~ The Noahide Faith ~

QUESTION (a) : Could you continue in your own religion and also follow the 7 Commandments for the Children of Noah? ANSWER : There are rungs of ascending spiritual levels that one can achieve as a Gentile. The most basic level of righteousness, which G-d expects from every Gentile, is to refrain from any actions that would transgress any of the Seven Noahide Commandments, regardless of what your beliefs are about the source or basis of those commandments. So you would have to determine according to the Torah's standards whether your own PERSONAL way of following "your own religion" contradicts any of the Seven Commandments (including the prohibition of idol worship), and what personal adjustments might be necessary. Beyond the obligation to observe just the letter of the Seven Commandments, a Gentile can progress further to take on the Torah-based faith of Noahism. Noahism as a faith extends beyond the letter of the Seven Commandments, and it includes a set of basic principles about G-d, prophecy, and the Torah of Moses. By accepting and following the Seven Noahide Commandments because they were given directly by G-d in the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, a Gentile can merit the reward of eternal life of the future World to Come. Certainly, a Noahide on this higher level is anxiously waiting for the Messiah son of David (the "Moshiach," in Hebrew) who is promised by G-d in the Hebrew Scriptures. Also, he/she recognizes that every Gentile has a personal responsibility to repent directly to G-d for any transgressions of the Seven Commandments that are done, G-d forbid. A person's sincere repentance brings G-d's forgiveness, and His cleansing of the person's soul from the stain of a sin. One of the commandments that G-d gave through Moses is that all Gentiles should observe the Seven Commandments of Noah. In fact, the only written proof we have that there are Noahide Commandments and a Noahide Covenant is that G-d instructed Moses at Mount Sinai to write about the generations from Adam to Noah in the Torah's Book of Genesis, and to preserve the details of those commandments within the Oral Torah. So ultimately, that is their basis from that time on. The pious individuals of the nations (who earn a place in the World to Come) are those who follow the Seven Commandments because G-d commanded them to Noah, and because all Gentiles must follow those precepts according to the details of the Noahide Code that G-d commanded through Moses. Therefore, a faithful Noahide accepts that G-d revealed Himself at Mount Sinai to the entire Jewish nation (at least 3 million people), and that Moses was a true prophet and the receiver and transmitter of the Torah. Included in G-d's Torah is His commandment that no part of the Torah can ever be permanently nullified or altered, and that it stands as a unified whole. So any new religion which arises and declares that a part of the Torah has been permanently nullified or altered, G-d forbid, is actually denying G-d's word. Unlike Torah-true Noahidism and Judaism that were given by G-d, there are man-made religions in the modern world that have a great many recognized branches and sub-branches. In addition, one must admit that each individual has his/her own personal interpretations of his own religion, which influence exactly what he/she believes and practices. The compatibility of this with the strict letter of the Noahide Commandment that forbids idolatry must be considered objectively on a case-by-case basis. To go into more depth on this issue, you should read the book, "The Divine Code," Volume I, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner. By way of introduction, consider the first of the Principles of Torah Faith enumerated by Maimonides, which includes the following: "... there is in existence a Being Perfect in respect of all modes of existence, Who is the Cause of all things in existence, through Whom their existence is possible, and from Whom their existence ensues." This can be expressed as the principle of the Truth of G-d's Being, which supercedes and transcends any other possible Truth, and by virtue of His True Being all the spiritual and physical creations are brought into existence. The Noahide principles (some of which are incorporated in the first Noahide Commandment, which prohibits idolatry) recognize the truth of the absolute unity and non-physicality of G-d. Historically, Noahism continued to have a following throughout history up until the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish People, who up until then had provided a main source of religious instruction and inspiration for the Noahides. Now that the time for the end of the exile of the Divine Presence from Jerusalem has arrived, large numbers of Gentiles are again becoming motivated to return to the Noahide faith.

QUESTION (b) : I've always thought that Noahic Covenant theology was the Judaic equivalent of natural law theory. It's why we should be united in affirming the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, because ethical monotheism is shared ground. > Jerry Bowyer, http://www.jerrybowyer.com, WPTT, AM 1360 ANSWER : We cannot say that the Noahide Commandments were derived in an intellectual way from human observations of the functioning of the natural order, even with the understanding that the natural order was created by G-d according to His wisdom, and that G-dliness is invested within it. The first six of the Noahide Commandments were given directly by G-d to Adam in the Garden of Eden. This happened on the very day Adam was created, before he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil ! In such a state of perfection, what was the need for a set of commandments? In the original Hebrew, the word commandment ("mitzvah") also means "connection." There seems to be an infinite separation between a finite human and the Unlimited G-d, but this gap is bridged when a person accepts G-d as his or her King. This is done by submitting one's own thought, speech and actions to G-d's infinite will and wisdom, as they have been contracted into the form of Divine commandments, which inform a person of how to behave in a holy way in the midst of the natural order. Thus the faith of the Seven Noahide Commandments brings the true concept of unity to the world. This means both the unity of G-d (monotheism) and the unity of mankind (a world in which all people come to G-d in peace and harmony). These commandments, and their application, are not dependent on anyone's subjective interpretation of the observed natural order.

QUESTION (c) : Does the Noahide Code teach that if a Gentile breaks a Noahide Commandment and does not repent, he/she will not have the reward of Eternal Life? ANSWER : Here are a few comments on this point from the book "The Path of the Righteous Gentile" : a) "When one of the Children of Noah [a Gentile] resolves to fulfill the Seven Universal Commandments, his or her soul is elevated. This person becomes one of the Pious Ones of the Nations, and receives a share of the Eternal World [i.e., the World to Come, the blessed spiritual world of the righteous]." b) "The responsibility of the Seven Noahide Laws is a yoke of faith in G-d. This means that the laws must be observed solely because G-d commanded them." c) "When we speak of a man paying for his wicked deeds, this presumes that he does not repent and abandon them. But if he repents, it is considered a shield between him and the punishment." d) "Repentance and return to G-d can be achieved only while the soul is in the body in this material world." e) "The Noahite [may] experience reincarnation to be able to atone for transgressions he had done." [Note: There is not an explicit reference to reincarnation in the Tanach (Hebrew Bible). But the holy writings of Talmud, Midrash and Chassidus all have many, many discussions about the fact of reincarnation, including discussions of the reincarnations of individuals and groups throughout history.]

QUESTION (d) : In regards to the 7 Laws of Noah, how should one ask for forgiveness if a person breaks one of the laws? If you break them once in a while or continually, is there forgiveness and how many times are you forgiven? And where in the Hebrew Bible would I find that? Also how does this relate to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement for the Jewish People? ANSWER : For an excellent resource, carefully read the chapter on "Repentance" in the book "The Divine Code," Volume 1, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner." A few Biblical references are included there, and the practical rules that are listed on how to repent are taken primarily from the "Mishneh Torah" by Maimonides, in the section "Laws of Repentance." With regard to repeated sins: at any time, a person can sincerely repent for a past sin, which may have been committed multiple times, and resolve not to repeat it again in the future. (See the cited chapter for important details!) When the person repents, if he feels true remorse, shame and bitterness in his heart because of the sin that was committed, and he is repulsed by the thought of ever committing that sin again, then surely that is a sincere repentance that will be accepted by G-d. However, if at some later time the person encounters that temptation again, he may face the same struggle with his evil inclination all over again. Hopefully, with the strength gained from his previous repentance and his increased understanding of the importance of not sinning, he will be able to overcome the challenge. But if he weakens and succumbs to his evil inclination (which is extremely crafty and knows the best way to trick or entice the person), he must as soon as possible come back to his senses and sincerely repent for the sin that was done again. One should not think that he will not then be forgiven again, because unlike a human being, G-d's attributes are infinite, including His attribute of forgiveness for the person who is sincerely penitent. A cornerstone of one's trust in G-d is the trust that He always accepts sincere repentance. But the goal of course is that from the outset, one should not sin. Another important point is that during the normal course of his daily routine, one must not fall into the mistake of dwelling on his bitterness and remorse over sins, because that is a trick of the evil inclination to bring a person to fall spiritually and begin to sin. One must always remember the obligation to "serve G-d with happiness" (Ps. 100), and this applies during all your daily activities, since you must "know G-d in all your ways." Therefore, special and limited times should be set aside, in quiet privacy, for one to turn his thoughts to his past sin and allow himself to concentrate on his remorse and bitterness, and confess the sin to G-d and plead for forgiveness. The best time for this is at night, before going to bed. Once this has been achieved, one should experience relief and thankfulness to G-d, and go on to serve G-d happily. One should especially thoroughly understand and take to heart Psalm 51, and it is strongly suggested to recite this Psalm after one's prayers of repentance in the evening. With regard to Yom Kippur, which relates to the relationship between the Jews and G-d, Gentiles should not be concerned that they are lacking in any way in their opportunity at any time for successful repentance. The fact that Jews were given Yom Kippur, the day that Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the second set of Tablets of the Ten Commandments, should only be a positive influence, in that perhaps it may inspire a Gentile to do his or her own needed repentance on any day of the year. For deeper spiritual insights into the concept of repentance, please read our web page about the COVENANT OF THE RAINBOW.

QUESTION (e) : If a Gentile is unrepentant for his transgressions of the Noahide Commandments and does not merit to be granted a share of the World to Come, then what happens when he dies? Where does his soul go? ANSWER : From your question, it seems that you are not familiar with the actual meaning of "the World to Come." You may be confusing it with the spiritual afterlife that is presently accessible to souls after physical death. In this context, the "World to Come" means the everlasting future era of the Resurrection, when G-dliness will be openly revealed in the physical creation. The World to Come will begin at some time after the start of the Messianic Era, which will be ushered in by Moshiach (the Messiah, who will a Torah-observant Jewish leader who is descended father-to-son from Kings David and Solomon). In the World to Come, all death and spiritual negativity will be removed. Whereas now the physicality of this world hides G-d from the creations, in the World to Come, G-dliness will be revealed through the physical creation. Then the physical world will be the highest state of spiritual existence, higher than all the spiritual heavenly realms that presently exist. If a practicing and believing Noahide commits an isolated transgression, for example due to weakness in the face of a severe temptation, it does not mean that all is lost. If the Noahide remains committed to this faith, he/she can remove the sin by repentance. (This is the inner meaning of the Covenant of the Rainbow - see above.) It may be necessary for a punishment of some sort to be Divinely decreed in order to complete the needed atonement for the soul, but the soul can still keep its share in the future World to Come. Until the future "World to Come" will be established by G-d in the physical world and the Resurrection will occur, a person's soul enters the spiritual realms after the death of the body. But a soul that does not secure a place in the future World to Come will at some point before then cease to exist, after it receives its due spiritual reward for any good deeds that were done outside the scope of the Noahide Code.

NEW QUESTION (f) : I consider myself Noachide, although I'm not a literalist of Biblical Scripture. The Babylonian flood story of Gilgamesh predates that of Noah's [sic.]. However, I believe the Noah flood story is more compelling in its overall moral and ethical themes. This is my reason for identifying as a Noachide. I completely support the Noachide laws in general, and I seek to find more specific clarifications for their application. Is it OK to identify as a Noachide this way, without Rabbi consultation? >D.Q. ANSWER : In some respects it is "OK" because at this level you would at least be keeping the 7 Noahide Commandments that are incumbent on you as one of the Children of Noah, based on your own reasoning. If you are observing them properly (which requires learning the correct explanations based on Torah Law), you would then not be sinning, and surely you've already repented for any past sins in this lifetime. So with regard to those issues there would not be a need for you to receive any punishment from Above (apart from issues that might have carried over from a past incarnation). But to earn the ultimate reward that is to be given to the "Pious Gentiles of the world" (Hasidei Umot Ha'Olom in Hebrew), it is necessary to also accept the eternal Divine Truth of the Torah of Moses, and to also accept that G-d commanded in the Torah that Gentiles should keep their 7 Commandments, which of course include faith in both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. That's because the Torah is the "Tree of Life." A Gentile who wishes to have eternal life needs to connect with G-d's Tree of Life in the proper way, through the Noahide Code.

ADVANCED SITE SEARCH: Click Here To send questions or comments, email us at:  Home page: www.asknoah.org © '09 Ask Noah International