Practical Proposal for Hiring Foreign Workers
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Question
The rabbi wrote in the book Kehilot Yaakov, page 179, that even today there is a prohibition of 'they shall not dwell in your land', and there is a significant problem with bringing foreign workers into the country. I wanted to ask whether it is appropriate to propose to foreign worker companies, as it is known that many Filipinos want to come work here with the elderly and similar. And here, a religious Jew who wants to invite a foreign worker for his elderly father encounters several serious halachic issues: A. According to Rambam, it is a Torah prohibition of 'they shall not dwell in your land'. B. Often they have a cross and similar - and they violate 'do not bring an abomination into your house'. I know this from experience with my late grandfather's foreign worker. And it would be appropriate for them to conduct a course abroad - the seven Noahide laws. And a religious person would invite only a foreign worker with certification - who knows the commandments and strives to observe them as much as possible to check. And the incentive for this would be: A. The company will charge more money for a foreign worker with certification. B. Foreign workers will also want it - because this will increase their chances of getting a job. And thus we will gain that according to many early authorities there is no prohibition of 'they shall not dwell in your land', since he accepted to observe the seven commandments, and we also succeeded in bringing another gentile closer to the light of God.
Answer
Hello,
According to Rambam, it is not sufficient for them to accept the seven Noahide laws; they must be considered a 'resident alien'. In our times, it is not possible to convert a gentile into a resident alien.
As Rambam wrote, (
Laws of Idolatry, Chapter 10, Law 6
):
These matters are only applicable when Israel is in exile among idolaters or when the power of idolaters is stronger over Israel, but when the power of Israel is stronger, we are forbidden to allow idolaters among us, and even if they reside temporarily or pass through the land with trade, they should not pass through our land until they accept upon themselves the seven commandments commanded to the sons of Noah, as it is said: 'they shall not dwell in your land' even temporarily,
and if they accept the seven commandments, they are a resident alien, and we only accept a resident alien when the Jubilee is in effect, but not in the Jubilee time, we only accept a righteous convert.
Source
Rambam, Laws of Idolatry, Chapter 10, Law 6