Noahide Commandments
by: Rabbi Yoel Schwartz
Translated by: Yitzhak A. Oked Sechter
Introduction:
This book deals mainly with the effort of defining the seven commandments
that the non-Jewish nations should fulfill or make an effort to do so. On top
of the seven basic commandments, there are several other active commandments
that were compiled in the Gemarah and by the Rambam. These were added in
order to preserve the level of moral and religious values of the human race.
Though only a few of the children of Noah who want to rise to higher levels
and come closer to G-d, search for ways of performing "mitzvot", good deeds.
As it is written in the book of the Psalms, "Go away from evil and do good."
These "mitzvot" have not been clarified and explained in depth in the
scriptures. Just the same, according to what is written in the Torah and the
Midrash, we are able to learn something through the actions of those that
existed before the Torah was given to Israel. According to the Midrash, the
Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob upheld more commandments than what the
children of Noah were called upon to do. Even commandments that the sages
turned into laws many generations later were kept by the Patriarchs.
According to these same sources, Jacob already upheld all of the 613
commandments of Judaism. This is why Jacob's children are no longer called
children of Noah but children of Israel. Just the same, we can learn from
their actions and statements toward those that lived during their generation
on the ways that a person wants to come closer to G-d should act and repair
his ways toward a spiritual fulfillment.
The matters that we are trying to explain in this book are not in any way an
effort to try and establish a new religion. But to look at the Scriptures and
reach conclusions concerning what a person should do or try to do. Our
prayers are that this modest beginning will bring others to write a more
complete book and that it should cover a greater scope. In order to help all
those among the nations that are looking for ways to come closer to G-d.
Judaism forbids establishing a new religion, as explained by the Rambam (II
Kings 10, 5:6-9): "The principle of the matter: You cannot allow them to
establish a new religion or to carry out commandments from this knowledge..."
Anyway, what we are doing here in connection with the Children of Noah is not
the establishment of a new religion. Since a foreigner (Gentile) is not
ordered in writing to fulfill them, but only, if by his own free will, wishes
to carry out such commandments as the Rambam wrote: "We are not allowed to
stop a child of Noah that seeks to be compensated by fulfilling the laws of
the Torah." So it seems that the establishment of a new religion occurs only
when a person comes and says that he has been ordered by G-d to fulfill such
and such a lawn of Torah and not when he is trying to reach a spiritual
perfectness by fulfilling the commandments that the children of Israel have
been ordered to carry out.
FOREWORD ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING THING (FULFILLING AND CARRYING OUT).
"We will fulfill and we will hear" (Shabbat 88:a). Here we will try to
explain the importance of spiritual fulfillment and its effect on the
personality of the person. We will also see why it is not enough to feel this
spiritual fulfillment in the heart, but that it must be accompanied by
actions. All this has been explained in the Torah and was understood as
something quite simple by many intellectuals of the world like Captain
Kirkgor (In his book "A Jew, Who Is He, What Is He?" page 22) who said, "A
belief that does not bring in its wake a fulfillment and a change, is a false
one. The greatest believer, who carries out his belief with great enthusiasm,
but shows no sign of a complete change in his life, proves, that his belief
is simply part of his own imagination only. The influence and recognition of
a belief in a human being depends on the way he carries out his day-to-day
life and manages to control and suppress his desires, stops doing evil and
the actions he takes to carry this out."
The Greek philosophers who did not believe in a practical religion, but
believed that human perfection comes from recognizing and studying the truth.
Believed jut the same, that a person must carry and fulfill deeds that will
teach him spiritual perfection: Yehudah HaLevi in his book "Hakuzari (Article
A, Part A): "Question the truth on the things that you want to know, in order
that your brains will act and not be acted upon. Talk to the point and in
truthful ways. This will help you seek and recognize the truth. Then you will
demand less, be more humble and accumulate good measures."
The Philosophers who did not recognize G-d or the need to act accordingly to
His commandments. This is why they believed that human beings can act in any
way suitable that will bring them to fulfillment of their goals. Just the
same, these intellectuals understood that it was not enough fro a person to
acquire education and knowledge but that he also needed to carry out and act
in order that his internal thinking could turn into a reality. Which is
exactly what the Torah tells us to do, and we will bring several examples
here.
A) The Precepts (Mitzvot) connected to prayers: These precepts connected to
prayers are done through the heart as it is stated in Ta'anit 2, "and to
labor for him with all your heart - what is the labor of the heart - it is
prayer." Anyway it is not enough to pray from the heart. if a person has some
thoughts that stem from his heart but does not utter them out through his
lips, then he has not fulfilled the commandment as it is stated in Berachot
20, "Thoughts are not the same as an utterance."
B) Repentance: The precepts connected to repentance are also connected to
the heart: "A person repenting must confess through his lips and say the
things he has decided to do through his heart." (Rambam, Repentance, Chapter
20).
C) Ownership: When a person transfers ownership, either to buy or sell,
the most important part in this transaction is that his heart agrees with the
action. But all of this is not legal until some sort of deed or legal paper
is signed or changes hands (like money0, or the transfer of ownership done
according to the Jewish religion (Halacha).
D) Marriage: It is not enough for both sides to agree to marry and to live
like a family, but a legal action must also be carried out for this agreement
to be formal.
From all these examples we have learned that it is not enough for the heart
to tell you to do something. There is a need for some sort of act to carry
out the will of the heart. For this reason the spiritual fulfillment of a
person is not reached unless it is carried out by action. The belief and the
desire to be close to G-d and the actions connected with it must be according
to the precepts (Mitzvot) that G-d set forth in the Torah.
There is, sometimes, an opposite process when outside actions (not connected
or controlled by the person) influence the internal thinking of a person as
it is explained in Sefer Hahinuch 40:16, explaining why the Torah has so many
practical precepts: "You should know that a person is governed by his
actions. His heart good or bad. Even a wicked man whose thoughts are
concentrated on doing evil all day, if he should start studying Torah and
Mitzvot, even if he is not doing it for G-d's sake, he will start acting in a
more positive manner. This because the heart goes after the deeds. the same
holds true, concerning a righteous man, who lives according to the Torah and
Mitzvot, but makes a living from dubious transactions, or if for example he
is forced by the King or ruler to deal in such dubious matters, he will
eventually be transferred from a righteous man to an evil one."
In the book Mesilat Yesharim, chapter 7 it is written, "that hastiness is
brought about by the internal enthusiasm of a person. But even if a person
lacks this internal enthusiasm, he should carry out and do things in an
accelerated pace, this will bring about an internal enthusiasm. Since
external actions brings about internal ones."
The Rambam, Maimonides, in his commentary to the Mishna, Avot, wrote, "If a
person wants to give a certain sum to charity. it is worth while to divide
this charity into several portions and give it away at different intervals
and not at one time. By doing so, it has a greater effect on a person, than
if he would give the sum to charity all at one time. This despite the act
that to do so he must invest more time and effort."
The actions of a person should be done in order to fulfill and carry out the
commandments of the Creator. Since only by doing it so does a person feel
fulfilled. As the Maharal from Prague wrote in Tiferet Yisrael, chapter 4,
"The commandments of the Torah can be likened to a rope. By which a person is
drawn out of a hole or a well. The person is drawn from the lowest levels to
the higher levels of the world. The more he accomplishes the higher he rises
till he goes beyond the level of earthly deeds, which then entitles him to a
seat next to the Lord of Hosts."
The meaning of the word Mitzvot in Hebrew comes from the root Unite and Bind.
Which means that each mitzvah unites and binds the person to the Creator of
the world. (See the book of Tania). The Tanna, Rabbi Eliyahu says in Chapter
9, "I testify before heaven and earth, Israel and the nations, man and woman
between a servant and handmaiden, everyone is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit
according to his actions."
The fulfillment of the commandments in the Torah, builds the character of a
person and raises him to a level of perfection, as it is written in
Deuteronomy 4:14, "And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you
statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them..." (The English version of
the Bible is not translated 100 percent perfect, since in the Hebrew the word
"Leasotchem" is not exactly "ye might do them", it also means "will do to
you.")
This word "Leasotchem" teaches us here that the statutes and ordinances, the
"mitzvot", builds the person and does not only mean that a person must carry
them out. This is why it is written in this special way. A person must be
trained on the way he should build his life, starting from early childhood.
Anyone reading books dealing with child care can find many examples there.
But even as a grownup, a person must take a grip on himself, if he wants to
"discover himself" and find a real meaning to his life. All the "mitzvot"
have a logical meaning behind them. Many intelligent people will even agree
that there is a need for them, but this is not enough. We must remember that
we must carry our these ordinances and statutes because we have been ordered
to do so by the Creator. They were given to Adam and Noah. Then again given
on Mount Sinai. Part of the Torah was given on Mount Sinai to the Israelites
as a Holy nation of Priests. The remaining part is intended for all the human
race. The Rambam wrote in Malachim, Chapter 8:11, "Every person that agrees
to carry out the seven "Mitzvot" of the children of Noah, and does this in a
careful manner, then he is a righteous gentile, and has part in the world to
come, meaning that he carries this out because G-d has ordered him to do so
in the Torah, through Moses. But if these seven "mitzvot" are carried out
just because he feels a necessity to do so, then he is not a Gentile resident
in Israel, "Ger Toshav", nor a righteous gentile or one of its wise persons."
The Mitzvot have been handed down to us in the form of an order, but just the
same we are called to accept them gladly. A person must accept the Mitzvot
with love. Despite the hardships in fulfilling them, he must carry them out.
This also has an educational value.
When a person decides to do a good deed without being ordered to do so, he
feels he is important and just. But when a person decides to carry out the
Mitzvot because he has been ordered to by G-d, then he feels the importance
of the G-d that orders. it is only then that he manages to discover and find
all his hidden powers in order to carry out these "mitzvot". These hidden
powers cannot be tapped to their utmost if a person carries out the "mitzvot"
simply because he has the sudden urge or mood to do so. This decision is
strengthened even more when the person announces it before three learned and
wise Jews. This acts transforms the person into a "Ger Toshav". Even today,
when the laws concerning a "Ger Toshav" are not enforced because all of the
Israelites have not yet returned to their land, then it is enough to take the
steps we have just mentioned by taking a pledge before the three wise Jews.
This should include: belief in the principles of the existence of the one
true G-d, who is everlasting, the Creator of all things, the One that gave
the Torah in Sinai for humanity, Oversees all the actions of the human
beings. then the person should state that he is willing to fulfill the seven
mitzvot that were given to Noah. there are those that believe that this
announcement should be completed by the submersion of the body in a pool of
at least 660 liters of water. Like the sea, spring, or a man made pool
built in the earth.
This ends the first section. I was going to send it all out at one time but
have now decided to send it out in sections.
Other sections will follow as I have time to type it in. Hopefully it will
all be sent by the end of the week. I would suggest that you save each
section and combine them together.
Contributed by Jack E. Saunders from material provided by Rabbi Schwartz
Rabbi Schwartz
Commandments
Part 4
Sabbath
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