By Karsten on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I thought that those on the list might find the following interesting,
I
copied it from Torah Forum.


Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 23:52:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel
Subject: Re: Noachide Laws And Proselytizing

John Martin Stark in TF V6 #15 asks me to clarify my statements about
Ben
Noach. John points out that we are all children of Noach.

True---but Jewish law created a technical term NOACHIDE for those who
accept the 7 laws of Noach based on prophetic revelation. This is
explicitly stated in the Rambam who gives 4 categories of non-jews
(Kings
8:10):

A) A person who ACCEPTS THESE LAWS before a court of 3 trained scholars
has
the title of a RESIDENT FOREIGNER (GER TOSHAV)

B) Whoever ACCEPTS THESE 7 LAWS BECAUSE G-D COMMANDED THEM (but does
not
accept them before a court) has a title of RIGHTEOUS GENTILE ("Chasidei
Umot HaOlam"). And these
people (also) have a share in the next world. But this is only true
provided he accepts them because G-d commanded them in the Torah by
Moses
and told us that Noach was commanded them. But

C) A person who does these laws because they are rational and
correct--such
a person is not a RESIDENT FOREIGNER and is not A RIGHTEOUS GENTILE and
is
not even a WISE GENTILE>

(There is also the category of (D) a person who does not accept all
noachide laws)

John raises some valid points---"But isn't the purpose to unify the
world?"
Yes! But the Rambams point is that logic alone is not sufficient to
unify
the world--the world can only be unified by Divine Revelation.

Russell Jay Hendel Phd ASA
Moderator Rashi is Simple
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/


The Barclay Bunch

Mike, Sue, Amy, & Beth