Noahidism: Is It Judaism-Lite for Gentiles?

4 Adar Bet 5784 

Anything that has "-ism" added to it, in my experience, is a man-made construct and therefore, liable to lead to error.  It has also been my experience that some gentiles leaving Christianity, who prefer not to become a Jew, are looking upon Noahidism as a kind of substitute for the church, with its own rituals and holidays - in other words the makings of a new religion, God forbid!

I personally prefer the term God-fearing gentiles, God-fearers (yirei shamayim), because that is the ikkar for them - the crux for the seven laws God gave to the nations.  If a gentile keeps the seven laws in totality, but does so solely because he thinks/feels they are wise and beneficial is not considered a righteous gentile.  Only if he keeps these laws because he acknowledges that they originate with, and are commanded to him by, the Creator is he considered "righteous" and worthy of merit.

These seven laws are mankind's minimal obligation to their Creator.  If a gentile feels the draw towards a higher level of observance and closeness to his Creator, he can convert and become a Jew with all the obligations right alongside all the privileges.  These are the only two choices available to individual gentiles, aside from the free will choice to reject his Creator and go the way of all the wicked.

I recently heard the following statement:  "The whole role of a Jew is to be a light to the nations."  To that, I would say, "No, the whole role of a Jew is to serve HKB"H by learning His Torah and fulfilling His mitzvot."  This idea that Jews are here to spread the Gospel of Torah to the nations of the world is a heresy assimilated out of Christian culture.  It is an idea that appeals to many Jews (and gentiles) because the Yetzer HaRa would rather see Jews thus occupied rather then doing the job they were assigned.

For further elucidation on this subject, please continue on with two reposted articles from 2011 and 2021.

Who is a "Righteous Gentile?"

23 Tammuz 5771

This is similar to the question which continues to plague Israel---Who is a Jew? There are those who like to say, so-and-so may not be halachicly Jewish, but he would have qualified for the gas chamber in Hitler's Germany.

While that is tragic, it is not a reason to abandon the halachah.  Hitler, y"sh does not define for us who is a Jew.  Only Hashem does.  To allow the Nazis to define Jewishness is to allow them to continue the shmad against us by other means and for all time.  And just as we do not allow them to define who is a Jew, neither do we allow Yad Vashem to define who is a righteous Gentile.

Despite that Yad Vashem confers "righteous" status on Gentiles who assisted Jews, even to saving their lives, during the holocaust, we are duty-bound to employ the halachic criteria because while we may owe a debt of gratitude to such people, it is the Master of the World who defines this status and it is judged based on the person's relationship to HASHEM, not to Jews.

Today, this is a terribly misunderstood subject and it is causing no dearth of trouble for Am Yisrael as a result.  Today, anyone who is "pro-Israel" is called a righteous Gentile, even down to those who would convert us all to their idolatry if given half a chance.  It's not only wrong, it cheapens the demands it requires of those who truly earn it.  It is a slap in the face to all truly righteous Gentiles, who often have made great personal sacrifices to attain that level.  We owe it to them and to the truth and we owe it to Hashem to set the record straight.

Again, "Jew" and "righteous Gentile" are legal statuses defined by Jewish Law as handed down from the Creator at Har Sinai.  We are not free, out of some false sense of obligation or gratitude, to move the boundaries Hashem has set in His limitless wisdom.

Before getting into what makes one a "stam" goy and another a "righteous goy," I ought to address another issue which coincides with this.  Perhaps, before we can distinguish between goy and goy, we ought first to understand what separates the goy and the Jew.  Is there a real distinction or are we "all brothers in the family of Mankind?"

Let's hear Rabbi David Bar Chayim on the subject: The Distinction between Jews and Gentiles in Torah:

Introduction

Over the past few years, there has been a recognizable trend amongst different circles in the religious community -- a humanistic/universal inclination.  There are many who have written in praise of love, “for all men who were created in the image of G-d.”  We have even been “graced” with a pamphlet of this name, Chaviv Adam Sh’nivra B’tzelem, composed and edited by Mr. Yochanan Ben Ya’acov, the Director General of the Bnei Akiva Youth Movement.  The explicit goal of those who share this outlook is to prove that all men are equal, that it is forbidden to discriminate against any man on the basis of his race, and that anyone who claims the opposite is nothing but a racist, distorting the words of the Torah in order to fit them to his “dreadful” opinions.

...As will be further clarified, this outlook completely contradicts the Torah of Moses, and stems from an absolute lack of knowledge, permeated with foreign Western “values.”  There would not be any need to respond were it not for the many who are mistaken and lead astray by it.

This outlook has even been expressed by some rabbis whose goal is to show how great and important the stature of the Gentile is in our Torah, and who thereby violate the truth by taking things out of context and inaccurately interpreting the words of Chazal and the Rishonim.

(Space does not allow. See the list of halachot which distinguish between Jews and Gentiles here.)

In the book Derech Hashem, part 2, section 4, the Ramchal explained at length the difference between Israel and the nations of the world: 

One of the deepest concepts of G-d's providence involves Israel and the other nations.  With regards to their basic human characteristics, the two appear exactly alike.  From the Torah's viewpoint, however, the two are completely different, and are treated as ones belonging to completely different genera…

Before Adam sinned, he was on a level much higher than contemporary man…  In that state, man was on a very lofty level, fit for a high degree of eternal excellence….  He would have then sired future generations while still in that state of excellence.  Their number would be accurately determined by G-d's wisdom, depending on how those enjoying His good should best be perfected....

However, when Adam sinned, he fell from his original high level, and brought upon himself a great degree of darkness and insensitivity….  Mankind in general also fell from its original height, and remained on a degraded level….  He was thus only prepared and receptive to a much lower level, and it was in this state that his children were born.  … they were all born into this degraded state….

Until Avraham Avinu who raised himself back up to the higher level through his spiritual work and earned the right to pass this trait on to his progeny through Yitzchak and Yaaqov.  Thereafter, his physical descendants and any individuals from among the nations who followed Avraham's path and raised themselves up to his level (converting) would be a separate people---Jews.

...According to the Highest Judgment, it turned out that none of them deserved to rise above the degraded level…not even a little bit.  But Abraham, being the only exception, succeeded in elevating himself through his deeds, which led to him being chosen by G-d.  Abraham was therefore permanently made into a superior and excellent tree, conforming to man's highest level.  It was further provided that he would be able to produce branches [and father a nation] based on his characteristics.  The world was then divided into seventy nations, each on its own particular level in the general scheme.  All of them, however, remained on the level of man in his fallen state, while only Israel became men in the elevated state.

The verdict, however, was not that the other nations should be destroyed.  It only meant that they would have to remain on the lower level that we have discussed.  This lower state of man should never have existed, had Adam not sinned….  These nations still have the human aspect, blemished though it may be, so G-d desired that they should at least have a part of what was actually appropriate for the true mankind.  He therefore granted them a divine soul somewhat like that of the Jew, even though it is not on the same level as Jewish souls are, but on a much lower level.  They were likewise given commandments through which they could attain both material and spiritual advantages appropriate to their nature -- the Seven Commandments given to the children of Noah.

In the World to Come, however, there will be no nation other than Israel.  The souls of righteous Gentiles will be allowed to exist in the Future World, but only as an addition and attachment to Israel.  They will therefore be secondary to the Jews, just as a garment is secondary to the one who wears it.  All that they attain of the ultimate good will have to be attained in this manner, since by virtue of their nature they can receive no more.

Which brings us back to our original question---Who is a righteous Gentile?

...Maimonides stated explicitly in chapter 8 of The Laws of Kings (halacha 10): 'Moses our teacher was commanded by the Mighty One to force the Gentiles to accept the commandments of the sons of Noah….  Anyone who accepts the Seven Commandments and is careful to fulfill them is considered a righteous Gentile and receives a portion in the World to Come.  This depends upon him accepting and fulfilling them because G-d had so commanded in the Torah….'

Meaning that while the actions of some gentiles might be noteworthy and commendable, if he does not obey the sheva mitzvot b'nei Noah, he is a "stam" goy.   Additionally, if he observes the sheva mitzvot because he thinks they are nice and good, but not because they were commanded, he is not entitled to the status of "righteous" gentile.

Being precise in our language is also part of being people of truth.

27 December 2021

Code Word: "Universal" (Part 2 of 2)

23 Tevet 5782

In Part 1, it was established that there is an insidious trend today to universalize Judaism and the Torah.  I daresay, that were this the correct path to take, we would not have been mourning the translation of the Torah into Greek just a couple of weeks ago.

Authentic, Torah-true Judaism is engulfed and drowning in a tidal wave of error and misconception regarding our relationship to the nations of the world.  

In part 2, here, I hope that the sources I bring will shed light and clarity on this subject and help to keep us on the straight path, deviating neither to the left nor the right.

Universalist Claims

• It is a mitzvah for every Jew to evangelize the world with Torah.

• Israel's mission is to be a "light unto the nations" by spreading the gospel of Torah.

• Jew or non-Jew, it doesn't matter, all are equal and have equal standing before God.

• All of humanity is one big family and all are the children of God regardless of belief.

• The Messiah is not coming just for the Jews, he is coming to save the whole world.

• The Jews can't be redeemed unless the gentiles play their part.

Yes, I have tweaked the language because in essence this is really what it is and it helps us pinpoint the origin of these false ideas.  Yes, this is more Judeo-Christianity.  And it bears noting that the Jews who want to teach Torah to Gentiles stopped pretending it was for those seeking to learn the sheva mitzvot long ago.  Now, there is no more pretense that they are anything other than Christian idolaters.

Consider this...

The Rambam in Hilchot Avodah Zarah, Chapter 7, Halachah 1:

It is a positive commandment to destroy false deities, all their accessories, and everything that is made for their purposes, as [Devarim 12:2] states: "You shall surely destroy all the places [where the gentiles... served their gods]" and, as [implied by Devarim 7:5]: "Rather, what you should do to them is tear down their altars."

In Eretz Yisrael, the mitzvah requires us to hunt after idol worship until it is eradicated from our entire land.  In the diaspora, however, we are not required to hunt after it.  Rather, whenever we conquer a place, we must destroy all the false deities contained within.

[The source for this distinction is Devarim 12:3, which] states: "And you shall destroy their name from this place," [implying that] you are obligated to hunt false deities in Eretz Yisrael, but you are not obligated to do so in the diaspora.

From the commentary: On we are not required to hunt after it. - since these lands are not holy, we are not obligated to eradicate idol worship from them. (Kinat Eliyahu)

In other words, we do not go out from Eretz Yisrael and travel the world begging the non-Jews to leave their idolatry and accept the sheva mitzvot.  Neither do we go out from Eretz Yisrael and travel the world inviting the non-Jews to come to Eretz Yisrael, welcoming them to bring their idolatry in with them and practice it in our midst!

Rabbi Meir Kahane from his book Uncomfortable Questions for Comfortable Jews...

..for the sake of the Jewish people, it is time to speak about the ignorance, the perversion, the corruption, the counterfeiting of Judaism. It is more than time to bring down what Judaism really says about Jews and non-Jews, about the status of both in the world, about the concept of Israel as a special chosen people and the place of a non-Jew within the Jewish State, about the contradictions between basic Judaism and basic western democracy and liberalism.

...The liberal west speaks of the absolute equality of all peoples while Judaism speaks of spiritual status of the chosenness of the Jew from and above all other people, of the special and exclusive relationship between G-d and Israel.

Excerpts from the Ramchal in Derech Hashem (Feldheim Publishers) ...

...According to the Highest Judgment, it turned out that none of [humanity] deserved to rise above the degraded level to which Adam and his children had fallen as a result of their sin.  [Not a single one had risen above it all.]

There was, however, one exception, and that was Avraham.  He had succeeded in elevating himself, and as a result of his deeds was chosen by God.  Avraham was therefore permanently made into a superior excellent Tree, conforming to man's highest level.  It was further provided that he would be able to produce branches [and father a nation] possessing his characteristics.

The world was then divided into seventy nations, each with its own particular place in the general scheme.  All of them, however, remained on the level of man in his fallen state, while only Israel was in the elevated state.

After this, the gate was closed on the era of roots.  Things would then be directed and brought about upon individuals as branches, each one according to his nature.

...[4]  God's great love and goodness decreed that the branches of other nations still be given a chance.  If they so desired, they still had the free choice to tear themselves loose from their own roots, and through their own actions include themselves among the branches of Avraham's family.

This is what God meant when He told Avraham (Breishis 12:3), "All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."  Avraham was thus made the father of all converts.

...Avraham's tree consisted of 600,000 main branches. These were the individuals who left Egypt, and it was to them that the Torah was given and the land of Israel divided. Every Jew subsequently born is considered to be an element and descendant of one of these primary branches.

It was to these 600,000 original Jews that the Torah was given.  When this occurred, the tree was said to have attained maturity.

At this time, God also gave the nations a last chance.  In His mercy He had suspended their final judgment until the time that the Torah was given [with the revelation at Sinai].  He then offered the Torah to every nation, giving them the opportunity to accept it.

If any nation would have then accepted the Torah, it would have elevated itself from its lower state.  As it was, none of them desired the Torah, and their judgment was therefore sealed completely.  The gate was permanently closed, never again to be opened.

It still remained possible, however, for any individual to convert to Judaism.  In this manner, he could still include himself in Avraham's tree of his own free will.

...[9]  God thus made the rectification and elevation of all creation totally dependent on the Jews.  To the extent that this can be expressed, we can thus say that He subjugated His Providence to them.  Through their deeds, they can cause [His Light] to shine forth and have influence, or, on the other hand, hold it back and conceal it.  [The Light to the Nations!]

The final redemption will mirror the first redemption from Egypt.  Moshe Rabeinu was the redeemer promised to Israel.  All of the slaves went free, but Egypt was destroyed for the sake of freeing the Jews.  "The world exists for the Jews; had Israel refused the Torah, the world would have ceased to exist."  Ben David will come at the End of Days to redeem the Jews and the entire world will benefit, but all who oppose this goal of freeing the Jews to fulfill their true mission of rectifying the world through Torah and mitzvot will be destroyed in the process. 

How Israel Is To Be A Light To The Nations