By the Grace of G-d 24th Tammuz, 5732 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing: 

I am in receipt of your letter. In it you write about your background, beginning with the statement that you and your family are geyrim and that the geyrut was carried out by an orthodox Rabbi, in accordance with the halachah. I emphasize this last point because this is, of course, essential also in what follows. 

The point I wish to make here is in reference to your writing that you are not a Biblical fundamentalist. While this may be variously interpreted, I want to point out that on the face of it this statement is at variance with geyrut in accordance with halacha. For the first condition of geyrut in accordance with the halachah is the acceptance that the whole Torah is G-d given, which is a basic ruling in the halachah and which is also cited in the Rambam (code of Maimonides) etc. Here the concept of "Torah'' includes both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Since you write that the geyrut was carried out by an orthodox Rabbi, he must have undoubtedly explained this to you as well as the basic requirement of the acceptance of all the mitzvos. I trust that your daily conduct and life, as well as of all your family, are in accordance with this basic requirement. 

In view of the fact that, as you write, you are getting ready to go on aliya to the land of Israel, which even non-Jews recognize as the "Holy Land," and which the Torah states that "God's Eyes are upon it always, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” – it is clear that this aliya/ascent calls for an aliya also in daily life and conduct, where there is no end to the good and the holy, since goodness and holiness derive from G-d, the Infinite. Such holiness is to be experienced not only on the holy days of the year, on Shabbos and Yom Tov and the like, but every day of the year, as indicated also in the above quotation. 

It is true, of course, as you write, that such a life is not required of all mankind, but is required of the Jewish people who were designated as a "Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation” when they accepted the Torah at Sinai (and thus became "geyrim"), whereas the rest of mankind are required to observe the so-called "Seven Noachide Laws" with all their ramifications, which include the basic laws of justice, morality and ethics. However, among Jews too there are distinctions between Kohanim, Leviim and ordinary Israelites, where some precepts apply only to Kohanim and some to Leviim and there are also precepts which apply to men, and others to women, etc. This is fundamental to our Jewish religion and not subject to any change. 

I shall look forward to hearing good news from you in regard to all above and send you and yours my prayerful wishes for the fulfillment of your hearts' desires for good. 

With blessing,