07-27-2015, 06:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-27-2015, 06:38 PM by Director Michael.)
Here is the relevant (first) paragraph of the footnote you cited in "The Divine Code" by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, p. 50, with my emphasis indicated by capital letters, and my clarifications in brackets:
Here we see that there is a distinction made between:
(a) the actual Torah-Law legal status called Ger Toshav, which, according to the majority opinion of the Rishonim Rabbis including Rambam, can only be conferred on a Gentile during a time when the Yovel (Jubilee) cycle can be observed (i.e., in the complete biblical Holy Land with all the 12 Tribes of Israel settled there),
(b) an honorary title "Ger Toshav" which may be used by and applied to a pious (Noahide) Gentile even nowadays, since he is conducting himself in the manner of a Ger Toshav, and it is obvious to everyone who knows the halacha (Torah Law) that this does NOT mean that he literally has the legal states of a Ger Toshav, since that does not exist in our time
Those who are interested in halachic discussion are referred to Rabbi Weiner's short exposition titled "The Ger Toshav in contemporary times," which is topic 8 in the Preface to the Hebrew edition, "Sheva Mitzvot HaShem," vol. 1. He concludes that discussion by stating that, "if a Gentile wishes to accept on himself the yoke of the seven commandments in their entirety and to be called a 'Ger Toshav' ... the opinion of Rambam and the rest of the Rishonim Rabbis is that he does not need to [make a declaration of his acceptance specifically before a Jewish court]."
It is unfortunate that Rabbi Weiner's dedicated attention to these details has subsequently been misused by some "innovators" to claim support for a false idea that there is an actual Torah-Law status of Ger Toshav in our times, which they also conflate with misinformation about what that status actually includes.
Quote:According to Rambam’s Laws of the Worship of Stars [and Idols] 10:6, during the temporary diaspora of the Jewish people (during which the Jubilee cycle is suspended), no one can be accepted into the [full Torah-Law] LEGAL STATUS of a Gentile “Resident” (Ger Toshav in Hebrew) of the Land of Israel. This means that we do not confer upon a Gentile the LEGAL status of a Ger Toshav, even if he makes a declaration before three Torah-observant adult Jewish males that he accepts and abides by the Noahide Code. However, the TITLE ["]Ger Toshav["] alternatively refers to any Gentile in any location who keeps the Seven Noahide Commandments because they were commanded to Moses in the Torah. For any Gentiles who are not yet on this spiritual level, the Jews are commanded to expel them from the Holy Land of Israel, and they are forbidden by Torah Law to dwell there (whether they are expelled or not).
Here we see that there is a distinction made between:
(a) the actual Torah-Law legal status called Ger Toshav, which, according to the majority opinion of the Rishonim Rabbis including Rambam, can only be conferred on a Gentile during a time when the Yovel (Jubilee) cycle can be observed (i.e., in the complete biblical Holy Land with all the 12 Tribes of Israel settled there),
(b) an honorary title "Ger Toshav" which may be used by and applied to a pious (Noahide) Gentile even nowadays, since he is conducting himself in the manner of a Ger Toshav, and it is obvious to everyone who knows the halacha (Torah Law) that this does NOT mean that he literally has the legal states of a Ger Toshav, since that does not exist in our time
Those who are interested in halachic discussion are referred to Rabbi Weiner's short exposition titled "The Ger Toshav in contemporary times," which is topic 8 in the Preface to the Hebrew edition, "Sheva Mitzvot HaShem," vol. 1. He concludes that discussion by stating that, "if a Gentile wishes to accept on himself the yoke of the seven commandments in their entirety and to be called a 'Ger Toshav' ... the opinion of Rambam and the rest of the Rishonim Rabbis is that he does not need to [make a declaration of his acceptance specifically before a Jewish court]."
It is unfortunate that Rabbi Weiner's dedicated attention to these details has subsequently been misused by some "innovators" to claim support for a false idea that there is an actual Torah-Law status of Ger Toshav in our times, which they also conflate with misinformation about what that status actually includes.