160
Question
Hi Rabbi Shvat, You mentioned in a previous post that there is a prohibition to differentiate between a Jew from birth and a convert. As a convert myself, I was previously unaware of this prohibition, especially since I have been "labeled" as a convert in the past. Can you please elaborate on the sources for this prohibition and the exact halacha to which it pertains?
Answer
Our sages teach that the souls of all future converts, already stood at Mt. Sinai at the giving of the Torah (Bamidbar Rabba 13, 16), teaching that their souls were actually originally Jewish from the outset. Similarly the Torah teaches, "just as you do, so should he (the convert) do… The community, has one law for you and for the convert, one eternal law for all generations, as you, so too the convert before God. There shall be one Torah and one law for you and for the convert who lives with you" (Bamidbar 15, 14-16). Similarly, "So the son of gentiles, who has joined God should not say 'God has differentiated me from His nation" (Yishayahu 56, 3).
The Rambam in his response to the question of R. Ovadia (formerly Abdallah, the convert, Resp. of Rambam, R. Shilat edition, p. 233), writes that converts pray exactly like all other Jews, even when one may have thought otherwise, including saying "Lord of our fathers", "Who has taken us out of Egypt", "Who did miracles for our fathers", etc. The Rambam continues there and cites the aforemention verse as proof, "one law for you and for the convert, one eternal law for all generations, as you, so too the convert before God. There shall be one Torah and one law for you and for the convert who lives with you". Similarly, if a convert wants to say the bracha, "Blessed are You… Who didn't make me a gentile" he can do so as well (I wrote a long responsa in Hebrew on the topic which can easily be found on the web in Techumin vol. 15).
The Sefer HaChinuch (431) stresses that one isn't allowed to do "anything" that will hurt a convert, which would include any kind of discrimination.
R. Saadya Gaon counts as mitzva 82 in his list of 613 mitzvot "converts just as citizens", and R. Y. Perla explains, that this positive commandment includes not differentiating between converts and others regarding any laws. This is the general rule, and if you have any particular questions you should consult an halachic authority.