By the Grace of G-d5th of Cheshvan, 5724Brooklyn, N.Y.

Blessing and Greeting:

I am in receipt of your letter of September 15th, which was forwarded to me from Singapore. . . in which you write your desire to become Jewish.

It is surely unnecessary to emphasize to you the earnestness of such a step. But, I do want to emphasize the fact that such a step, once taken, is irrevocable. For, when one becomes a Jew, one becomes duty-bound to fulfill all the obligations incumbent upon a Jew, from which one can not retract, even if one changes one's mind later on. Thus, when one becomes a Jew, one links ones' destiny forever with the Jewish people, and becomes subject to the duties and obligations which a Jew must fulfill, with the blessings that go with the fulfillment of these obligations, as well as the consequences of non-fulfillment, G-d forbid.

In view of the above, it is necessary to consider such a step very deeply and seriously, for a considerable length of time, and should not be undertaken hurriedly.

Judging by your address, you live in a town where I doubt whether there is any Jewish authority that could explain to you the obligations and implications of conversion to the Jewish faith. I also doubt if it is possible to obtain this information from books. My advice to you, therefore, is to try to get in touch with a competent Orthodox Rabbi, who would be able to explain to you all that is involved in such a step, so that you should then be able to examine the situation again, and your whole approach to this matter.

I trust that you know about the basic obligations which are incumbent upon humanity at large, namely the so-called seven "Noahide laws" which, according to the Torah, are obligatory on everyone. This affords for you an area for a meaningful life and personal fulfillment, and perhaps you may find here the opportunity to satisfy your thirst for a change within your environment.

With blessing