There is a proselyte who is circumcised at eight days old¹. How is this? If he was born before his mother [who became a convert] underwent immersion he is circumcised at a day old,² but if after his mother underwent immersion at eight days old.³

footnotes: ¹ So MS.K. and H. V wrongly, ‘a proselyte is always circumcised at eight days old’. ² i.e. he is made a proselyte at the earliest moment. ³ Like a child of a Jewish mother.

If a proselyte was already circumcised, or if a child was born circumcised, it is necessary to draw from him blood of the covenant,⁴ according to Beth Shammai; but Beth Hillel say that it is not necessary.

footnotes: ⁴ A slight incision is made to draw a drop of blood.

R. Mathia b. Ḥeresh said in the name of R. Ishmael:⁵ Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel did not differ on the question of a proselyte who was already circumcised or a child who was born circumcised. On what did they differ? On a child who was born circumcised on the Sabbath. Beth Shammai said: We override the Sabbath on his account to draw from him blood of the covenant, and Beth Hillel said that this is not necessary.⁶

footnotes: ⁵ So MS.K. and H. V has ‘Samuel’. ⁶ To set the Sabbath aside, and the blood should be drawn on another day. Both Schools agreed that it was necessary to draw the blood of the covenant.

If a slave underwent immersion before his master⁷ he becomes free. It is related of Queen Valeria⁸ that some of her slaves underwent immersion before her and some after her, and when the case came before the Sages they said that they who underwent immersion before her were free, but they who underwent immersion after her were still enslaved.

footnotes: ⁷ A Gentile who was being made a convert. ⁸ [In Yeb. 46a (Sonc. ed., p. 299) ‘Queen’ is omitted. R.H. 17b (Sonc. ed., p. 70) mentions ‘Valeria the proselyte’.] Some of her slaves became Jewesses while she was still a heathen.

Just as Israel were initiated into the covenant by three precepts, so proselytes are initiated by circumcision, immersion and a sacrifice. [The omission of] the first two debars him [from becoming a proselyte], but [the omission of] the third does not debar him. R. Eliezer [b. Jacob] said: The omission of the sacrifice is also a bar.⁹ This was the ruling of R. Eliezer b. Jacob: A proselyte who becomes a convert is required to set aside a fourth part [of a dinar] for his sacrifice of birds;¹⁰ (Sonc. ed., p. 67, n. 12). but R. Simeon says that he is not required to do so.

footnotes: ⁹ Omitted by V but added by MS.K. and H. Cf. Kerith. 9a (Sonc. ed., p. 66). ¹⁰ To be offered when the Temple will be rebuilt; Kerith. loc. cit.

Proselytes are punished [for their sins before conversion] in the opinion of R. Jose; R. Judah said: He is not punished [61a] but is like a new-born child.

R. Ḥanina b. Gamaliel said: Why are proselytes afflicted?¹¹ Because they calculate a year before or two years before [their conversion], saying, [‘I shall become a proselyte] when I have collected my debts and when I have finished what I have to do’. R. Jose said to him,¹² ‘If they were to lose money [only as a punishment] you would be right; but they [sometimes] bury their children and grandchildren and sore diseases and chastisements befall them. Why are they afflicted? Because of their [transgression¹³ of] the seven commandments which were given to the descendants of Noah’.¹⁴

footnotes: ¹¹ By God. ¹² ‘R. Jose … him’ added by MS.K. and H. ¹³ While they were still Gentiles. ¹⁴ [The practice of equity, and prohibitions against blasphemy, idolatry, immorality, bloodshed, robbery and eating a limb torn from a live animal; Sanh. 56a (Sonc. ed., pp. 381f.).]