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Remembering the Seventh day
#1
Hello. I'd like to ask your opinion. I have a book for Noahides which has some prayers to mark the seventh day of creation. As Noahides don't keep the Sabbath, it doesn't seem appropriate to call it that. Is it OK to call it the seventh day? Also included are some Havdalah prayers, and they suggest using a multiwicked candle (maybe 7 to represent the 7 laws), Would it be OK to use the same type of Havdalah candle as Jews use, or is the significance there different? Thank you! Shanti
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#2
(11-19-2011, 09:05 AM)shanti50 Wrote: Hello. I'd like to ask your opinion. I have a book for Noahides which has some prayers to mark the seventh day of creation. As Noahides don't keep the Sabbath, it doesn't seem appropriate to call it that. Is it OK to call it the seventh day?

Yes, it's OK to call it "the seventh day", because it is in fact the seventh day of the week, and it does commemorate the seventh day of creation. It's also OK to call it Saturday, or the name of that day of the week in any language. This is just like calling Sunday "the first day", because it is the first day of the week, and it commemorates the first day of creation.

(11-19-2011, 09:05 AM)shanti50 Wrote: Also included are some Havdalah prayers

According to the accepted teaching from Rabbi Moshe Weiner, author of "The Divine Code" (which explains the fundamental principles and the practical details of the Torah-based Noahide Code), it is not appropriate for a Noahide to say any "Havdalah" prayers, because those only apply for Jews. "Havdalah" means "separation", and it signifies that the person is making a ritual separation for him/herself between the end of the seventh day and the beginning of the first day. But declaring that one is making such a separation is part of the essence of "making a holy ['kadosh'] Sabbath" (because 'kadosh' also means "separated"), and that is something that Gentiles (Non-Jews) are not permitted to do. The same thing applies to making any "Kiddush" ("Sanctification") prayer associated with the start of the seventh day, to make a ritual separation between the end of the sixth day and the beginning of the seventh day.

This does NOT mean that a Noahide isn't permitted to recognize, understand and honor the specialty of the seventh day, by doing some normal, non-ritual activity that will make the day more enjoyable. See Post #1 by our second overseeing Rabbi in this thread: https://asknoah.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=145

(07-18-2007, 08:30 AM)Rabbi Schochet Wrote: I would go so far as to suggest that if Noahides want to light candles in honor of the Jewish Sabbath or Holy Days, they can do so but in context of adding festivity [enjoyment] to the day (since it is a custom of the world in general to light candles for festive occasions), and to do so when sitting down to have a special meal (thus after sunset - unless it is summer and they have their meal much earlier, or alternatively, have then a special "festive snack" after sunset - if they ate before - to mark the seventh day which begins after sunset).

In the Jewish prayerbook liturgy (the Siddur) there is a particular Psalm that was chosen for each day of the week, that expresses the theme of the corresponding day in the week of creation, as described in the beginning of the Book of Genesis. Noahides can recite these Psalms for each day of the week. For the seventh day, that Psalm specifically states that is dedicated for the seventh day:

Day 1 -- Sunday -- Psalm 24
Day 2 -- Monday -- Psalm 48
Day 3 -- Tuesday -- Psalm 82
Day 4 -- Wednesday -- Psalm 94
Day 5 -- Thursday -- Psalm 81
Day 6 -- Friday -- Psalm 93
Day 7 -- Saturday -- Psalm 92

These daily Psalms are included in our booklet "Prayers, Blessings, Principles of Faith, and Divine Service for Noahdies".

(11-19-2011, 09:05 AM)shanti50 Wrote: and they suggest using a multiwicked candle (maybe 7 to represent the 7 laws), Would it be OK to use the same type of Havdalah candle as Jews use, or is the significance there different? Thank you! Shanti

Again, a Noahide should not make any ritual separation between the 7th and the 1st day, or between the 6th and the 7th day. Copying the Jewish ritual with some small change like the number of wicks in a "separation (havdalah) candle" does not make it a permitted ritual for Noahides. Specifically because of its ritual nature, it would be in the category of adding a new commandment.
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#3
ok thankyou for making the distictions, much appreciated
Shanti
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#4
Do you know where to find a seven braid rainbow candle to use for Havadalah?
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#5
For Jews: I have not seen or heard of any seven-braid rainbow Havdalah candles. However, I have seen regular-braid Havdalah candles in which each braid has all the rainbow colors.

For Gentiles: Gentiles should not perform a Havdalah ceremony, since that would be demonstrating a religious distinction for oneself between the nature of the first six days of the week and the seventh day, which is something that only applies for Jews.
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#6
B"H

Shalom Dr. Schulman,

Thank you very much for the response and the very kind words!!

In the spirit of education and to truly understand, I am going to respectfully pushback a little bit on your response quoted here:

"But you should not recite any prayers or declarations that you are making the seventh day sanctified or separated for yourself (i.e. in a distinct separate category) compared to the other days of the week. This means that prayers of "Kiddush" (sanctification of the day) or "Havdalah" (separation of the day) should not be recited by Noahides."

Upon reading the Kiddush prayer (minus, of course, the part specific for Israel regarding giving Shabbat as a heritage), Havdalah prayer and the prayers for welcoming Shabbat, I do not, in my limited knowledge, see how they are wrong for an observant Noahide to say. Here’s my thinking on why I see it this way:

1. The prayers indicate that G-D, may He be blessed, sanctifies Shabbat and calls it a holy day for Israel.
2. I understand that G-d has specifically commanded Israel to keep Shabbat, but if G-d, my G-d, considers it a holy day and separates it from the rest of the
days, why can I not respect that by welcoming it, by saying Kiddush (again minus the specific portion for Israel), and then upon it’s completion, recognizing
that G-d distinguishes it from the rest of the week?
3. If, as an observant Noahide, I am reciting the prayers welcoming Shabbat, the Kiddush prayer and the Havdalah prayer to simply acknowledging that G-d
has given the day to Israel as a heritage, and that HE sanctifies it and considers it holy, what harm is done?
4. The prayers state that G-d separates the holy from the profane, the seventh day from the rest of the week. So, by saying these prayers I am simply
acknowledging this. I am not stating that I am commanded to keep Shabbat nor that it was given to me as a Noahide as a day to rest from the 39
prohibited activities, nor that I am sanctifying it. I am just making a simple declaration of fact.

I look forward to your thoughts and comments on my reasoning.
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#7
B"H

Nevertheless, the recitation of a Kiddush blessing and a Havdalah blessing instituted by decree of the ruling Sages (going back in some form all the way to Moses) upon the Jewish people as the actual ritual means by which a Jew is to fulfill his/her Scriptural commandment to "remember the Sabbath Day to make it holy/separated."

There is no logical reason, benefit or spiritual obligation for a Gentile to make a Kiddush or Havdalah blessing for the Seventh Day - it would only be done with a purely spiritual intention in mind, and therefore it is in the category of making a purely spiritual mitzvah for oneself, which in fact G-d did not command or obligate a Gentile to do.
Hence it encroaches upon the Noahide Code's prohibition against making a new religion or adding a commandment. To explain:

By actually verbally welcoming the Jewish Sabbath, and verbally bidding farewell to the Jewish Sabbath, the Gentile is making a ritual declaration that the sanctified spirit of the Jewish Sabbath has, within his mind, come to rest in his personal sphere. And that ritual declaration is the actual essence of the fulfillment of the Jewish spiritual (supra-logical Divine) commandment, which is not one of the 7 Divine Noahide Commandments. By analogy, you would not logically make a declaration welcoming Mr. John Doe, or bidding him farewell, if no such person ever came into your presence. You would only verbally do it (with sincere intent) as a declaration that he was actually there with you.

A little bit of thinking shows that there ARE ways that Noahides CAN permissibly verbally recognize and honor the Jewish Sabbath day. The recommendation are:
- if you want to verbally acknowledge that G-d has given the seventh day to Israel as a heritage, and that HE sanctifies it and considers it holy, you can do that during a seventh-day meal, or at any other time during the day, by having a discussion/conversation about it with your family or friends (which you could do on any day);
- and/or you can make a permissible type of Torah-study session about this subject (which you could do on any day, either with others or even all by yourself).

Also, you mentioned "the prayers for welcoming Shabbat." The traditional Jewish liturgy (Siddur) for the prayers for welcoming Shabbat include several chapters of Psalms as part of the service for Friday evening. It is no problem if you choose to recite those specific chapters of Psalms, because you can recite any Psalms of your choosing as prayers on any day of your choosing, and (for Noahides) at any time of day. These include Psalm 92, which begins: "A Psalm, a song for the seventh day..."

To recap these 3 recommendations for permissible verbal remembrance and honor of the seventh day by Noahides:
- discussion / conversation about this subject
- permissible Torah study about this subject, privately or with others
- recitation of the Jewish liturgy Psalms, including Psalm 92
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#8
(10-06-2016, 02:43 PM)Director Michael Wrote: There is no logical reason, benefit or spiritual obligation for a Gentile to make a Kiddush or Havdalah prayer for the Seventh Day - it would only be done with a purely spiritual intention in mind, and therefore it is in the category of making a purely spiritual mitzvah for oneself, which in fact G-d did not command or obligate a Gentile to do.
Hence it encroaches upon the Noahide Code's prohibition against making a new religion or adding a commandment.

Is it okay to just drink some wine preceded by a blessing over wine on Erev Shabbat [Friday evening]? No kiddush, just wine and the blessing peri hagaphen.
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#9
Yes, that is fully permitted on the eve of Saturday night (Erev Shabbat), because it is a normal activity that a Gentile / Noahide could choose to do at any time (being mindful of any health concerns, of course).
In the traditional Jewish liturgy, the blessing to G-d before drinking grape wine or grape juice, referred to in Hebrew as "borei peri ha'gafen" ("Who creates the fruit of the vine") is:
"Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine."

By the same token, it is fully permitted for a Gentile / Noahide to drink some wine or grape juice at the time of his Saturday night meal, and to make that blessing before drinking it.

Of course, that blessing (and any other blessing that one makes) is ONLY permitted to be said if the person has in mind that with the words "L-rd our G-d, Kind of the Universe, Who creates...," he is referring ONLY to the One True G-d, Who is the G-d of Israel.
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