De termen Noachied, Benei Noach, Noachidisch zijn
termen die vooral in deze tijd in het Jodendom in gebruik zijn geraakt. Eigenlijk
is het iedereen die niet Joods is maar de God van Israel als ene en enige ware
God beschouwd en zich houd aan de geboden die God aan de mensheid heeft gegeven.
Zo iemand is niet verplicht zich aan al de geboden van de Thora te houden zoals
het volk Israel maar aan een aantal geboden die in de Thora genoemd worden.
Accepting the Torah, But Remaining a Gentile,
reportage van Israel National News (http://www.israelnationalnews.com)
Taak van de
Mens.
De eerste
opdracht die een mens heeft is om mens te zijn, mens zoals G'd dat bedoeld
heeft. Dat wil zeggen dat hij niet voor het kwade maar voor het goede te kiest.
Dat een mens, als beschaafd mens in tolerantie met een ander mens kan leven. Dat
minimum aan regels worden de Noachidische geboden genoemd. Dat zijn de
geboden die de Eeuwige aan Noach heeft gegeven (Gen. 9:1-8) voor de opbouw van
een goede samenleving. Een goede samenleving is een rechtvaardige
maatschappij; een maatschappij zonder afgoderij, zonder godslastering,
zonder bloedvergieten, zonder seksuele zonden, zonder diefstal, zonder het eten
van een dier wat nog in leven is, en waarin wordt (mee)gewerkt aan een rechtvaardig rechtssysteem.
Een Israëliet heeft daar en tegen de opdracht de
absolute eenheid van G'd te weerspiegelen. Dat is een taak die veel verder gaat.
De site http://www.Noachiden.nl,
verwoordde ze als
het volgt:
Afgoderij
De essentie van de Zeven Wetten van Noach is het verbod op afgodenverering,
ofwel afgoderij. Je ontkent de essentie van religie door een andere 'godheid'
dan de Schepper te aanbidden. Voor ons is het verboden om enig schepsel te
dienen of te aanbidden - geen mens, geen engel, geen plant, geen ster, noch de
elementen (aarde, water, vuur en lucht), noch enig ding dat er van afgeleid
kan worden. Om je aan het verbod op afgoderij te kunnen houden, zul je je
bewust moeten worden van Gods eenheid.
Godslastering
Godslastering is het vervloeken van de Schepper of Zijn Naam gebruiken om iets
van Zijn Schepping te vervloeken. We mogen de mogelijkheid van spraak en
communicatie die God in ons gegeven heeft niet misbruiken. Godslastering is
een uitdrukking van een onvolledig vertrouwen in God (of een onvolledig
vertrouwen in Zijn Absolute Eenheid). Een typisch voorbeeld van dat type
godslastering is de valse leer dat er twee krachten en twee koninkrijken
zouden bestaan: die van God en die van Satan. Dat soort theologie ontkent dat
alleen God Heer en Meester is over alles.
Moord
Het is voor ons verboden om te doden. Het is verboden om een mens te doden,
zelfs een baby in de baarmoeder van zijn moeder (behalve in het extreme geval
van het redden van het leven van de moeder). Als het er op aankomt om te doden
of gedood te worden dan is het verboden te moorden, ongeacht de consequenties,
het is ons niet toegestaan te moorden. Dat betekent dat als iemand opgedragen
wordt een ander te doden of anders zelf met de dood geconfronteerd te worden
(of een geliefde verwond of gedood te laten worden) het voor ons niet
toegestaan is te doden. Als iemand achtervolgd wordt of in levensgevaar
verkeert, mag je de achtervolger verhinderen. Maar zelfs in dat geval moet je
bijzonder voorzichtig zijn om niemand te doden. Doden uit medelijden
(euthanasie) en zelfdoding worden gezien als moord en zijn daarom verboden. De
doodstraf (op een rechtvaardige manier uitgevoerd) is door God geboden en
wordt niet gezien als moord - alleen bij executie mag er bloed vergoten
worden.
Verboden seksuele
relaties
Seksueel wangedrag is verboden. God heeft de mens geboden inzake goed seksueel
gedrag en seksuele relaties. In de hele Schepping is er geen enkele regel die
toestaat dat iemand deze geboden zou mogen breken vanwege zijn of haar
'seksuele geaardheid'. Rabbijn Yirmeyahu Bindman, auteur van The Seven
Colors of the Rainbow, zegt: ‘Er bestaat niet zoiets als 'een echtbreker'
of 'een homoseksueel', net zomin als dat er zoiets als 'een dief' bestaat.’
Als iemand er echt naar verlangt om te leven zoals God het wil, is hij in
staat om de verleiding te weerstaan. De precieze wetten over incest, overspel,
homoseksualiteit en zoöfilie zijn heel duidelijk en zouden nader bestudeerd
moeten worden.
Diefstal
Het is verboden om geld of enig object te stelen (zowel levend - bijvoorbeeld
een vrouw verkrachten of verleiden - als levenloos - bijvoorbeeld fysieke
objecten of zelfs de tijd van een werkgever of het veroorzaken van fysieke of
psychische schade) of om een persoon te ontvoeren. Het verbod op diefstal is
misschien wel het allermoeilijkste gebod van de Zeven Geboden van Noach om te
gehoorzamen. De mogelijkheid tot stelen dient zichzelf vrijwel onafgebroken
aan.
Deel van een Levend Wezen
Dit verbod werd als laatste aan de mensheid gegeven. Het heeft niets te maken
met fysieke gezondheid of hygiëne. Het heeft te maken met een geestelijke
instelling omdat het eten van levend vlees (vlees dat van een levend dier is
genomen) de belangrijkste oorzaak van wreedheid en egoďsme is. Zelfs het eten
van een heel klein stukje levend vlees, of het nou gaar of rauw is, is een
overtreding van het verbod. De bedoeling van dit verbod is niet om vegetarisme
te bevorderen. Voor de zondvloed was het eten van alle soorten vlees verboden.
Na de zondvloed zei God tegen Noach dat vlees toegestaan zou zijn, zolang er
maar rekening gehouden werd met deze ene voorwaarde bij de bereiding ervan.
Alle spijswetten in de thora hebben een diepe mystieke betekenis en het verbod
op het eten van levend vlees wordt uitdrukkelijk genoemd, zoals geschreven in
Bereishis (Genesis) 9:3-4: Al wat zich beweegt en levend is mogen
jullie als voedsel gebruiken, evenals het groene kruid geef ik jullie alles.
Maar vlees met zijn leven, zijn bloed, mogen jullie niet eten.
Rechtbanken
Mensen zijn verplicht rechtbanken op te zetten om zo de Zeven Wetten van Noach
te kunnen handhaven. Het is immers zinloos om de Zeven Wetten 'wetten' te
noemen als er geen rechtbanken zijn die ze op kunnen leggen wanneer dat nodig
is. Het is echter erg moeilijk, zoniet onmogelijk, om dit gebod in Nederland
in acht te nemen. De grondwet bijvoorbeeld, met haar 'vrijheid van godsdienst',
maakt afgoderij de standaard. B'nei Noach zijn niet in staat om onder
de wetten van het land rechtbanken op te zetten die straffen op zouden kunnen
leggen voor het overtreden van de Zeven Geboden van Noach. Gelukkig kunnen
rechtvaardige B'nei Noach in geval van een juridisch conflict in de meeste
gevallen (uitgezonderd moord, doodslag en dood door schuld, welke onder de
jurisdictie van het civiele gerecht vallen) naar een Beis Din gaan die
halachisch bevoegd is om in zulke zaken te oordelen. Op deze manier
kunnen B'nei Noach enkele aspecten van dit gebod vervullen.
Het Noachidisch
gedachte goed is onlosmakelijk verbonden met het Joodse denken. Het komt er uit
voort. Het gaat namelijk over het leven als goed mens vanuit het Joods denken.
De Noachidische geboden komen uit de Thora.
Geďnteresseerden kunnen de
brochure 'De 7 Noachidische Geboden' - 7 mitswot Bne Noach- geschreven
door Rabbijn J. Friedrich opvragen als Pdf.bestand
Stuur mail naar info@shalom-center.org
(klik aan) om de brochure aan te
vragen.
Can a
Christian be recognised as Ger Toshav? Beit El Yeshiva Rabbis
20 Elul 5767 Category: Jewish Society and Community Attitude Towards Other
Nations
Question:
Dear Rabbis,
Can I as a non-Roman Catholic Christian that supports the rights of Israel and
believes the Noahide laws and Mosaic Laws are the command of G-d be recognised
as a "Ger Toshav" and if yes is there any process for formal recognition?
Thank you.
Answer:
If you do not act as a missionary in any way, you have the title of a Ger Toshav.
I advise you join the Bnei Noach organization of Rabbi Yoel Schwartz.
A group of non-Jewish delegates have come to
Jerusalem to pledge their loyalty to the Laws of Noah before the nascent
Sanhedrin, establishing a High Council for B'nai Noach.
The ten delegates appeared before a special session of the Jewish High Court of
71 Rabbis led by its Nassi (President) Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.
B'nai Noach, literally "Children of Noah," also known as Noahides, are non-Jews
who take upon themselves the Torah's obligations for all members of the human
race - consisting of seven laws passed on via Noah following the flood, as
documented in Genesis (see below).
The gathering took place under a banner quoting the Biblical
passage: "For then I will change the nations to speak a pure language so that
they all will proclaim the name of the Lord, to serve him with united resolve (Tzefania
3:9)"
The Noahide delegates stood before the nascent Sanhedrin,
which was reestablished over a year ago in Tiberius and has met regularly since
then. "Each one comes with a name he has made in the world, as a teacher and
example in his community of observance of the seven laws of Noah," said Rabbi
Michael Bar-Ron, introducing the delegates. "At great physical and financial
expense they have come to
Jerusalem, the holy city, from far and wide, to pledge their allegiance, for the
first time in history, before the Sanhedrin, to the laws of the Creator."
Each of the Noahide representatives stood before the Sanhedrin
and pledged:
"I pledge my allegiance to HaShem, the God of Israel, Creator
and King of the Universe, to His Torah and representatives. I pledge to uphold
the Seven Laws of Noah in all their details, according to Oral Law of Moses
under the guidance of the developing Sanhedrin. May HaShem bless and aid me, my
fellow council members and all B'nai Noach in all our endeavors for the sake of
His name. Blessed are you, G-d of the universe who has caused me to live,
sustained me, and brought me to this day."
Roger Grattan, a delegate who lives in
Maine, told Arutz-7 prior to the ceremony, "I am sure that this will be a
paragraph in the history of civilization, although one could also write books on
it. It is also the fulfillment of prophecy." The other members of the council
are Bud Gil, Billy Jack Dal, Andrew Overall, Adam Penrod, Jacob Scharf, Chairman
Larry Borntrager; Honorary Noahide Council Elder Vendyl Jones, Jack Saunders and
Council Speaker Jim Long.
Long addressed the rabbis of the court, requesting formal
recognition of the Noahide Council. "Your honor, esteemed rabbis of the
developing Sanhedrin. We are here because of your Torah. Rabbis before you
elevated the Torah and it drew us in - before that we stumbled in darkness.
Everyone here today can tell you that in the past we have experienced the need
to consolidate our efforts to make the world aware of the truth."
Rabbi Even-Israel Steinsaltz, the Nassi, or head of the
Sanhedrin, replied: "We hereby recognize these men as the first high council of
B'nai Noach in accordance with the conditions they have accepted upon
themselves."
Rabbi Steinsaltz spoke about the role of the Jewish people in
bringing the Laws of Noah to the world. "I am part of this Jewish family and I
have nothing bad to say about that family, but you don't go up to a man on the
street and ask him to join your family. Instead you talk to him about joining
the true belief in the Creator and about implementing divine justice toward his
fellow man. We are setting up a global mission here – not to recruit people, but
to bring them to the realization that there is one G-d." The Nassi explained
that this aspect of Judaism lay dormant for years as the Jewish people dealt
with staying alive and keeping the Torah in the exile.
Rabbi Steinsaltz called for an extensive project to be
undertaken to help B'nai Noah in the nitty-gritty details of the observance of
the religion. "A Shulhan Aruch for B'nai Noah must be written so that the
individual can have guidance as to what to do," Steinzaltz said, referring to
the compendium of practical Jewish law written by Rabbi Yosef Karo of Tzfat in
the 1560's that is still used today.
He then addressed the ten B'nai Noah representatives, who had
endured hours of Hebrew speeches throughout the day, in English:
"There are those people, so far only a small number, who say
'We are bound by the covenant of Adam and the covenant of Noah and we know we
have to perform and fulfill our obligations.' We, as Jews, have the same
religion as you.
"Within the nation of
Israel there is one tribe that deals with the Temple – the priests. We Jews are
a specific tribe in the world that was chosen to be a tribe of priests –
hereditary priests. Because of this we have special duties. Being a priest does
not mean we are cut off from the other people. While the people of the world are
all different units in the armies of the Lord, we are a special commando unit
that maybe doesn't get paid more, but has special assignments that may be more
dangerous."
Rabbi Even-Israel spoke about the difficulties that would
confront the B'nai Noah movement as it grows. "When we are speaking in general,
almost every human being can more or less accept the laws of Noah, but when we
get to particulars we will come to serious points, at which we disagree with
Christianity and Islam," he said.
"It is one thing when a religion is small, but as it gets
bigger there will be huge pressures. We will be there beside you. We are members
of the same religion that was given by the Almighty to humanity. Part of it was
given to the Jews and part of it was given to humanity as a whole."
The Nassi added that while there are those who doubt the
ability of the Sanhedrin to be more than an idea leading up to the true
reestablished court, the Noahide Council is not able to be doubted or criticized
due to its pure motives and unprecedented mission.
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel of the Temple Institute said that although
Tuesday is the Fast of the Tenth of Teveth, which commemorates the beginning of
the destruction, "Our sitting in
Jerusalem now, alongside B'nai Noach, demonstrates the revival and the
fulfillment of the words of the prophets." Rabbi Ariel told those gathered that
he had seen a rainbow that morning, "the closest thing to seeing Noah himself -
the symbol of the covenant between G-d and humanity as witnessed by Noah," he
said.
Famed archaeologist and Noahide leader Vendyl Jones addressed
a festive banquet held for the Council members, speaking about the Seven Laws of
Noah. He explained, in detail, the verses in the first eleven chapters of
Genesis from which the seven laws are elucidated, saying that he always
understood the first six, but never understood the law proscribing the eating of
a limb of a living animal, until he remembered his cattle-branding days in
Texas. "We would brand and castrate the cattle when I was young, and that night
we would all sit around the campfire and eat what they called 'mountain oysters'
" – the testicles of the still-living animals.
Rabbi Nachman Kahane, Av Beit HaDin, spoke in English. "G-d
created a primitive world," he said. "We don't grow loaves of bread, but grain
that must be harvested, ground up and baked. We were meant to be partners with
G-d. Unfortunately, throughout history, perversions of this idea grew. How can
you be G-d's partner if you are damned and born with original sin? How can you
be a partner of G-d if your religion tells you to send your children to shopping
malls to blow people up? What we are creating today is a reconnection between
the people and G-d. G-d is saying to humanity – everyone has a job. I happen to
be a priest - I have a particular task for when the temple is built - but all of
us have a specific task just the same - I am no better."
Jones told Kahane that his brother, slain Knesset member Rabbi
Meir Kahane, together with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, had organized the first
conference for B'nai Noah nearly 20 years ago.
Conference on Noahide Council
Earlier in the day, several speakers addressed issues
surrounding the B'nai Noah movement as part of a conference on the establishment
of the B'nai Noah Council.
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, a leader of the Italian Muslim
Assembly, addressed those gathered, speaking about B'nai Noah in Islam. "Islamic
law holds within it the seven laws of Noah and can be taught correctly to the
Muslims of the world." Sheikh Palazzi also said, "I remember reading that a new
Sanhedrin was created in Jerusalem," "my impression was very positive - I
thought maybe something new had been created to allow the Jewish people to
project moral and legal clarity to counterbalance the lack of it in our world."
Palazzi added that the project of creating a council of Noahide teachers would
hopefully counter the negative educational effect of the
Gaza withdrawal, "which taught the opposite to my people - it convinced many
that only terrorism works."
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zini, who heads Yeshiva Or V'Yishua and is
the rabbi of
Haifa's Technion, spoke about the intuitive natural truths of the laws of Noah.
"We must create a formal connection between the nation of Israel and the B'nai
Noah to show the world that we are a nation of holy priests, as is dictated in
our Torah," he said, speaking partly in French as well, as the conference will
be available on the Sanhedrin's web site for viewing by prospective B'nai Noah
worldwide.
Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, who received the blessing of leading
Hareidi-Religious Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv to engage in the project of creating a
court and infrastructure for B'nai Noah, addressed the conference as well. Rabbi
Schwartz is the Deputy Av Beit HaDin [literally, Court Elder] of the Sanhedrin
and the Av Beit HaDin for the B'nai Noah court. He spoke on the topic of "B'nai
Noah and World Peace."
"The Islamic Jihad against the world has restored religion to
the center of the world's consciousness," Schwartz said. "Over thirty years ago
someone by the name of Eisenberg sent a proposal to the United Nations saying
that there will never be world peace unless the citizens of the globe agree on
certain principles of faith. It was adopted by the UN as one of its official
documents but was not followed up upon and has since been forgotten. We are here
today to follow up on that document and remind the UN why it exists. There will
be world peace when the whole world agrees that there is one G-d. There are
people who do not think what I am about to say is worthwhile, but I suggested
years ago that we begin to translate our books, which are meant for the nations
of the world, into Arabic as well [Schwartz has authored many books on practical
observance for Noahides –ed.]. It is not by coincidence that we have this nation
alongside us, surrounding and living inside the land upon our return to it, who
also preserves the heritage of Abraham our father."
Schwartz has indeed translated his books to Arabic, with the
help of an Arab man he met at a bus stop who asked him a Mishanaic question,
telling him he had already translated the Mishna, a codification of Jewish oral
law. He said the entire printing is sold out. "Muslim parents have thanked me
for teaching their child that there is a different way to heaven than becoming a
shahid, a martyr," he said.
Schwartz explained that although one of the purposes of the
Jewish people's exile was to disseminate belief in the Torah's truths around the
world, their return to Israel has brought with it the technology to redouble our
efforts from here. "The moment we came to Israel, communication technology
flourished. The telephone and radio spread rapidly, and computers and internet
came soon after, changing the entire concept of communication and education.
When we were in the exile, we were there to teach the world, and now that we
have returned to the Land of Israel, G-d has given us the tools to do the work
from here."
Rabbi David Zilbershlag, Director of Meir Panim and Koach
Latet, both innovative charity associations, spoke about rectifying the misdeeds
of Noah's generation, the generation of the flood. Zilbershlag said that the new
Council of Noahides must focus on kindness and charity, as that was the basis of
G-d's covenant with Noah, (the lack of which resulted in the destruction of
Noah's entire generation) and his later covenant with Abraham.
"It is hard to distribute and spread an idea that is negative,
as the laws of Noah are phrased," Zilbershlag said. "We must make a great effort
to find and distribute the relevant positive commandments in our tradition
throughout the world as well, and the most basic of these is that of following
in the footsteps of Abraham our father."
Rabbi Eliyahu Essas, a former refusenik and founder of the
Teshuva movement in the USSR, spoke about establishing outreach within Israel to
help gentiles who moved from the Former Soviet Union to Israel become aware of
the Noahide laws. "There are at least 400,000 out of the million people who came
to Israel who are not Jewish according to Jewish law. There are many who think
they are Jews, but do not have a Jewish mother and are therefore not Jewish
according to Jewish law. 150,000 have no blood connection to the nation of
Israel – spouses of Jews and relatives who came under the law of return. Then
there are 30,000 who have nothing to do with the Jewish people, but forged
documents. There Jews wanted to be Russians, here, Russians want to be Jews.
"Should we harass such a person to convert, should we leave
him alone, or should we try to get him to become a Ben Noah?" Essas asked,
refraining from offering answers and saying that such complicated matters must
be dealt with by both the Noahide Council and the Sanhedrin's B'nai Noah Beit
Din. He added that the problem of intermarriage was not discussed by previous
generations because it did not exist in such numbers. "We are dealing with 50%
of families in the FSU and even more in North America. So if one spouse is a Jew
and one is Ben Noah, what will be their status? I want to raise these issues and
offer a prayer to the Almighty to help us find wise solutions."
Council Looking Forward
Spokesman Jim Long outlined the Council's goals. "Education is
a vital part of our effort and we need you to help us with this. We need to make
sure that developing Noahide groups do not split into denominations. As we move
into the public eye, we will be viewed as heretics by many. We each come from
other religions and must develop ways to approach them in a manner in which they
listen without closing their ears. The Noahide movement is a Torah-based
template for an ethical way of life. The Creator requires humanity to uphold
these laws as per his covenant with Noah.
"Anyone who reads the Bible can see that your Torah is your
constitution, your Bill of Rights and your deed to the Land of Israel. We have
plans to publish Noahide prayer books, children's books and documentaries on
science and the world through the lens of the Torah."
"We have heard that G-d is with you," Long concluded.
The Seven Laws of Noah are:
1.
Shefichat damim - Do not murder or commit suicide.
2.
Gezel -
Do not steal or kidnap.
3.
Avodah zarah
– Pray and offer sacrifices only to G-d. Do not worship false gods/idols.
4.
Gilui arayot -
Do not be sexually immoral (engage in incest, sodomy, bestiality, castration and
adultery), crossbreed animals or perform castration.
5.
Birkat Hashem
- Do not utter G-d's name in vain, curse G-d or pursue the occult. Honor your
parents.
6.
Dinim
- Set up righteous and honest courts and apply
fair justice in judging offenders and uphold the principles of the last five.
7. Ever
Min HaChai - Do not eat a part of a live animal or consume blood.
