Shuvoo Newsletter

Issue 7 – March 2, 2006

 

Thoughts on Ancient Times & Current Events by Ashirah Yosefah

 

 

RENEWED LIGHT ON ANCIENT HORIZONS

Torah and the Noahide Commandments

 

 

Early morning light diffuses the sky with a pink-hued aura above the Judean desert.

(© Ashirah Yosefah Photo)

 

 

 

On Tuesday of this week, Shuvoo was a guest on the Tamar Yonah Show on Arutz-7, Israel National Radio on an hour long show entitled “Returning to G-d”.  The response has been overwhelming.  It has also been revealing and full of promise.  In a span of 24 hours following the interview, there were 17,170 hits to the Shuvoo website, bring the total hits for the month of February to 33, 404.  Baruch Hashem.  What is even more encouraging is the fact that the many emails received by Shuvoo and Arutz-7 have come from Jew and non-Jew alike, from all over the world.  Requests for help, questions on many topics, even offers of assistance from Rabbis and requests to work with Shuvoo in helping to spread a true understanding of the Seven Universal Laws for all mankind, the Torah guidelines for humanity that have been all but ignored for two millennia.

 

What such response hints at is that Hashem is in the process of quickening all mankind in advance of the Messianic Era, a period of time when the Torah and the Prophets tell us that all of the nations of the world will acknowledge Hashem as the One True God and when Israel, His people, will fulfill their appointed destiny to be “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).  Rashi suggests that “kohanim” (priests) means ‘princes’, while Ibn Ezra renders it ‘servants’ or ‘ministers’.  The priests, as we learn from Tanach, have a unique and specific role.  The Cohanim attend to very precise aspects of the Temple service; the Levites to others, including providing music and praise of Hashem within the Temple precincts.  Collectively, they were all to be teachers of the Torah.  This instruction enabled the Children of Israel to lead holy lives of obedience and in so doing to be Hashem’s witnesses (Isaiah 43:12, 44:8) and a collective light unto the nations (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6). 

 

Over time, as Tanach tells us, the Children of Israel have had their ups and downs aspiring to this role.  The Prophet Malachi rebuked the Levites when the purity of their teaching went awry in the past, reminding them of the covenant Hashem had made with the Levites and their intended role:

 

“Proper rulings were in his mouth, and nothing perverse was on his lips; he served Me with complete loyalty and held the many back from iniquity.  For the lips of a priest guard knowledge, and men seek rulings from his mouth.”  (Malachi 2:6-7)

 

Note the expression “the lips of a priest guard knowledge”.  Rashi takes the position that this means the priest has a responsibility to remember that which he has been taught in order that he will have proper answers for those who come to ‘seek Torah’ from him.  Ibn Ezra interprets this phrase to mean that priests must set a personal example of Torah-obedience with their lives and be teachers by example.  

 

These words ‘guard knowledge’ give me food for thought.  Given the accusations that the Noahide Laws were not given by Hashem, but were fabrications of the Rabbis, I would like to expand upon the concept of guarding knowledge and what this has meant to Torah and to Judaism over the centuries and why.  At this point, another verse from Tanach comes to mind:

 

“He said, ‘Go, Daniel, for these words are secret and sealed to the time of the end.  Many will be purified and purged and refined; the wicked will act wickedly and none of the wicked will understand; but the knowledgeable will understand.” (Daniel 12:9-10)

 

The above instructions apply to events to transpire at the dawning of the Messianic Era.  Many amongst Chazal believe the ‘secret and sealed words’ refer to the ‘sod’ or inner essence of Torah as revealed through true Kabbalah, which is rapidly growing in availability to all mankind, Jew and non-Jew alike.  Unfortunately, counterfeit, ‘commercialized’ and distorted Kabbalah is also abundantly available and one must be very careful of their sources, no matter how large and impressive the entity promoting their Kabbalah products might be.

 

What I would like to point out, however, is that G-d was clearly setting forth the premise of timing.  In Ecclesiastes 3:1, Shlomo haMelek wrote that there is a time and a season for all things.  The G-d of Israel is The Master of precise timing.

 

There are many things within Torah that have been guarded by the Priests and Sages of Judaism throughout the centuries.  These things have not been accessible or made available to the public, and particularly to the nations of the world.  Also the tools of Scriptural exegesis and study that are required to unlock the true application of Torah are not common knowledge and are matters of proper instruction.   Over time, and now as well, judgments have been made against the Oral Torah and wisdom of the Sages that have been based on insufficient facts.  Consequently, those judgments lack validity.

 

Why has Torah, G –d’s blueprint for mankind, been guarded and concealed?  The premise is simple.  When you have a priceless gem, you protect it until it is time for the gem to be presented in all its beauty.  The Torah has endured, without change, from Sinai to the present time – 3500 years.  No other religious document can make this claim.  Had the priests and rabbis not taken such stringent measures to protect it, G-d forbid, but the Torah might have been exploited and distorted beyond recognition.  Certainly, many of the non-Hebrew translations of the Tanach (in the form of the ‘Old Testament’) stray far from the actual Hebrew meaning and context of the source text.

 

The Oral Torah, most of all, has been guarded within the framework of Orthodox Judaism.  Consequently, it has been the target of the most attacks.  Why such vigilance to protect the Oral Torah?  Let me explain.  Man is comprised of body and soul.  By analogy, the Torah also has a ‘body’, the Written Torah, the five Books of Moshe, and it has a ‘soul’, the Oral Torah.  Just as the human soul is the life force of the body, so, too, the Oral Torah brings the Written Torah to life by unlocking its secrets and ambiguities and explaining seemingly vague laws.

 

The Oral Torah was given to Moshe by Hashem during the forty days and nights he spent in the Presence of G-d on Mt. Sinai following the revelation of the Ten Words, commonly known as the Ten Commandments.  It was preserved, taught, and handed down orally by the priests from the time of Moshe, generation by generation.  These oral transmissions were first transcribed by Ezra the Priest upon the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile.  From this point on, the collective body of transcribed oral laws continued to grow.  After the destruction of the Second Temple, Yochanan ben Zakkai and the academy at Yavneh organized the massive amount of Oral Tradition and commentaries that had been compiled over the centuries, then came Yehudah haNasi who compiled The Mishnah, the written code of the Oral Tradition, circa 200 CE.   Following this, Gamaliel V and Judah IV, together with the Amoraim in Palestine, compiled and codified the important legal decisions, teachings and discussions that had been made post-Mishnah.  These decisions were necessary to determine how the Torah laws would best be applied to the circumstances of a changing world. Collectively, these commentaries and decisions became known as the Gemara.  By 400 BCE, the Mishnah and Gemara had been combined to form the Jerusalem Talmud.  A century later, the more popular Babylonian Talmud was published. 

 

The above is a brief history of the Oral Torah.  Its pages provide the details and explanations for the commandments of Torah are to be applied.  For example, while the Written Torah commands that all blood be drained from the flesh of kosher animals before consumption, it does not explain how to do so … the Oral Torah does.  The Written Torah tells the Children of Israel to ‘dwell in booths’ and to make use of three types of foliage and the fruit of a goodly tree when celebrating Sukkot, but it does not explain what or how … the Oral Torah does. 

 

With the exception of observant Bnei Noach throughout the ages, only Jews have governed their lives by the dictates of the Torah, written and oral.  Bnei Noach choose to learn and observe Torah laws; Jews are born with this responsibility.  The explanations and guidelines contained in the Oral Torah were not applicable to the nations of the world with their various religions.  Most of the Oral Torah defines the specific responsibilities of Jews as G-d’s Covenant People.  These responsibilities are not incumbent upon non-Jews. 

 

The Written Torah, readily available and still the number 1 best-selling book of all time, forms the basis of the Christian Bible (even though Christianity claims it has been annulled) and the Torah is also a foundational book within Islam.  The principles set forth on its pages define a proper relationship between G-d and man and reveal that Hashem is interested in and compassionate towards His Creation.  The Written Torah also establishes the development and selection of the descendents of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov as a peculiar nation, with a specific role as G-d’s witnesses in this world.

 

In the Zohar, in the commentary of Parsha Vayiera, it speaks of a future war in what is now modern-day Iraq.  The Zohar foretells that there will be no victor in this war.  Rav Yoel Schwartz, known for his lifelong work on behalf of Bnei Noach, told us in a meeting last November that there is an opinion amongst Chazal that, at the time of this war, it would also be time for the resurgence of Bnei Noach throughout the world.  I think we may well be seeing prophecy unfold in our days. 

 

All mankind are Bnei Noach.  Israel was separated from the rest of the nations for a particular role in history, ultimately, for the benefit of all mankind.  Six of the Noahide Laws were given by G-d to Noach following the Flood.  A seventh was specified to Moshe when he was secluded with Hashem on Mt. Sinai.  These seven laws are keys to a life that can grow to be quite similar to that of a Torah-observant Jew.  At the time of the Second Temple, there were many Bnei Noach and it was common for Bnei Noach to appear before a Beit Din of the Sanhedrin and take an oath to observe the Noahide Laws.  They lived in community with Jews in Israel, even attended their synagogues.  After the destruction of the Second Temple, Bnei Noach and these Laws fell into obscurity.  Jews were in exile in foreign laws.  They could not risk teaching the Noahide Laws without challenging the state religions in the countries of their exile.  Now, however, Jews are back in their homeland.  More than ever, with the approaching Messianic Era, it is time for Jews to learn about and to teach the Noahide Laws, which, by the way, are also incumbent on every Jew.

 

Frequently, we receive questions as to whether the Noahide Laws are, in fact, found in Torah.  They are.  They are each set forth in the Written Torah, a document transcribed word by word by Moshe as he received revelation from Hashem.  Elaboration on the seven commandments and how they can be expanded in terms of their application in a person’s life can be found within the Talmud.  Faithful observance of the seven laws is the essential minimum level of observance for a non-Jew to be counted righteous before Hashem and merit a share in the World to Come. 

 

Let’s look briefly at where the Noahide Laws can be found:

 

The Noahide Laws in the Written Torah:

Not to worship idols – Exodus 20:3

Not to murder – Exodus 20:3

Not to commit adultery – Exodus 20:3

Not to steal – Leviticus 19:11

Not to blaspheme – Leviticus 24:16

Not to eat the limb of a living animal – Deuteronomy 12:23

To establish courts of law – Deuteronomy 16:18

 

Oral Torah (Talmud):

Sanhedrin 56a-b

Sanhedrin 56 b:  The Seven Laws of Noach according to the School of Menashe

Bereshith Rabba 34,8

Tosefta Avoda Sara 8,4

Maimonides:  Mishnah Torah, Sefer Shoftim, Hilchot Melachim 9,1

 

Sanhedrin 56a,3:  “The Rabbis taught in a Baraisa:  Seven commandments were given to the Noahites:  Civil law, ‘Blessing’ the [Divine] Name, idolatry, sexual transgressions, and murder, and theft, and eating a limb torn from a live animal.”

 

The fact that the Rabbis taught the Noahide Laws in a Baraisa means that these were statements, and a tradition, that preceded the compilation of the Oral Torah into the Mishnah by Yehudah haNasi.

 

Sanhedrin 56b,1, refers to the Baraisa that cites Tannaim who hold that Bnei Noach are subject to additional Torah commandments as well. In fact, Sanhedrin 57a – 59b contain lengthy discourses the applications of these Torah laws to Bnei Noach. 

 

It is important to remember that the Oral Torah is written in a very precise manner that requires instruction on how one should read and interpret it.  These measures have protected the Oral Torah over time.  Someone who has not been properly instructed will not be able to accurately understand or apply the information provided in the Talmud. This is a danger we see at work today now that the Talmud is easily accessed via internet.  Misinterpretations are rampant and are usually used to create confusion and condemnation towards the Oral Torah.

 

Wikipedia Encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org) provides a good explanation of how these seven commandments can be subdivided, providing gateways to much more than they are appear on the surface,

“Various rabbinic sources have different positions on the way the seven laws are to be subdivided in categories.  Maimonides (Melakhim 10:6) lists one additional Noahide commandment forbidding the coupling of different kinds of animals and the mixing of trees.  Maimonides commentator Radbaz expressed surprise that he left out castration and sorcery which were listed in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 56b).  The tenth century Rabbi Saadia Gaon added tithes and levirate marriage.  The eleventh century Rav Nissim Gaon included "listening to God's Voice", "knowing God" and "serving God" besides going on to say that all religious acts which can be understood through human reasoning are obligatory upon Jew and Gentile alike.  The fourteenth century Rabbi Nissim ben Reuben Gerondi added the commandment of charity.  The sixteenth century work Asarah Maamarot by Rabbi Menahem Azariah of Fano (Rema mi-Fano) enumerates thirty commandments, listing the latter twenty-three as extensions of the original seven.  Another commentator (Kol Hidushei Maharitz Chayess I, end Ch. 10) suggests these are not related to the first seven, nor based on Scripture, but were passed down by oral tradition.  The number thirty derives from the statement of the Talmudic sage Ulla in tractate Hullin 92a, though he lists only three other rules in addition to the original seven, consisting of the prohibitions against homosexuality and cannibalism, as well as the imperative to honor the Torah.  Talmud commentator Rashi remarks on this that he does not know the other Commandments referred to.  Though the authorities seem to take it for granted that Ulla's thirty commandments included the original seven, an additional thirty laws is also possible from the reading.

The tenth century Shmuel ben Hophni Gaon lists thirty Noahide Commandments, based on Ulla's Talmudic statement, though the text is problematic.  He includes the prohibitions against suicide and false oaths, as well as the imperatives related to prayer, sacrifices and honoring one's parents.  The commandments, according to Shmuel ben Hophni Gaon, cover:

• Idolatry
• No idolatry
• To pray
• To offer ritual sacrifices only to God
• Blasphemy
• To believe in the singularity of God, see, Monotheism
• No blasphemy
• No witchcraft
• No soothsayers
• No conjurers
• No sorcerers
• No mediums
• No demonology
• No wizardry
• No necromancy
• To respect father & mother
• Murder
• No murder
• No suicide
• No Moloch worship (infant sacrifice)
• Property
• No stealing
• Sexual Immorality
• No adultery
• Formal legal marriages
• No incest with close relatives
• No male to male anal sex
• No bestiality
• Not to crossbreed animals
• No castration
• Food Laws
• Not to eat a limb of a living creature
• Not to eat or drink blood
• Not to eat carrion (for those recognised by a Beth Din)
• Justice
• To establish courts and a system of justice
• No false oaths

The contemporary Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein counts 66 instructions but Rabbi Harvey Falk has suggested that much work remains to be done in order to properly identify all of the Noahide Commandments, their divisions and subdivisions.”

Now immediately I anticipate protests from a few that “the Rabbis did this”; the implication being used to defend the popular accusation that the Noahide Laws are Rabbinic creations.  It would be proper at this point to reflect on the fact that each of the above expansions or sub-divisions of the Seven Laws are all found within the Written Torah.  They are all Torah commandments that the Rabbis determined, after study and reflection, were the logical extension and application of the seven Noahide ‘chapter headings’, if you will.  The commandments themselves go back to Sinai and even before.  A careful reading of the Book of Genesis clearly indicates that the people whose lives are recounted there had knowledge of basic Torah and used it.

 

Over the past few decades, and especially in recent years, the world has seemingly been asleep as a global phenomenon has unfolded.  Hundreds of thousands of people have been spiritually quickened to an intense curiosity in the Torah.  Reading the Written Torah has resulted in dramatic life changes for these people, as well as re-evaluation of their previous religious beliefs.  Some have felt to convert to Judaism, others have discovered the Noahide Laws, and many more are presently at a spiritual crossroads questioning their probable and possible spiritual identities.  Simply put, in Torah, there are only people groups (physical identities aside):  Israel and Bnei Noach.  Obviously, the level of observance in each case determines the true character … there are secular as well as religious/spiritual individuals in both groups.

 

The world around us becomes more turbulent with each passing day.  We appear to be at the dawn of a new era.  Could it be that this ‘renewed light’ dawning on the Seven Universal Laws for mankind, and the responsibility of Jews to teach them to the nations, is a preparation the unfolding of prophecy:

 

“O Hashem, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a day of trouble, to You nations shall come from the ends of the earth and say:  Our fathers inherited utter delusions, things that are futile and worthless.  Can a man make gods for himself?  No-gods are they!”  (Jeremiah 16:19-20)

 

“The many peoples and the multitude of nations shall come to seek Hashem of Hosts in Jerusalem and entreat the favor of Hashem.  Thus said Hashem of Hosts:  In those days, ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold – they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of his clock and say, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.’”  (Zechariah 8:23)

 

In those days, the nations shall acknowledge Hashem and Israel shall be a light to the nations.  For the sake of both Jew and non-Jew, b’ezrat Hashem, may it be soon.