"All the Pious among the Nations
hold a share in the world to come"

Foreword: This article has no other scope than the one to reveal and transmit the basic knowledge relating to the topic of the 7 noahide laws , and to satisfy the public interest in accordance with the recommendations of Judaism. In this respect, Judaism does not simply evoke the concept of "Jewish religion ", like many contend, nor does it defines the sum of rules and religious behaviors experienced and applied by the Jewish People throughout it's long history. Judaism does not refer only to the behavior of men. Judaism, in its essence, refers to the achievement of the precepts of the Torah itself, such as given on mount Sinai by the " Mouth of G.d". One generally defines by the word Torah the ensemble of laws and teachings drawn from the written law (the Hebraic Bible) and to the oral law (Michnah). These two dimensions define the essence of Judaism. From this perspective, the Torah doesn't appear anymore as a history book, considering the divine character of its writing and its teachings. The " Saint Zohar ", which deals with esoteric wisdom, reveals that " G.d read in the Torah and created the world from it". Also, Judaism supports the view that the true chronology of humanity starts at the time of the Creation of the world by G.d. It is the Creator who gives to the world its first generative pulse of time and of the sciences that result from it. And therein rests the starting point of the History of humanity and civilization.

The article below presents a digest of the definitions and essential aspects related to this topic, and proposes to determine the identity of those who respect the 7 noahide laws and who thus hold a share in the world to come. To that end, it is necessary to know the 7 noahide laws well and to learn to respect them. Pursuant to the commands of the Torah and values of Judaism, the Jewish People received the mission of diffusing to humanity the belief in the Unique G.d, so that this world would become a residence for Him and that humanity could sustain life here according to His Will.

History of the Bnei Noah concept

According to biblical chronologies, since the time of Adam — the first man and " Father of Humanity " —, all the human beings received from G.d the injunction to respect 6 laws. After the Flood, Noah and his three sons (Chem, Ham and Japhet) received the mission of rebuilding humanity and of repopulating the earth, while behaving in accordance to these 6 laws. In this circumstances, G.d ordered Noah to observe a seventh law, whence the expression " the 7 noahide laws ".

Since that time and until the Giving of the Torah, all men, Hebrews included (which are the descendants of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), are called Bnei Noah — " sons of Noah " — the 7 noahide laws are then known by all peoples, and are enforced by all peoples. Certain writings even reveal that Chem, the father of all the Semites, was head of a court which judged all men in accordance with these 7 laws. After the Giving of the Torah, the people of Israel will be detached from the group of the Bnei Noah. Indeed, the Hebrews then took upon themselves, not 7 but 613 laws : the 613 Comandements of the Torah. In this circumstances, the Scriptures will qualify the people of Israel a people of " Priests among the Nations ". The order given to the nations to respect the 7 noahide laws is renewed by the event of the Giving of the Torah, and the responsibility to inform all men about them then rests on the shoulders of Moses. The Torah stipulates that any Non-Jew who accepts the kingship of G.d and commits to fulfill the 7 noahide laws in accordance with the rules of the Torah — that G.d transmitted to the People of Israel through Moses, on Mount Sinai — is also regarded as a " priest " and a " Pious among the Nations ".

Definitions

The usual Hebraic terminology which refers to the various statuses of Non-Jews is not always known by the general public. One must distinguish for example the terms of Ben Noah, Guer Tochav, Hassid Houmot Haolam, Oved Kohavim, Goy, etc. It is necessary to point out the definitions of all these terms and expressions employed in the sources of Judaism. Indeed, these words do not all refer to a person having accepted the practice of the 7 noahide laws. The use of the suitable qualifier will vary according to the context.

A Ben Noah — " Son of Noah " — indicates without distinction any human being, man or woman, in their globality. This name has many implication for the behavior of the individual with respect to the 7 noahide laws. In French and English litterature, the Non-Jews are sometimes designated under the term of " Gentiles ", but this expression is of Latin origin (" gentilis "), and designates either a peasant, or a polytheist, and does not have a direct correspondence with the Hebraic term. In the traditional Hebraic language the "pagan " term results in " Oved Kohavim ". While "Goy" is used in modern Hebrew to translate the same word of "Ben Noah", the expression "Oved Kohavim" evokes more particularly that one whose beliefs and habits are not in agreement with the One G.d, and generally refers to an idolater or a polytheist.

By extension, the term "Gentile " will be used to define a person who is not obligated by the practice of the 613 precepts of the Torah : it is thus a "foreign " person with respect to the Jewish people. Nevertheless, from a linguistic point of view, a " foreigner " for the Jewish people is called a " Guer ", in traditional Hebrew, whereas a foreign person with respect to a particular individual is called "Nohri" and can also apply, in this case, to the Jews. In modern Hebrew, " Guer " indicates a convert. The word " Goy " means "a people, a nation ", but also designates by extension a man not belonging to the people of Israel. In general, a " Goy " represents a Ben Noah who is not worried by the respect of the 7 noahide laws. However, it is concievable that the term " Gentile " indistinctly implies all men and women in general, excepting the Jews. This term thus becomes synonymous with " Goy ".

Who is called a "Pious among the Nations" ?

From a point of view of the Hebraic legislation, the practice of the 613 Commandments concerns only the people of Israel, whereas a Ben Noah or Goy has the obligation to respect only the 7 noahide laws, in accordance with the injunctions of the Torah. However, the Torah makes it possible to a Ben Noah to convert to Judaism, but prohibits to convince whoever to respect these laws by force. A person converted according to the Jewish law is called " Guer Tsédek ". In ancient times, when the Hebrews lived independent on the Holy Land, where sat the Sanhedrin — the supreme Court — it was allowed for a Ben Noah, under certain conditions, to settle in the country of Israel. For that purpose, he/she was to agree with the precondition to commit to the respect of the 7 noahide laws. He/she then received the status of a " Guer Tochav " (cf hereafter). In that situation, three cases could arise, according to the intentions of the Non-Jew. That leads us to make the further distinction between a person who voluntarily agrees to subject herself to certain laws, without however adhering to their divine origin, and another individual who will respect them exclusively out of the concern for the divine will expressed in them.

1) a Ben Noah who accepts without any constraint in front of a rabbinical court composed of three judges to respect the 7 noahide laws, in order to live among the people of Israel, must accept as a preliminary the Kingship of G.d and give up his polytheistic habits, after which he'll carry the status of a " Guer Tochav ", i.e. foreign resident. It is then a duty to integrate her into society as well as a Jew, as it is written : " Your brother will live with you ". This status can only be bequeathed at times where the Temple exists, and where the supreme rabbinical Court (Sanhedrin) exists and sits in Jerusalem, and where the legislation of the Jubilee is in force. The status of Guer Tochav is thus completely theoretical nowadays.

2) a Ben Noah who commits to respect the 7 noahide laws, who only decides it in presence of a rabbinical court composed of three judges, in accordance with the principle that those were ordered by G.d on Mount Sinai with Moses and were thus renewed by the Torah, is called a " Hassid Oumot Haolam ", pious man among the nations .

3) a Ben Noah who respects these 7 laws only under rational and human, moral or social utility premices, or for any other personal reason, and not because of their divine origin, are called " Haham Chel Oumot Haolam ", " Wise among the Nations ". This qualifier follows the principle that the attachment of this Non-Jew to the 7 noahide laws is purely intellectual, and his submission to these laws is by no means justified by the divine transmission of such laws in the Torah. The difference with the Guer Tochav lies in the fact that the last one accepts as a preliminary the divine kingship as a fundamental condition of the respect of these 7 laws. Nevertheless the duty of the people of Israel to accomodate this Wise among the Nations and to assist her remains in force.

Conclusion

Nowadays, a Non-Jew who commits to respect the 7 noahide laws, as emanating from the divine Will is called " Hassid Oumot Haolam ", a pious man "among the nations ". It is about him that the Torah stipulates that he holds a share in the world-to-come, at the time of Messianic Redemption.

Meyer Tangi

Pour l’intelligence de son histoire……avec l’aide de D.ieu.

Légende photo : Tout Non-Juif qui accepte la royauté de D.ieu et s'engage à accomplir les 7 lois noahides est considéré comme un « prêtre »