גר ותושב אנכי עמכם I AM A STRANGER AND A SETTLER WITH YOU — A stranger having come from another land, but I have settled down amongst you. A Midrashic explanation is: if you agree [to sell me the land] then I will act as a stranger [and pay for it], but if not, I shall act as a resident and take it as my legal right, because the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me, (12:7) “To your offspring I give this land" (Genesis Rabbah 58:6).
I AM A STRANGER. He dwells there alone.
And a resident (ve-toshav) means a stranger who settles in the land. Abraham said to them, “I am a resident among you. We are all mortal, I do not have possession (achuzah) i.e., an inherited or bought piece of land for use as a burial plot.”
גר ותושב, because I am a stranger here, I do not possess an ancestral burial ground. The word is used in this sense by Isaiah 22,16 ומי לך פה כי חצבת לך פה קבר, “whom have you here that you have hewn out a tomb for yourself here?” And the reason I am asking to buy it is because I am a resident amongst you, I have come to put down roots and not just to live.
If your kin, being in straits, come under your authority, support them as you would a resident alien, let them live by your side: do not exact advance or accrued interest, but fear your God so that your kin may live by your side. Do not lend your money at advance interest, nor give your food at accrued interest. I Hashem am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.
גר ותושב means, even though he be a stranger or a sojourner. And what is a תושב? One who has undertaken not to worship idols but eats carrion [does not observe the other commandments of the Torah] (Sifra, Behar, Section 5 1).
[א] "וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך"-- אל תניחהו לירד. הא למה זה דומה? למשא על גבי החמור. עודנו במקומו -- אחד תופס בו ומעמידו. נפל לארץ -- חמשה אין מעמידין אותו. ומנין אם החזקת, אפילו ארבעה או חמשה פעמים, חזור והחזק? תלמוד לומר "והחזקת בו". יכול אתה מפסידו לתרבות רעה? תלמוד לומר "עמך". 'גר', זה גר צדק; 'תושב'-- זה גר אוכל נבלות.
1) (Vayikra 25:35) ("And if your brother grows poor, and his hand falls with you, then you shall uphold him, as a convert and as a sojourner; and he shall live with you.") "If your brother grows poor, and his hand falls with you": Do not allow him to drop. To what may this be compared? To a (slipping) burden upon an ass. So long as it is still in its place, you can grab onto it and set it aright. Once it has fallen to the ground, not even five can get it back again. And whence is it derived that even if you upheld him even four or five times you must, if necessary, continue doing so? From "then you shall uphold him" (connoting continuity) … and he shall live." I might think (that you must do so) even if you thereby assist him in some evil end; it is, therefore, written "with you," only if he is "with you" (imach) in Torah and mitzvoth, as in (Vayikra 19:17) "amitecha" — one who is "with you (itach)" in Torah and mitzvoth. "convert" (ger) — this is a ger tzedek (a righteous convert, one who accepts all the mitzvoth); "sojourner" (toshav) — this is a convert who eats carrion (but abstains from idolatry).
וכי ימוך אחיך עמך ומטה ידו וגו' ...הזהיר עתה עוד על העניים שאם ימוך אדם וירד מנכסיו ומאחוזתו ולא יהיה לו ממה שיתפרנס כי מטה ידו. רוצה לומר שירד מטה מטה בשפלותו והיה עמך בעירך שאז עניי עירך קודמין אל תטשהו ואל תעזבהו אבל החזק בו בין שיהיה ישראל או גר שנתגייר מאומה אחרת או תושב שקבל על עצמו שבע מצות בני נח עכ"פ כיון שהוא עמך אל תעזבהו אבל יחיה עמך ובעזרתך יחיה ולא ימות. ויהיה זה שתלוה לו משלך ותעשה לו צדקה מממונך...
וְעַבְדְּךָ֥ וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִהְיוּ־לָ֑ךְ מֵאֵ֣ת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵהֶ֥ם תִּקְנ֖וּ עֶ֥בֶד וְאָמָֽה׃ וְ֠גַ֠ם מִבְּנֵ֨י הַתּוֹשָׁבִ֜ים הַגָּרִ֤ים עִמָּכֶם֙ מֵהֶ֣ם תִּקְנ֔וּ וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹלִ֖ידוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם וְהָי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לַֽאֲחֻזָּֽה׃ וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּ֨ם אֹתָ֜ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֤ם אַחֲרֵיכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֲחֻזָּ֔ה לְעֹלָ֖ם בָּהֶ֣ם תַּעֲבֹ֑דוּ וּבְאַ֨חֵיכֶ֤ם בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אִ֣ישׁ בְּאָחִ֔יו לֹא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃ {ס} וְכִ֣י תַשִּׂ֗יג יַ֣ד גֵּ֤ר וְתוֹשָׁב֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ וּמָ֥ךְ אָחִ֖יךָ עִמּ֑וֹ וְנִמְכַּ֗ר לְגֵ֤ר תּוֹשָׁב֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ א֥וֹ לְעֵ֖קֶר מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת גֵּֽר׃ אַחֲרֵ֣י נִמְכַּ֔ר גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּהְיֶה־לּ֑וֹ אֶחָ֥ד מֵאֶחָ֖יו יִגְאָלֶֽנּוּ׃
Such male and female slaves as you may have—it is from the nations round about you that you may acquire male and female slaves. You may also buy them from among the children of aliens resident among you, or from their families that are among you, whom they begot in your land. These shall become your property: you may keep them as a possession for your children after you, for them to inherit as property for all time. Such you may treat as slaves. But as for your Israelite kin, no one shall rule ruthlessly over another. If a resident alien among you has prospered, and your kin, being in straits, comes under that one’s authority and is given over to the resident alien among you, or to an offshoot of an alien’s family, [your kin] shall have the right of redemption even after having been given over. [Typically,] a brother shall do the redeeming,
וְכִֽי־יָג֧וּר אִתְּךָ֛ גֵּ֖ר בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תוֹנ֖וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃ כְּאֶזְרָ֣ח מִכֶּם֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם הַגֵּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֗ם וְאָהַבְתָּ֥ לוֹ֙ כָּמ֔וֹךָ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them. The strangers who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens; you shall love each one as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am your God.
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: For what reason did the Torah issue warnings in thirty-six places, and some say in forty-six places, with regard to causing any distress to a convert? It is due to the fact that a convert’s inclination is towards bad, i.e., prone to return to previous way of living.
איזהו גר תושב כל שקיבל עליו בפני ג' חברים שלא לעבוד עבודת כוכבים דברי ר"מ וחכ"א כל שקיבל עליו שבע מצות שקבלו עליהם בני נח אחרים אומרים אלו לא באו לכלל גר תושב אלא איזהו גר תושב זה גר אוכל נבילות שקבל עליו לקיים כל מצות האמורות בתורה חוץ מאיסור נבילות מייחדין אצלו יין ואין מפקידין אצלו יין ואפי' בעיר שרובה ישראל אבל מייחדין אצלו יין ואפי' בעיר שרובה עובדי כוכבים
Who is a ger toshav? It is anyone who has accepted upon himself before three ḥaverim, i.e., people devoted to the meticulous observance of mitzvot, not to worship idols, according to Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: Anyone who has accepted upon himself the seven mitzvot that the descendants of Noah accepted upon themselves. Others say: These have not entered the category of ger toshav. Rather, who is a ger toshav? This is a convert who eats unslaughtered animal carcasses, which are not kosher, but who has accepted upon himself to observe all of the mitzvot that are stated in the Torah except for the prohibition against eating unslaughtered carcasses.
אֵין כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ אֲמוּרִים אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁגָּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבֵין הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים אוֹ שֶׁיַּד עַכּוּ''ם תַּקִּיפָה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁיַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּקִּיפָה עֲלֵיהֶם אָסוּר לָנוּ לְהַנִּיחַ עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים בֵּינֵינוּ. וַאֲפִלּוּ יוֹשֵׁב יְשִׁיבַת עַרְאַי אוֹ עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם בִּסְחוֹרָה לֹא יַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצֵנוּ אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל עָלָיו שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְּנֵי נֹחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג לג) "לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאַרְצְךָ" אֲפִלּוּ לְפִי שָׁעָה. וְאִם קִבֵּל עָלָיו שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב. וְאֵין מְקַבְּלִין גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל נוֹהֵג אֲבָל שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְמַן הַיּוֹבֵל אֵין מְקַבְּלִין אֶלָּא גֵּר צֶדֶק בִּלְבַד:
Even a temporary resident or a merchant who travels from place to place should not be allowed to pass through our land until he accepts the seven universal laws commanded to Noah and his descendants, as [Exodus 23:33] states: "They shall not dwell in your land" - i.e., even temporarily.
A person who accepts these seven mitzvot is a ger toshav. A ger toshav may be accepted only in the era when the [laws of the] Jubilee Year are observed. In an era when the [laws of the] Jubilee Year are not observed, however, we may accept only full converts [to Judaism].
אֵי זֶה הוּא גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב זֶה עַכּוּ''ם שֶׁקִּבֵּל עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה עִם שְׁאָר הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְּנֵי נֹחַ וְלֹא מָל וְלֹא טָבַל הֲרֵי זֶה מְקַבְּלִין אוֹתוֹ וְהוּא מֵחֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ תּוֹשָׁב לְפִי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לָנוּ לְהוֹשִׁיבוֹ בֵּינֵינוּ בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּהִלְכוֹת עַכּוּ''ם: ח וְאֵין מְקַבְּלִין גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל נוֹהֵג. אֲבָל בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה אֲפִלּוּ קִבֵּל עָלָיו כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ חוּץ מִדִּקְדּוּק אֶחָד אֵין מְקַבְּלִין אוֹתוֹ:
But during the time when etc. I do not agree with him in so far as the settling of the land is concerned.
Resident alien, meaning one who accepts the 7 commandments as well as a convert who has been circumcised but not yet dipped, their touch makes drinking [wine] forbidden... and there are those who are lenient even in the case of a resident alien, although his wine is certainly forbidden.
שו"ת משפט כהן (ענייני ארץ ישראל) סימן סא
ב"ה, עה"ק יפו ת"ו, ח' ניסן תרס"ט. (להנ"ל)
ומה שכתב הגנצי"ב ז"ל, שאין דין ג"ת לישמעאלים, אין זה ברור כלל לדעת הראב"ד, ובפרט לאריכות דבריו בהשגה פי"ד דהא"ב שבודאי אין זה פשוט כלל שאין גר תושב נוהג בזמן הזה, וכן בה' ע"ז פ"י, שלישיבת הארץ א"צ יובל, וי"ל שה"ה לענין חניה בקרקע, ולפחות לענין שכירות דע"ז אין ספק שמותר בג"ת, וכיון שא"צ יובל, אע"ג דצריך ב"ד של שלשה מ"מ הוא כדי שיהי' פרסום לדבר שקבל עליו, וי"ל שאומה שלמה שהיא מתנהגת בנימוסין כאלה יהיו חשובין לענין זה כג"ת.
Rav Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen Kook, Mishpat Kohen 61, (Nissan, 1909).
…And regarding that which the Netziv wrote that Arabs do not have the status of a ger toshav, this is not clear within the position of the Raavad. See especially Raavad’s lengthy comment in Laws of Forbidden Sexual Acts chapter 14. It certainly isn’t clear that there is no law of ger toshav in this era. And so to in the Laws of Idolatry chapter 10, where Raavad says that overriding the prohibition against gentiles living in the land is not dependent on the yovel and the same could be true regarding a “hold on the land.” At least renting should be permissible for there is no doubt that a ger toshav can rent since this does not require the yovel. And even though becoming a ger toshav requires a beit din of three, nonetheless, that is only in order to publicize the matter that he has accepted those obligations upon himself. And one can say that an entire nation that lives according to an ethical code such as the Arabs do would be considered as gerei toshav.
On December 7, 2010, the following letter appeared in all of the leading Israeli newspapers, signed by fifty municipal rabbis from cities throughout Israel:
In response to the question of a multitude of people, we are now responding that it is biblically forbidden to sell a house or a field in the land of Israel to a gentile (“nokhri”). As Rambam writes in his Mishneh Torah (Laws of Idolatry 10: 4), ―It is written in the Scriptures, "Thou shall not grant them a resting place." (Lo Tehanem’) (Deut. 7:2), do not give to them a resting place on the ground, since—if they don‘t have a home on the ground—their dwelling [amongst us] will only be temporary. And the Bible has warned us time and time again that [granting them a home on our land] causes evil things and will bring the masses of Jews to engage in intermarriage, as it is written in Scriptures, ―He [the one who sells them land] will turn away your sons from behind Me.‖ (Deut. 7:4) This is desecration of the Holy Name (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Forbidden Relationships 12:6), and will cause the multitudes to transgress other prohibitions, as the Bible warns: ―Do not allow them to dwell in your land lest they [i.e. their gentile neighbors] cause you to sin against Me.‖ (Exodus 23:33) The sin of selling [to gentiles] and its ramifications will all hang on the neck of the seller, God forbid.
And a further evil on top of evil, the individual who sells or rents to (gentiles) in an area where Jews are living causes great damage to his [Jewish] neighbors, and brings upon himself the application of the biblical verse ―[but if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those of them whom you leave shall be pins in your eyes and thorns in your sides] and they will harass you [act as enemies against you] upon the Land in which you dwell.‖ (Numbers 33:55) This is because their life-style is different from that of the Jews, and among them there are those who will act with enmity against us and will undermine our existence to the extent of endangering our lives, as has been publicized many times.
Selling Land in Israel to Gentiles
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Meorot 9, 2011
When we look at the context of this prohibition, however, it is clear that it refers specifically to the original inhabitants of the Land of Israel at the time of Moses and Joshua, the ―seven indigenous nations,‖ who, if they refused to make peace with us and (according to Maimonides) refused to accept the seven Noahide laws of morality, were to be completely destroyed...
According to Rambam, the very term ger toshav, stranger-resident, defines the fact that any gentile who accepts the seven Noahide laws of morality may be a resident in the land of Israel, may purchase or rent land or a dwelling place and may live in the midst of a Jewish community in Israel! ...
It is clear by the syntactical context and order of the letter [above], which opens with a blanket prohibition of sale to any gentile but concludes with a blanket permission to sell to those gentiles who accept the Noahide laws, that the rabbis of this ruling consider the average Christian or Moslem today to be a person who has not accepted the seven Noahide laws. Halakhically, this is highly dubious. If a gentile accepts the Noahide laws, why should he be prevented from dwelling in Israel? Maimonides rules explicitly that Moslems are not idolaters and all Hakhmei Askhenaz have ruled that Christians from the time of the Middle Ages on are not considered idolaters...
V. Post-Script All the above arguments permitting the sale of Israeli land to a gentile apply to an Arab citizen of Israel who wishes to purchase or rent a home or land within the State. However, if the purchase of land or home is part of a concerted effort by Moslem nations (such as Saudi Arabia) to buy Israeli land in order to endanger the Jewish majority in the Galilee, the Negev or Jerusalem, I would rule that it is forbidden to sell to individuals (or companies) with that objective, since it undermines the Jewish sovereignty of the State of Israel
Rabbi Yehudah Amital (1924 – 2010), “Commitment and Complexity” p. 80
We must remember how the Sages regarded the episode of the Givonim (Joshua 9). Despite the fact that Yehoshua's oath had no halakhic validity, since it was based on the deception perpetrated by the Givonim, the Israelites did not kill them because of the desecration of God's Name that his would have involved. (Gittin 46a). The obligation of sanctifying God's Name and refraining from desecrating it require the fulfillment of every promise that is made by the leaders of the nation pertaining ot the welfare of non-Jews. I am not aware of any more public, national promise than Israel's Scroll of Independence, which was signed by all the leaders of the State, and which explicitly promised equal rights to all non-Jewish minorities. This official promise, then, has obligatory halakhic weight, based on the mitzvah of kiddush Hashem and the prohibition of Hillul Hashem.