Igros Moshe (Even HaEzer III #3):…Question: A convert by a Reform Rabbi who married a Jew and he left her – does she require a get from him? Answer It is clear and obvious to me that the conversion had no significance and he remains a goy as he was originally and therefore the marriage had no significance. Even if he had mila and tevila he did not have a valid beis din and at the minimum when he was accepting mitzvos and he needed two valid witnesses for the mila and tevila. All the Reform Jews are invalid witnesses since they are deny Torah is from Heaven. So even if there are not witnesses that they have transgressed all the mitzvos of the Torah, the affiliation with the Reform itself is evidence that they are heretics which is at a lower level than a non Jew and there is no need to have witnesses that they are heretics. Consequently the mila and tevila are not valid. The acceptance of mitzvos is also invalid. As a result there is no need for a get and I think it is even prohibited to be strict and require a get. .
I think Rav Moshe, zt"l, gave the Reformer too much credit when he called them heretics.
ReplyDeleteAs the old story goes, the talmid comes to his rebbe and says, "Rebbe, I just can't do this anymore. I'm going to go and be an apikores." The rebbe asks him how long he's been learning. "Thirteen years," says the talmid. The rebbe rolls his eyes. "You don't know enough to an apikores."
Years ago I did a week at Camp Ramah as the doctor and met one of the "rabbinical" students. He was a decent guy, very sincere, liked learning at the JTS level and honestly believed that Conservative was a valiud alternative form of Torah observance. The vast majority aren't rebelling, just ignorant.