְלֹא בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה (יבמות כד) מִשּׁוּם שֻׁלְחַן מְלָכִים, כִּי אָז אֵינָן מִתְגַּיְּרִין מֵאַהֲבָה, רַק מֵחֲמַת שֶׁרוֹאִין גְּדֻלַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעִקַּר הַגֵּרִים הוּא כְּשֶׁמִּתְגַּיְּרִין בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל סְחוּפִים בְּעֹנִי וָדֹחַק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיהו נ״ד:ט״ו): מִי גָר אִתָּךְ – בַּעֲנִיּוּתֵךְ וְכוּ' (שם בגמרא).
This is because converts are not accepted in the messianic era or in the days of Shlomo (Yevamot 24b) on account of [Jewish] majesty. Under such circumstances they do not convert out of love, but rather because they witness the eminence of the Jews. [Sincere] GeRim (converts) are mainly those who convert at a time the Jews are suffering from poverty and oppression, as it is written (Isaiah 54:15), “who GoR (dwelled) with you”—in your poverty (Yevamot, ibid.).
וְעַל כֵּן בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מַחֲלֹקֶת עַל מִי שֶׁמַּחֲזִיר בְּנֵי אָדָם לְמוּטָב וּמְגַיֵּר גֵּרִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לוֹ שׁוּם שַׁלְוָה, כִּי אָז מִי שֶׁמִּתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת, וַאֲזַי יָכוֹל לְגַיֵּר גֵּרִים בֶּאֱמֶת, לֹא מִשּׁוּם שָׁלוֹם וָנַחַת כַּנַּ"ל.
It is therefore a necessity that someone who gets people to repent and makes converts suffer opposition, in order that he have no tranquility. For then, anyone who draws close to him is sincere; then he can make bona fide converts, not [converts who are] motivated by peace and contentment, as explained above.
וְזֶהוּ: וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, וְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית פ' פד): מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו – שֶׁהָיָה מְגַיֵּר גֵּרִים כְּמוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו, כְּמוֹ מִגִּיּוּרֵי אָבִיו,
This is the explanation of “Yaakov settled in the area of his father’s meguray (dwelling)” (Genesis 37:1). The Midrash states: “his father’s meGuRaY”—he made converts, as his fathers had (Bereishit Rabbah 84:4) ; as if it were written “miGiyuRaY (of the converts) of his father.”
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם): וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב – בִּקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה, מִיָּד קָפַץ עָלָיו רֻגְזוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף; הַיְנוּ מֵחֲמַת שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב הָיָה מְגַיֵּר גֵּרִים, בְּחִינַת מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַגֵּרִים בֶּאֱמֶת, וְאִם יִהְיֶה לוֹ שַׁלְוָה לֹא יוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת גֵּרִים, כִּי אֵין מְקַבְּלִין גֵּרִים לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ כַּנַּ"ל:
This is the explanation of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Yaakov settled”—Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility, but he was beset immediately by aggravation regarding Yosef. That is, because Yaakov made converts, the aspect of “his father’s meguray,” he was unable to settle in tranquility—in order that the converts should be sincere. Had he had tranquility, he would not have been able to make converts, for converts are not accepted in the messianic era, as explained above.