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.