By the Grace of G-d
Responding to Sceptics of the
Noahide Message
QUESTION : If published widely, your Noahide message would bring nothing but additional scorn and increased
prejudice towards Jews. "The International Scroll of Honor presented by the
Heads of State of a grateful World in tribute to the vision and spiritual leadership provided by the Lubavitcher
Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson on the occasion of his reaching the eighty-fifth year, whose venerated vision,
wisdom and leadership have contributed greatly to the promotion of education and the betterment of mankind by his
call to recognize the historical tradition of ethical values and principles which have been the bedrock of society
from the dawn of civilization when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws, transmitted through G-d to Moses
on Mount Sinai..." ----------------------------------------- "Whereas Congress recognizes the historical tradition
of ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded; Whereas these ethical values and principles have been the
bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws; Whereas without these ethical values and principles the
edifice of civilization stands in serious peril of returning to chaos; Whereas in tribute to this great spiritual leader, 'the
Rebbe', this, his ninetieth year will be seen as one of 'education and giving', the year in which we turn to education
and charity to return the world to the moral and ethical values contained in the Seven Noahide Laws; . . ." ----------------------------------------- Similar joint resolutions by Congress of Education Day,
U.S.A., which proclaimed the importance of the Noahide Laws, were made by Congress and signed by the President
for 14 consecutive years through 1994 (H. J. Res. 329). This does constitute publicity (from the top down), and
as the Rebbe promised, it hasn't resulted in any noticeable additional scorn or increased prejudice. To send us your questions or comments, please
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> D. R.
ANSWER : This was a valid concern until the present generation, which is why there was little discussion
about the Noahide Laws for almost all of the ~2000 years since the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. But times
are changing:
· If 60 years ago someone told you that Americans and Germans would be fighting as allies in a war in Afghanistan,
what would you have said?
· If 50 years ago someone told you that Eastern European countries would belong to NATO, what would you
have said?
· If 30 years ago someone told you that there would be no USSR, that a President of Russia would be democratically
elected, and that he would be actively destroying his country's nuclear arsenal with the help of the US, what would
you have said?
In 1987, President Reagan and Heads of State from a number of other nations presented the Lubavitcher Rebbe with
an International Scroll of Honor, which praised the Noahide Laws with the following language:
In 1991, the US Congress signed a Joint Resolution (Public Law 102-14, 102d Congress, 1st Session,
H. J. RES. 104) to designate March 26, 1991
(the Rebbe's birthday) as Education Day, U.S.A., which contained the following praises of the Noahide Laws:
Whereas society is profoundly concerned with the recent weakening of these principles that has resulted in crises
that beleaguer and threaten the fabric of civilized society;
Whereas the justified preoccupation with these crises must not let the citizens of this Nation lose sight of their
responsibility to transmit these historical ethical values from our distinguished past to the generations of the
future; . . .
To increase awareness of the Noahide Laws in a spirit of brotherhood and peace, one must develop a respectful and
warm approach to educating people about an aspect of the Bible which they aren't yet familiar with. For many of
those who are reached, this education will lead to a positive (i.e. true) evolution of their religious understanding
and their relationship with G-d, based on a realization of their PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to fulfil His Will.