The Bnei Noach

B"H

Today, many people decide to leave church for whatever reason and search for a different religion. But not everybody who decides to believe in the oneness of G – d has automatically to convert to Judaism. People who start realizing that there is only ONE G – d and not any trinity, are facing another option than converting to Judaism.

Not everybody is made for keeping 613 Mitzwot (laws) and leading a Jewish religious lifestyle after conversion and especially those people should consider becoming a Noahide. In Europe the Noahides are not too famous yet, but there is a huge movement in the US.
Every Gentile has the possibility of becoming a Noahide and keep the seven Noahide Laws. He does not have to give up his whole lifestyle and change his identity.

For most converts to Judaism it would have been much better to become a Noahide instead, as many many converts are not interested in keeping the Mitzwot after their Giur. This is the reason why I decided to explain more about the Noahide Laws and their Talmudic and Halachic sources.

In this article I only mention the most important Halachot and whoever wants to know more about the subject can go to:

http://noahide.org/

http://bneinoach.org/news.php

The Noahide Laws are called by this name, as all mankind comes from Noach and his sons. When Noach left the ark, G – d made a new covenant with the people. G – d also allowed the people to eat meat. Before the flood, everybody was a vegetarian. It says in Talmud Sanhedrin 56a – b that Noach only received the seventh and last Noahide Law (not to eat a limb from a living animal), as Chava and Adam HaRishon had already received the first six laws in Gan Eden.

You can find a list of the Noahide Laws in Talmud Sanhedrin 56a:

1. Introducing a court system

2. No blaspheming the names of G – d and not using them in vain.

3. No idolatry, means that people only believe in ONE G – d and not in any representatives or sons and fathers.

4. No sexual perversion.

5. No murder.

6. No theft.

7. No eating a limb from a living animal.

The Gemara also adds sterilization and sorcery.

Whoever keeps those seven Mitzwot is seen a righteous Gentile and has a place in the World to Come (Olam HaBah). See also Talmud Sanhedrin 105a.
In Judaism we do have the concept that also righteous Gentiles do have a place in the World to Come. No one is excluded, as in other religions.

Furthermore, the Noahides do not have to keep Shabbat. According to the Mishna Berurah (Hilchot Shabbat) they are permitted to work for their own needs on Shabbat. However, a Jew is not allowed to tell a Noahide to do any kind of work for him.
It is stated in Talmud Shabbat that a Gentile is not allowed to keep Shabbat according to Jewish Halacha. Literally it says that a Gentile keeping Shabbat is worse than a Jew not keeping Shabbat. The result would be that the Gentile receives a much harsher punishment than the Jew.
The Noahide does not have to keep Kashrut. For instance, he is permitted to eat meat from an animal which was not ritually (according to Jewish law) slaughtered (Talmud Yevamot 48b). The only thing he has to keep is not to eat a limb from a living animal (Ever Min HaChai).

According to Talmud Yevamot 48b, a Noahide is getting the status "Ger Toshav" when he lives in Israel. At this point I have to add that this is not the case today, as our Ministry of Interior has different laws and a Noahide cannot just live in Israel. However, in Talmudic days it used to be the case.

No other Jewish group is promoting the Noahides as much as Chabad (see link above). A famous Noahide is the American archeologist Vendyl Jones. Jones used to be a religious Christian until he looked deeper into religious matters and decided to become a Noahide. All of his children converted to Judaism and live a Jewish religious life in Israel. Vendyl Jones himself decided not to convert, as he sees his mission in finding Temple relics and if he converted, he would Halachically not be allowed to touch certain relics. Among others he is very famous for finding the Ketoret from the Second Beit HaMikdash. He also claims to have found the real location of the biblical city of Sodom.

A Noahide can convert to Judaism but, in case, he decides later to go back to his Noahide roots he cannot do so (see Mishna Torah – Sefer Shoftim – Chapter 10). Halachically, a Jew always remains a Jew, even if he changes his religion.