The Complete Beginner's Guide to Noahides

It’s a well-known fact that Judaism doesn’t believe in missionizing, reaching out to non-Jews and trying to convince them to become Jews. Jews have 613 mitzvot (commandments). We’re not interested in encouraging non-Jews to take that on, though of course, some very special individuals throughout history have chosen to join the Jewish people and to share our destiny.

 

The question remains. What does Judaism have to say about how non-Jews should live? You might be surprised to learn that there is a very specific answer to this. And, in recent history, the Jewish perspective on the ideal lifestyle for non-Jews is gaining some ground. Both Jews and non-Jews today are striving to fulfill God’s will, according to the Torah.

 

What is God’s will for the non-Jew? According to Judaism, the ideal world is not filled with only Jews. Jews have our role to play. And, in Jewish law, non-Jews are expected to live a moral life, guided by the Seven Mitzvot of the Children of Noah (sheva mitzvot b’nei noach). What are these seven laws?

For those familiar with the Ten Commandments, some of these will sound familiar, but it’s not an exact parallel. According to rabbinic tradition, those non-Jewish individuals who accept and live by these seven obligations are considered righteous and are guaranteed a place in the World to Come.

 

Since six of the seven Noahide laws are prohibitions, being a Noahide leaves one with a lot of time to fill. Contemporary Noahides, those who have ceased identifying with any other religion and seek to follow God’s will for non-Jews, have begun to form communities of their own. They study Jewish texts in an attempt to discover which Jewish rituals they may participate in and which are forbidden by Jewish law.

 

The movement published a prayer book called Recommended Prayers for Noahide Community Services and Personal Worship which is filled with “prayers that are appropriate for Gentiles who follow the Noahide Code.” Interestingly, the book’s description includes the following disclaimer, “Care has been taken that the prayers included here do not encroach on the spiritual heritage of the Jewish people, and there is no attempt made to establish additional obligations for Gentiles beyond the Noahide Code.” In addition, The Book of Seven Divine Commandments (Sefer Sheva Mitzvot HaShem) is a 600-page, 3 volume guide book, based on Jewish law, which offers guidance about which mitzvot are open to them and which are not. These are only two of dozens of publications prepared especially for Noahides.

 

Noahide organizations, such as Noahide.org and Noahide Nations, which often use a rainbow as their symbol, provide support to those interested in joining the movement and spreading the knowledge of this path.

 

Why don’t Noahides simply convert? For some, the resources necessary to covert and live a Jewish life are not available. For others, conversion would represent too big a departure from the world in which they live. But many Noahides hold firmly to the belief that the world needs both Jews and non-Jews. And they believe their role is best served as non-Jews who follow the Torah.