Answers to General Questions ADVANCED SITE SEARCH: Click Here

QUESTION #2 : Do you have any information on Noahide prayer and liturgy, or rather, worship? I am a Noahide, and am interested in developing a liturgy for myself. I am well aware that Noahides are not obligated to use a liturgy, but I also feel that one should not only pray when one needs something. If one does that, then the mechanism of prayer "rusts", and doesn't work like it should. It becomes hard to communicate with G-d even when one does need something, which can present a problem. I remember hearing a story about devotion in prayer, which I think sort of applies. It had something to do with a watchmaker going to a town where there were a lot of broken watches that needed to be fixed. All the watches that had been maintained could be fixed, but the ones that had been allowed to rust could not. > A. R. ANSWER : Please click here NOAHIDE PRAYER

QUESTION #3 : I want to know more about this mystery of the seven books of Moses and the implications. I would like to know how I can get a copy of it. ANSWER : This is no mystery, once you have been told the answer. It is simply that there is a traditional alternative way of dividing up the Torah of Moses, into 7 "books" instead of 5 books. The 7 "books" are as follows: 1) Book of Genesis, 2) Book of Exodus, 3) Book of Leviticus 4) Book of Numbers, verses 1:1 through 10:34 5) Book of Numbers, verses 10:35 through 10:36 6) Book of Numbers, versus 11:1 through end 7) Book of Deuteronomy The two verses which make up all of "book" #5 of 7 in the above arrangement are set apart in all hand-written Torah scrolls by an upside-down letter "nun" before and after those two verses [like a set of square brackets]. The reason they are set apart is because G-d instructed Moses to insert them out of the chronological order of the stories in that section of the Book of Numbers, in order to separate between the preceding story of a rebellious behavior [rushing to leave Mt. Sinai], and the story of another rebellion which follows immediately [their complaining on the way]. So we find some positive verses inserted by G-d so that two negative accounts do not follow one immediately after the other. Perhaps we can learn from this that if you feel that you have to criticize someone for more than one negative thing, you should always try to find something positive to say about them in between. As the Baal Shem Tov taught, making the positive statements will actually help to bring out the hidden good that lies within the person you are criticizing. This is one of the main things we learn from the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" which make up the Five Books of the Torah of Moses.

QUESTION #5 : Doesn't modern science disprove the Biblical accounts of Creation and the Flood? > J. F. ANSWER : In fact, no. It is important to distinguish between scientifically provable facts and scientific theories. To find out why, all visitors are encouraged to read the following highly technical letter by the Lubavitcher Rebbe: THE LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE

QUESTION #8a : What happened to the descendants of Shem and Eber other than Abraham and his family? Which nations did they become? > Y. P. QUESTION #8b : Which Biblical peoples can still be identified? > K. H. QUESTION #8c : In some Rabbinic articles I read Rome is a spiritual descendant of Esau and not genetic. But why are Arabs and Jews both spiritual and genetic relatives, along with Esau-Edom but not Esau-Rome? If the tribe Magdiel founded Rome according to Rashi, then does it mean also a genetic and a spiritual descent? > H. D. ANSWERS : Please click here DESCENDANTS OF NOAH

QUESTION #10: What do you do about people that don't keep the laws? > R. M. ANSWER : There are a few ways that this problem can be addressed in the present time: 1. Torah-observant individuals and organizations, both Jewish and Noahide, have an obligation to do outreach to Gentiles to educate them about the Seven Noahide Commandments. Through education, and sincere and open communications, more people are going to learn about what these commandments are, and more people will start to observe them. People should be told why (spiritually, morally and intellectually) these commandments should be observed, and what the rewards are (both spiritually and in practical, physical ways) for individuals and societies who keep them. 2. Modern nations have secular civil and criminal codes of law, and a system of courts and law enforcement. These secular laws always include at least a few of the Noahide laws, at least to some extent. For example, it is common to have laws against murder, theft, rape, incest, and cruelty to animals. So more and more citizens of each country should invest efforts to ensure that those existing laws which relate to the Noahide Commandments are strenghtened and enforced within the secular court systems. 3. Efforts should be made through the democratic process where possible (e.g., petitions, referendums, legislation, etc.), and through influencing the ruling power in dictatorships, to create new laws or alter existing laws so they will be more in line with the Noahide Laws. This would apply, for example, to laws regarding abortion, euthanasia, homosexual relations and marriages, humane slaughter, etc. 4. When the Messianic redemption occurs, all the nations will start to keep the Noahide commandments. To help accomplish this sooner, each person should increase in deeds of goodness and kindness, while observing these laws, repenting for past transgressions, and expending more effort to learn about these laws and teach them to others. At this critical time, every second counts!

QUESTION #12 : One question which bothers me just a little is this. G-d is the Al-mighty and Supreme and Perfect Being. He is all loving and all True. I don't understand why He would choose a small group of people who would be obligated to observe all His 613 Commandments, and that a much larger group of people, say for example, the Chinese nation, does not have to observe these but only the Seven Noahide Commandments. >R. S. ANSWER : There is a mistaken impression here when you say "only" the Seven Noahide Laws. In the Written Torah, the Jewish Commandments are stated by G-d in greater detail, and the Noahide Commandments are stated by G-d in greater generality. (As an analogy, consider the beauty of a field of fresh snow, and the separate beauty of each individual snowflake.) When examined in terms of their specific requirements, the Noahide Commandments encompass many details, as do the Jewish Commandments. A very scholarly treatment of this contrast is covered in the book "The Seven Laws of Noah," by Aaron Lichtenstein. In a general way, Gentiles are "only" responsible to G-d for following the Seven Commandments of Noah. In a particular way, each of the Seven Noahide Commandments encompasses numerous details, as to what specific actions are forbidden by each general prohibition, how the justice system should function, etc. To learn many practical details of the Noahide Laws, see the book "The Path of the Righteous Gentile," by Y. Rogalsky and C. Chlorfene. Also, there are a few additional righteous practices which the Gentile nations of antiquity voluntarily accepted to take upon themselves - see on our web page RIGHTEOUS TRADITION.

QUESTION #13 :Where is the Messianic Era dealt with explicitly in the Torah? >R. G. ANSWER : The Messianic Era is explicit in the Torah, in several places. G-d promised it explicitly to Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21), and Jacob related it to his sons (Gen. 49:10). Maimonides (the "Rambam") lists the following additional places in his Mishne Torah, Laws of Kings, Chapter 11: Bilaam prophesied about it (Num. 24:17-19), and Moses transmitted G-d's promise that it would follow the period of the dispersal of the Jews around the world (Deut. 30:1-14). About Deut. 30:3-5, Maimonides states that "These explicit words of the Torah include all the statements made by all the prophets [regarding the Messianic Era]." The promise of the Messiah also has the force of a requirement for fulfillment of one of the 613 eternal Jewish Commandments: the Jews are commanded by G-d that they must add additional Cities of Refuge when G-d expands the borders of the Land of Israel in the future Messianic Era (Deut. 19:8-9).

QUESTION #14 : I am a Ben Noach. A Noachide... Why does the organized Torah community not take a more active role in disseminating the Seven Commandments? > R. N. G. ( Excerpted from his Op-Ed letter published in the Oct. 11 issue of The Jewish Press.) ANSWER : Please click here: NOAHIDE OUTREACH

QUESTION #15 : The Flood happened thousands of years ago, and G-d promised that it will never happen again. So what relevance does this part of the Torah have to us today? > Ask Noah (we posted this one ourselves :-) ANSWER : Please click here: FLOOD WATERS

COMMENT #19a : I am a firmly committed Gentile Karaite. Because I reject the Oral Torah as manmade, I also disagree with much of what you are saying. As far as I am concerned, the covenant of Noah, once established by G-d after the flood, was legitimate from that time onwards. It needed no further ratification at Mt. Sinai. > D. D. ANSWER : Please click here: ORAL TORAH QUESTION #19b : My questions have to do with the reliability of the text of the Written Torah. (i) I know that there are elaborate and detailed rules for the writing of a "kosher" Torah scroll. But how far back can we trace these rules? I have read that G-d dictated the text of the Written Torah word for word and letter for letter to Moses. Is this just a matter of "take it on faith," or are there reasonable justifications for this belief? (ii) I have read that the "square" script used to write the Torah and other Hebrew documents today is not itself ancient but rather dates from approximately the Babylonian Captivity. What is the answer to this assertion, and how would this affect the argument that Moses wrote the Torah, possibly in a different script? (iii) In recent years I have read claims that in its origin the Oral law was a fiction of the first-century B.C.E. Pharisees to justify their own positions, and that it was only due to historical accidents that Pharisaic Judaism became normative Rabbinic Judaism after the loss of the Second Temple. What about this claim? (iv) It is said that the 5 Books of Moses were "dictated by G-d, letter by letter and word by word." Also, there is the statement in the Zohar that Moses was shown the Torah in Heaven, in letters of black fire on white fire. When was the Torah shown to Moses, and when did he write it? Was it just before the end of his life, after the events described in the Torah? > P. B. ANSWERS : Please click here: WRITTEN TORAH

QUESTION #20 : I have repeatedly read that the binding character of the Seven Laws is that they were also delivered at Sinai, along with the 613 Commadments for Jews. However, I am not aware of any explicit statement to this effect in the Written Torah itself, but rather that the assertion of the Sinaitic delivery of the Seven Commandments comes from the Oral Law. > P. B. ANSWER : It is first important to realize that before the Covenant at Mt. Sinai, the official religion of the Hebrews was Noahism. (Abraham learned directly from Noah and Shem; Noah died when Abraham was 58 years old.) During the 210 years of their exile in Egypt, the faith of many Hebrews was strained by the influence the idol-worshipping Egyptians, but that was completely repaired by the miracles of the Exodus. With a few notable exceptions (Jethro, who abandoned his career as an idolatrous priest, and Job), the people of the other nations had largely replaced Noahism with numerous cults of idol worship. During the first few days of the encampment at Mt. Sinai, Moses wrote down the Book of Genesis as dictated to him by G-d - which includes the Noahide Covenant and Commandments - and the several additional commandments which the Hebrews had received after their release from Egypt. This was the basis of an initial eternal covenant that the people made with G-d, which is described in Exodus chap. 24, verses 3-8. This ensured that the Noahide religion would never be forgotten by mankind. Subsequently, as part of the Oral Torah, G-d instructed Moses about the practical details of the Noahide Laws, and that the Jews must lead all the nations toward their observance.

QUESTION #27 : Was the establishment of a governing group done so that man could take care of his own problems and not require G-d to wipe out a whole race? > S. A. ANSWER : These are really two different issues. The Noahide Commandments are indeed intended to establish a settled environment and develop harmony within mankind. In modern times, most countries have loosely based at least some of their laws on a few of the Noahide Commandments. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Once a country does this, the legitimacy of the government - in G-d's estimation - depends upon whether or not it follows the laws it has put on the books. (If a government systematically violates the laws that it itself has established, the expectation is that G-d will eventually bring it down. That is what happened to the former Communist regime in the USSR, for example, as pointed out by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.) On the other hand, remember that the commandment to establish courts of law was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden, before his sin. So we see that G-d wants the world to have righteous courts of law, even in ideal situations (such as the future Messianic Era), when all mankind is righteous and has no problems. The study, practice and oversight of G-d's commandments is itself a Divine command that G-d desires for all time. This commandment was given again to Noah after the Flood, when G-d also made an everlasting covenant that He would never again wipe out the whole human race. That covenant has constantly protected the human race ever since.

QUESTION #28 : What is the meaning of the 7 colors of the rainbow? >Penny ANSWER : Please click here: RAINBOW COLORS

QUESTION #29(a) : Can you tell me why the angel of Esau is also the angel of the Roman Empire? Is this angel one of the angels of the seventy nations? > H. D. ANSWER : Please click here: ANGELS (Note: this linked-to web page now has many answered questions on the subject of angles.)

QUESTION #32a : Can't a Noachide (or any human being) just live according to their conscience, knowing right/wrong based on conscience? > M. D. QUESTION #32b : Why can't we just derive our morality from the narratives and lessons in the Bible, without being constrained to follow a particular set of "commandments"? ANSWER : Please click here: MORALITY

QUESTION #34 : In the beginning chapters of the book "The Path of the Righteous Gentile," it talks about various levels of Heaven. I have never heard of this concept before. Also, it says that certain acts that Man did pushed G-d back into farther levels of heaven. I don't understand this concept. If that is the case, wouldn't that seem to give Man some sort of power over G-d? > S. Y. ANSWER : Please click here: HEAVENLY LEVELS

QUESTION #36 : Why isn't the commandment to be fruitful and multiply among the list of the Noahide laws? > K. M. ANSWER : Please note that all (!) of the Seven Universal Laws are prohibitions - things which should not be done. (The commandment for courts of law, which might seem to be a positive commandment, is really a prohibition: one should not live among a population which is not under the jurisdiction of a court of law.) It is important to realize that these prohibitive commandments are of an extremely high spiritual order. (See "The Path of the Righteous Gentile," Chapter 4.) In fact, their spirituallity is so great that it cannot be contained within the boundaries of a limited physical act. On the other hand, G-d does desire for people to actively strive to come closer to Him from within the limitations of their human abilities, by pursuing acts of righteousness and morality which are in accordance with His Will. (Please see our web page on RIGHTEOUS ACTS.) As they relate to Gentiles, the directives to Adam and Noah to "be fruitful and multiply" were more in the nature of blessings and encouragement, rather than strict commandments (which would be enforcable through the courts of law). Thus the Torah reveals that G-d encourages Gentiles to marry, to be faithful to their chosen partner, and to have children. This encouragement to marry is an example of morality and kindness in human relations. In particular, the phrase "and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2:24) means that a goal of the couple should be to produce children in whom the man and woman become "one flesh." G-d provides the spiritual soul, so that the new human being is created in "His image."

QUESTION #37 : Why did G-d tell Noah to bring the "pure" animals and birds into the ark in sets of seven pairs, while the animals and birds which were "not pure" were brought in as one pair of each type (Gen. 7:2-3)? Does this mean that Noah was commanded to observe restrictions as to the types of animals he was permitted to eat? > A. L. ANSWER : Noah was told to gather these additional pairs of the "pure" animals and birds into the ark. Noah learned from this that G-d desired that the subsequent sacrifices should be brought from the "pure" species. Additional pairs were gathered in, because their numbers would be depleted by the sacrifices Noah would offer when he left the ark. Noah was given no restrictions on the types of animals he could eat. The designation of "pure" means that these were the animals and birds that were destined for the future to be allowed for consumption by the Jewish people (i.e., "kosher" ). These verses therefore teach us that Noah learned Torah, G-d's "blueprint" for the creation, for otherwise he would not have known which animals and birds were destined to be kosher.

QUESTION #38 : Why did the Noahide laws specifically have to be those seven laws? > E. L. ANSWER : It is really not possible to understand the essential reasons why G-d chose to command the specific laws which He did. As the Sages said, "If G-d had commanded us to chop wood all day, that's what we'd be doing." However, we can understand G-d's laws to some degree on different levels. On a simple level, the Noahide Commandments are G-d's Divine plan for establishing a settled human environment, by which harmony is achieved among all mankind as they unite with this common purpose of following and fulfilling G-d's Will. On a more spiritual level, we find that the Seven Noahide Commandments reflect a common pattern that permeates G-d's creation, and that is why they are the perfect plan for humans, who are created in the image of this pattern. These seven laws have a parallel in the seven G-dly attributes of Divine emotion, which are paralleled in (1) the Seven Days of Creation, which have an eternal testimony in the seven days of the week, and (2) the seven colors of the rainbow, which is the eternal sign of G-d's Covenant of the Rainbow. For more details about this correspondence with the Divine attributes, see our web page RAINBOW COLORS.

QUESTION #40 : Why were we not provided with a way to worship communally and to look to the Jews as a "light to our nation"? We are left on our own with no tradition of our own. If an organized movement of Noahides was in place 2500 years ago, perhaps led by the Jews, this world certainly would have had a different outcome compared to today. > I. ANSWER : From the time of Moses, the Torah was always available to the nations. However, they picked and chose the parts which they found appealing, and rejected the parts which didn't suit them. With few exceptions (such as the Khazars), they refused to accept it as a unified revelation of G-d's eternal Will, although that has always been available to any individual to recognize. During the Roman Empire, there were large communities of Noahides under the leadership of the Sages up until the conquest of Judea by the Romans, and their destruction of the Holy Temple and world-wide dispersion of the Jews into exile. Both Noahism and Judaism were then suppressed by the Romans. The major doctrinal issues which caused a "parting of the ways" of Christianity and Islam from Judaism do not relate to the identity of the One True G-d, but rather to (a) beliefs about the nature and purpose of the physical and spiritual realms which G-d created, and (b) geopolitical issues. In general, can't we say that it is better to now look toward a brighter future? Ultimately, the course of history has been under the constant direction of G-d's Divine Providence, which has brought us to the world as it is today. We can't understand why there had to be so many hardships and so much spiritual darkness on the way to the future perfection which the world will achieve in the Messianic Era. But now the light at the end of the tunnel is finally getting closer and brighter, and it is easier to determine what is right and what is wrong, what is Truth and what is not, and how G-d is expecting each of us to properly direct our thoughts, speech and actions in accordance with His Will.

QUESTION #48 : The nation of Israel is symbolic as the language of Revelation is symbolic. None of the Covenants set up by G-d are completed. The people WHO DO THEM are the ones whom G-d labels as "Israelites." So, who's to point to this human or that group and give judgments, whether they're doing the job according to G-d's Will for Humanity? Human life is not just about wearing a label and doing what you -- personally -- think is Right. It is living by the WHOLE knowledge and Will of G-d, to be what's right and to get the effects that what's Right produces -- PEACE and the Fruits of the Spirit. That's not what's going on right now. Things are out of control. Thus, there is absolutely no Rightness or self-righteousness we can claim, at this moment. Our effects are terrible in the world. We are destroyed -- at the moment -- as an ethical, honest, truth-believing and truth-telling nation of diverse peoples. > C. ANSWER : (1) As you look at what is happening in the world today, you must realize the inward good that can be concealed within what you perceive as destruction, which is destruction for the Divine Purpose of rebuilding. And rebuilding something as it was *before* (even as it was in the Garden of Eden) has no Purpose. The temporary shells of anti-Holiness are now being exposed and destroyed so that the rebuilding will be with everlasting Holiness. (2) As this process unfolds in this final generation of Spiritual Exile and first generation of Spiritual Redemption, we must be careful not to fall into the temptation to invent our own novel theologies or world views as you seem to have done, in trying to fit what we observe with our fleshy eyes into the paradigms that we concoct with our fleshy brains. If you think that Torah-true Noahism for Gentiles and Judaism for Jews are broken or inadequate, or systems for us to personally judge as being right or wrong in whole or in part, you are missing the Big Picture. G-d gives us these systems, knowing that they call for ideals which are challenging for us to live up to. But G-d also gives us the gifts of repentance and multiple opportunities to get it right. G-d forbid that someone should think himself or herself so smart as to obsolete the plan which G-d provided, because the results will be disappointing or worse. By observing our Divine commandments, we contribute to the completion of the future dwelling place for G-d in this world!

QUESTION #49 : Do you accept what the Tanya quotes from Talmud and Zohar that the non-Jewish soul does not reach the same level of holiness as the Jewish soul? > J. M. ANSWER: First of all, the Tanya is not talking about the souls of the Chassidei Umos Ha'olom (the Pious of the Nations) who receive the reward of having a share in the eternal World to Come. But note the following: One of the greatest Torah authorities living right now is Rabbi Eliyashiv in Israel. When recently questioned about the Torah rules (halacha) for B'nai Noach, he answered that for B'nai Noach, the halacha follows the Torah rules which were codified by Maimonides ("Rambam") in his 14-volume Mishneh Torah. In the popular book "The Path of the Righteous Gentile," it teaches the following halacha (Chapter on Theft): 15. A Noahide who strikes another Noahide transgresses the commandment against theft and is liable for punishment by the courts, for the damage he caused brought a physical and psychological loss to the person struck.[13] A Noahide who strikes an Israelite also violates the commandment of kedushat Yisrael, violating the sanctity of the Jew.[14] Footnotes: [13] Gen. 34:13, commentary of Ramban; Encyclopedia Talmudica, "The Children of Noah," vol. 3, p. 257. [14] Mishneh Torah [Rambam], Laws of Kings, chapter 10, law 6.

QUESTION #51 : My question is about the text from the Prophet Jeremiah 31:30-34, which speaks of a "new" covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Many Christians and Muslims interpret this to mean that the Sinai Covenant will be (and has been) superseded (each according to their own interpretation, of course). I am wondering what is the traditional exegesis of this passage. > P. B. ANSWER : Please click here: THE NEW COVENANT

QUESTION #52 : If published widely, your Noahide message would bring nothing but additional scorn and increased prejudice towards Jews. > D. R. ANSWER : Please click here: THE MODERN NOAHIDE MESSAGE

QUESTION #55 : The Bible says it is okay for a man to have multiple wives, but in Genesis 2:24 it says that "a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife..." So can't we infer that a man is supposed to leave his parents and live with this 1 woman? > A. B. ANSWER (UPDATED) : There is no prohibition against polygamy in the Hebrew scriptures - i.e., a Gentile or Jewish man establishing multiple wifes as his family. (Note that the Torah requires that if a Jewish man wants to take more than one wife, each wife has to be made fully aware of the other wives before she is married, and each wife must be provided with her own separate home in which she is visited privately by her husband.) But in the tenth century, Rabbenu Gershom, the renowned Talmudist known to his contemporaries as "Meor Hagolah" ("Light of the Diaspora"), saw that it was necessary to make a Rabbinic decree that a Jewish man can have only one wife at a time. (This was not fully accepted by some groups of Sefardic Jews in the Arabic countries.) There was never any such Rabbinic decree passed for Gentiles, but most modern Western countries have passed secular laws against polygamy. (Polyandry, by contrast, is forbidden and a woman may never formalize a relationship with two husbands at the same time. If she does, she is considered as married to the first and having committed adultery with the second.) But it is important for Gentiles to understand that if their secular courts or governments see that it is fitting for the overall good of the society, they have the authority to place legal limits on the number of wives a man may take, if that is acceptable to the population in general. Then by the Noahide "Law of Courts," it becomes required of the Noahide citizens to observe that law, and the courts can apply any rule for punishment that the public in general accepts. This is called "going beyond the letter" of the Scriptural law. In this context, the court system has the right to limit the male citizens to only one legally contracted wife at a time (including both formally registered marriages and common-law marriages). G-d's known standard for moral conduct is that if two people want to have relations on a continual ongoing basis, they should do this in the context of a publicly recognized marriage, so that intimate relations do not become a "free-for-all," which would go against G-d's desire for "yishuv olam" (people making a society that is morally proper in G-d's eyes). That is the meaning of the Noahide obligation to promote "yishuv olam" - that people should be encouraged to act in ways that are morally proper according to G-d, or at least not to act in ways that are known (from the Hebrew scriptures which are authentic Divine revelation) to be abhorent to G-d (whether or not the actions are actually liable to punishment by death from the hand of Heaven). If a married Gentile woman is going to be physically intimate with a man who is not her husband, she should abandon her connection with her present husband, leave his home (or have him leave her home), and begin a new married life. If she merely acts promiscuously and alternates between two or more partners, that type of promiscuity is abhorrent to G-d, even though He may not have made it punishable by Noahide courts.

QUESTION #56 : What are the implications of the document of JASHER for the Jewish religion? Where can we find a published translation of this document? > Marc ANSWER : It's hard to understand what is all the excitement these days about the "Book of Jasher," which is the Sefer HaYasher (Book of the Upright). It is a Hebrew classic that may have been written down before the destruction of the Second Holy Temple, but which was more probably compiled from known Jewish Biblical stories sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries C.E. in Spain or southern Italy. It was first published on the printing press in Naples in 1553 C.E., and was printed many times thereafter throughout Eastern Europe. Almost all the stories in Sefer HaYasher are known in nearly the same form from the Midrash, so it has no "new" implications of any kind for the Jewish religion. These stories have always been part of the Jewish religion. Maybe the reason that it gets so much press is because when it was introduced to Gentiles, most were not aware of the rich tradition of Jewish Midrashic stories about the persons and events that are dealt with so very briefly, or not at all, in the Torah. There are several modern printings of this book by Orthodox Jewish publishing companies, and they are greatly enjoyed by Jewish families. Here is one: http://www.ktav.com/product_info.php?products_id=1819

UPDATED QUESTION #57 : (a) Where does the term "Noahide" (or "Noahite" or "Noachide") come from? > T. (b) What is the diference between a "Ger Toshav," a "Ger Tzedek" and a "Ger Ha-sha'ar"? Which one of these corresponds to a "Noahide"? (c) Is a Noahide, Ger Toshav and/or Ger Tzedek expected, commanded, encouraged or permitted to keep the Sabbath or other Jewish commandments? > A. G., J.B. ANSWER : (a) The term "Noahide" was coined by a Rabbi in France in the late 1800's, and it began to be publicised in the early 1900's. In the Talmud, the two general populations which comprise all mankind are called "B'nai Noach" ("Children of Noah" ="Noahides" =Gentiles) and "B'nai Yisroel" ("Children of Israel" = Jews; Israel/Yisroel is another name for Jacob/Yacov). One of the distinctions between these two populations is that Jews are obligated to observe the 613 Jewish commandments of the Torah (some of which are temporarily not possible to be observed, such as the Temple service), and Gentiles are commanded to observe the "Seven Commandments for the Children of Noah" (Sheva Mitzvos B'nai Noach or Seven Noahide Laws). The word "Noahide" in common modern usage is mostly used as the title for a "Righteous Gentile" who has taken upon himself or herself to observe at least those Seven Noahide Laws, for whatever reason. Gentiles may on their own join the ranks of the "Chassidei Umos Ho'olom," the Pious of the Nations of the World, by observing the Seven Noahide Commandments as a Torah directive given by G-d through His prophet Moses at Mount Sinai. With this commitment in actual practice, the so-called "Chassidic" (i.e. Pious) Gentile earns a place in the eternal World to Come. To attain a higher level, this Pious/Chassidic Gentile/Noahide can make a declaration of his or her Noahide faith to a Jewish Court (Beis Din) of three observant Jewish Rabbis or laymen. He/she then receives a higher reward for observing, as if he/she were personally commanded to do so by G-d, in the sense that the Jewish people stood at Mt. Sinai and were personally commanded by G-d. (b) A Ger Toshav (Resident Alien) is a legal category of "Noahide" (i.e. a Righteous Gentile) which is not applicable during the times of Jewish exile. The Ger Toshav status is only applicable during a time when the 12 Jewish Tribes are ingathered and settled in their Biblically assigned territories. (In such times, the Yovel, or "Jubilee," years are able to be observed by the Jews - see Lev. 25:8-13.) Under these conditions, which will not return until the Messianic Redemption, by Torah Law a Gentile will be allowed to settle as a resident in the Holy Land if he/she appears before a Jewish court (Beis Din) and takes an oath before them that he or she will observe the Seven Noahide Laws with proper intent and faith. The court then grants this Gentile the visa status of "Ger Toshav," which includes certain additional legal privileges. Since the time that the 10 northern Tribes of ancient Israel were exiled and lost, before the destruction of the First Temple, the Yovel years have not been able to be observed, and it is not applicable to have the Ger Toshav status. It will only be possible to again observe the Yovel years and grant the Ger Toshav status after the Messiah comes and brings the True and Complete Redemption, speedily in our days. This will be when the Messiah gathers all the Jews back to Israel, including the Ten Lost Tribes, and identifies the Tribe which each Jew belongs to. Then each Jewish Tribe will reside in the region assigned to it by G-d, as these regions are described in the Torah (see Num. 34:1-15, Deut. 33:22-23, 34:1-4). A "Ger Tzedek" is a righteous convert - a former Gentile who has become Jewish through conversion according to Torah Law under the oversight of an Orthodox Rabbi. A scriptural term for the righteous convert is "Ger Bi'Sharekha" - "stranger within your gates." This conversion is available in the present era, but not after the Messianic Redemption - may it come immediately! (c) Only a Jew, which includes a righteous convert (Ger Tzedek = Ger Ha-sha'ar), is commanded, expected, encouraged and permitted to observe the Sabbath restrictions. There are however many other Jewish commandments which are allowed to be observed by a Gentile, and a Noahide of the Chassidei Umos Ho'olom obtains additional spiritual reward by observing any of those commandments if it is done properly (which requires directed learning) and for the sake of that reward.

QUESTION #58 : Do you know of a source describing when Noahides should celebrate their birthday? If according to the solar year, should it be according to the Gregorian or Julian calendar? > Y. O. ANSWER : The Rabbis who have given me their opinion that Noahides should celebrate their birthdays according to the solar calendar had in mind the normal solar calendar that is widespread use today. For a more in-depth look at the importance of birthdays, click here: text page - BIRTHDAYS / or Audio.

QUESTION #59 : What is the age of the earth according to the Jewish calendar? What is the date that Moses was given the Torah? > S. Y. ANSWER : In the structure of the Jewish lunar calendar, Adam and Hava (Eve) were created on Friday, the sixth day of Creation, which was day 1 of year 1. This was Rosh Hashana, the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which falls in September or occasionally early October. According to this calendar, the Creation began with 5 days of year 0 (zero). We are presently in the year 5765. This can be calculated in a straightforward way from the Hebrew Bible. (For an explanation of why this does not contradict the provable findings of modern science, please see our web page THE LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE.) The "Ten Commandments" were spoken by G-d at Mount Sinai to the assembled Jewish People (over 3 million men, women and children, and a great number of Egyptians who had joined them) in the year 2448, on Saturday, the 6th day of the Jewish month of Sivan, which falls between mid-May and mid-June.

QUESTION #60 : I often have conversations on various Jewish topics with one of my professors. He asked me about two verses in Torah. The first is Genesis 1:26, "And G-d said, 'Let us make man in our image...' " He seemed to take that as evidence for polytheism. The second is Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before me." He wanted to know why Hashem didn't just say, "There aren't any other gods," rather than the former statement, which might lead one to believe other gods exist. > D. B. ANSWER : (Based on Rashi.) Genesis 1:26 is not evidence for polytheism, although it is an opening which Hashem provided for heretics to be able to err in the sinful direction that they desire. The statement was said by Hashem on the sixth day, after He created the angels on the second day. So Hashem said this to the angels. The heretics do not bother to read on to the VERY NEXT verse, Genesis 1:27, where it CLARIFIES that "G-d created Man in his image, in the image of G-d He [SINGULAR] created him; male and female He [SINGULAR] created them." Thus any imagined hint of polytheism is dismissed. Regarding Exodus 20:3 - the proper reading of the Hebrew is "There shall not be unto you the gods of others before Me." At that time (as it still is today), the whole world was rampant with idol worship (which the Torah refers to in Hebrew as "worship of false gods"). This commandment, which was said expressly for the Jews, warns that a Jew must not take upon himself the idols (i.e. "false gods") which others worship or believe in. Idols are correctly called false "gods," because the idolator himself makes the idol a "god" over him.

QUESTION #62 : There is so much noise today about Noah's Laws. If we live in the End as we call it then it is going to be a New Beginning too. So we will live in a time like Adam, closer to G-d, which means even beyond Noah's time. We are in a new Millenium aren't we? I just go with a clean logic, clean from all of the past religious and political thoughts, people's thoughts from all parts of the world. If they think that soon a Messiach will come for each of them, their home, religion and land, than there will be one Messiach for all. You dont think so. You think that there will come one Messiah but just for a few people or one community, just in one home, one religion. > A. K. ANSWER : I will try to address your misunderstanding briefly, and refer you to a resource for more information. Right now we are definitely in the "End of Days" as it was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, which is the time just before Moshiach (the Messiah) comes. This foremost patrilineal Jewish descendent of kings David and Solomon, whom G-d will choose, will bring in the Messianic Era. But the purpose of the Messianic Era is not to bring us to a time like Adam, because if we are just to go back to the original state, what was the purpose of all the hardships and suffering since Adam and Hava (Eve) left the Garden of Eden? Rather, mankind will eventually be living CLOSER to G-d than Adam was originally. We are expecting the King Moshiach any day now, but certainly by the start of the new millenium (the year 6000 in the Jewish calendar) the Messianic Era will be in place. Of course there will be ONE King Moshiach for ALL humanity. Anyone who denies that denies the truth of all the Hebrew prophets. Throughout the Hebrew Bible it says that there will be ONE King Moshiach from the House of David who will rule from Jerusalem as the king appointed by G-d over ALL humanity, as prophesied in Isaiah 52:13, "Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and uplifted very high." This Moshiach will be accepted by all people and he will improve the entire world, motivating all the nations to serve G-d together, as the prophecy in Zephaniah 3:9 states: "I will transform the peoples to a purer langauge so that they all will call upon the name of G-d and serve Him with one purpose." Isaiah 2:2 prophesies: "In the final days, the mountain of G-d's house will be established ... and all the nations shall flow to it." And Jeremiah 16:19 states: "Nations shall come to you from the ends of the earth and say, 'Surely, our fathers have inherited lies and vain things in which there is no benefit.'" Then the occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d, as Isaiah 11:19 states: "The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed." There is no reason to imagine that a person groping in the realm of human "logic" could come on his own to a more true version of G-d's plan for Moshiach than G-d Himself has already revealed to us through His chosen Hebrew prophets. Please study the authentic (i.e. Torah-based) references about Moshiach that are provided on our web site: www.asknoah.org/RecommendedBooks.html#Moshiach. I especially hope that you will read the on-line book www.sichosinenglish.org/books/mashiach/index.html.

QUESTION #65 : Why did Noah choose the dove? > B. A. ANSWER : (From the Midrash.) Noah first chose a raven, to send an implied message to G-d: "Master of the Universe! I know You are compassionate, but You had no mercy on Your children and acted harshly like a raven!" The raven objected and complained about being sent away, and accused Noah of hating him and wanting to take his mate. The raven was displaying his own guilt, because he had violated G-d's command against having relations while in the ark. The next time Noah chose the dove, who had a nature that was opposite to that of the raven. The dove is famous for its chastity and fidelity to its mate. And Noah was sure that it would not argue against him or accuse him, as the raven did.

QUESTION #66 : Who was Rabbi Gamliel? > R. ANSWER : The book "Who's Who in the Talmud" lists 10 Talmudic Sages who had the name Gamliel. The first Rabbi Gamliel, who most if not all of the following were named after, had the proper title Rabban Gamliel HaZaken (the Elder). Rabban is a title of special distinction among the Sages, reserved specifically for those who were Head (Nassi) of the Sanhedrin. Rabban Gamliel HaZaken died about 20 years before the destruction of the Second Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He was the grandson of Hillel the Elder, and a patrilineal descendent of King David. He taught and judged in the Sanhedrin's Chamber of Hewn Stone, half of which was within the sanctified area of the Holy Temple. He established numerous legal decrees upon important aspects of Jewish life. One of his ethical teachings was, "Make for yourself a teacher and remove yourself from doubt..."

QUESTION #67 : Does the story of Adam & Eve indicate that man and woman shall live in misery all the days of their life? And if so, how can we celebrate existence? > A.W. ANSWER : The story does not indicate that at all! It means that until Moshiach the descendant of King David steps forward to usher in the Redemption (may G-d send him immediately!), men and women are not allowed to live in the Garden of Eden during their physical lives. Rather, we must face greater or lesser CHALLENGES in the "natural" world. By doing so while maintaining our faith and trust in the One True G-d and our connection with Him, we create a deeper and more essential (rather than external) bond with Him than Adam and Hava (Eve) could have done if they and their children forever would have remained in the perfection of the Garden of Eden. Hopefully you see the miracle and the unbounded kindness that G-d has done for us by providing us with this OPPORTUNITY for a few short years, to live in this miraculous world which even now is really HIS garden. This is where He in His Essence finds delight when one of us, His children, will live in harmony and follow His commandments (numbering 7 for the Children of Noah or 613 for the Children of Israel). Then you will automatically begin to rejoice and celebrate when you clear you mind and think into this great gift which you have been given. Your spirit will rise and you will reach elation! If that does not "click," then you should celebrate anyway because G-d tells you to, regardless of all your personal considerations - as in Psalm 100 composed by Moses, the man of G-d: "Serve G-d in happiness; come before Him in celebration." Did Moses not have many reasons to be miserable? Just think of taking care of 600,000 stiff-necked men in a barren desert, along with all their wives and children for 40 years, and finally your only desire in your long difficult life of selfless service is refused to you. Nevertheless, Moses never did stop celebrating existence, up until his final breath, and he did not stop motivating all those around him, and humanity for the rest of time, to do the same.

QUESTION #68 : (From a Noahide in Europe, Nov. '05) I thank you for your explanation of the Roman exile for Israel. I think we are experiencing a similar situation in the present time. In our country and in Europe as a whole, we see hostility between people and cultures. France is an example. In my vision we have a great leadership problem in the world, and the secularization is a very great danger. We are confronted with secularization, nihilism and hostility against religions, specifically by a lot of pseudo-intellectual media-columnists. Also the churches who claim to support Israel right now are not able to stop these processes. I wonder how long will this continue before G-d will intervene? > H.D. ANSWER : Not very much longer. If there is any time left at all, we need to use it wisely, for ourselves, for our families, and for the benefit of others.

QUESTION # 70 : I am curious about Zechariah 11:12-13. I need to understand the intent of the verses. I have been told that verses 12 and 13 refer to the story of "Judas." As always thank you for sharing the true intent of the word of G-d, the Torah. > J.A. ANSWER : Here is the translation from the Artscroll Tanach (Stone Edition), with the explanation provided by Rashi: 11:12. I said to [the Jewish people], "If it is proper in your eyes, give Me My fee, and if not, refrain." So they weighed out My fee; thirty silver coins. Rashi: If you [the Jewish people] want Me to be your Shepherd, you must pay My fee, namely, you must righteously observe My laws. But, as the verse goes on, only thirty people were truly righteous. 11:13. G-d said to me, "Throw it to the [angelic] treasurer of the Precious Stronghold, which I have divested from them." So I threw it into the Temple of G-d, to the treasurer. Rashi: [The Precious Stronghold is] the Temple. By throwing the deeds of these thirty righteous people into the Temple [in his prophetic vision], Zechariah symbolized that the Temple would be rebuilt because of their merits.

QUESTION # 72 : Is it possible to divorce and remarry again? Would it be adultery? > A. ANSWER : Divorce and getting married again is possible, but the Torah-law rules are different for Gentiles and Jews. Gentile couples can accomplish divorce by splitting up, and it is recommended to follow the civil laws of divorce where you are located. A Gentile couple can remarry each other after they have gotten divorced, even if one or both married and divorced a different spouse in the interim. Jewish couples should always seek the guidance and instruction of an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi in order to accomplish a valid Torah-law divorce, in order to be sure that they do not transgress the more complex issues of adultery which apply for Jews. If a Jewish couple is properly divorced, they can then marry other spouses, but some restrictions may apply. They can also remarry each other, but only if the woman did not marry and divorce another Jewish man in the interim. The couple must always consult with an Orthodox Rabbi about these issues.

QUESTION # 73 : Does the Hebrew Bible predict an apocalyptic end ? > D. G. ANSWER : No. The prophecies about "the war of Gog and Magog" are found in Ezekiel chapters 38-39 and Zechariah chapter 14. This does not mean a war beteen Gog and Magog. Gog is the name of the king of the nation of Magog. The prophecies say that the nation of Magog will ally with a multitude of other nations to assemble and wage war against a re-established Jewish nation in the land of Israel. These armies led by Gog will be miraculously defeated by Divine plagues, and this will usher in the Messianic Era. Like any other threatening prophecy from a true prophet, G-d's threat can be mitigated or removed if the people who are threatened (in this case the Jews) repent and turn back to following their Torah obligations. (See for example the story of the people of Nineveh in the Book of Jonah, who repented and returned to observance of the Seven Noahide Commandments). The Baal Shem Tov taught that the intensity of the destined suffering can be lessoned if G-d spreads out a lesser intensity of suffering over a longer period of time. The Baal Shem Tov said that this is exactly what has happened: the present Jewish exile has lasted about 2000 years, with various degrees of suffering all along the way, and this has taken the place of the short and very intense suffering that would have occurred if the war of Gog and Magog would have taken place as prophesied, G-d forbid. In general this has been the perspective that has been taken by the Chassidic Rebbes since the time of the Baal Shem Tov. In any event, the present time is called "the footsteps of Moshiach," or the "End of Days," just before the coming of Moshiach (the Messiah, who will be descended from King David). As prophesied by the Sages, this is a time of great spiritual and physical difficulty, which must be endured by a generation which is on a level of very low sensitivity. Those who are righteous are not clinging to the service of G-d so much out of great spiritual understanding, as in earlier generations, but instead out of stubborn resolve. This is exactly the foundation which capable of receiving the Kingship of G-d in the Messianic Era.

QUESTION # 74 : Most Americans (mostly Gentiles but also some Jews) watch TV, listen to the radio, etc. In Olam Ha-Ba (the future World to Come) will all mankind (in Israel) do these things? Presumably YES during the Messianic Era, both inside and outside of Israel, because these media technologies will be operating according to their true G-dly purpose. That is, to broadcast the Torah teachings from King Moshiach, whose job will be to teach Torah to the entire world. Also everyone will want to watch the service in the Holy Temple and the Divine miracles which will be taking place there on a daily basis. Furthermore it will be necessary for all people of the world to be able to see the King Moshiach, because by seeing him they will learn deeper Torah concepts which are so profound that he will not be able to express them in words. But regarding the World to Come after the Resurrection, is says that no prophet has ever received a vision of what the world will be like at that time.

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