B'nei Noah
Encyclopedia
Noahidism is a Biblical-Talmudic and monotheistic ideology based on the Seven Laws of Noah. According to Jewish law, non-Jews are not obligated to convert to Judaism
, but they are required to observe the Seven Laws of Noah to be assured of a place in the World to Come (Olam Haba), the final reward of the righteous. Those who subscribe to the observance of such laws and their supporting organizations are referred to as Bene Noach (B'nei Noah) , Children of Noah, Noahides or Noahites.
Technically, the Hebrew
term Bene Noach applies to all non-Jews as descendants of Noah. However, nowadays it is also used to refer specifically to those non-Jews who observe the Noahide Laws.
, all humanity descends from Noah
. Noah and his three children Shem
, Ham
, and Japheth
survived the Flood aboard the Ark
, along with their wives (Genesis 7:13, 8:16). Once the survivors were able to leave the ark for dry ground, they started new families and repopulated the earth (Genesis 9:18-19).
When Noah's family left the Ark, God made a covenant
with them (Genesis 9:8) as well all the creatures they had made aboard on the ark thus survived (Genesis 9:9). Although the account in Genesis 9 explicitly refers only two things on eating flesh meat in a right way (Genesis 9:4) and prohibition of human murder (Genesis 9:5), according to the Talmud
, this covenant included the Seven Laws of Noah. Thus, to the B'nei Noah, all living humans as descendants of Noah are subject to the Noahide laws.
Maimonides
(Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, also known as "the Rambam") collected all of the talmud
ic and halakhic
decisions in his time, and laid them out clearly in his work the Mishnah Torah; in addition to Jewish laws and their explanations, Noahide Laws were also collected with their explanation in Maimonides' Sefer Shoftim ("Book of Judges") in the last section Hilchot Melachim U’Milchamot ("The Laws of Kings and Wars") 8:9–10:12, which is available in English online.
Some details of these laws are also found in the Midrashic literature.
and the Talmud
are
Orthodox Judaism does not usually promote conversion to Judaism
but does, on the other hand, believe that the Jewish people have a duty to provide information to those interested in fulfilling the Noahide Laws, based on Maimonides
. Some Jewish groups have been particularly active in promoting the Seven Laws, notably the Chabad-Lubavitch
movement (whose late leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
, launched the global Noahide Campaign
), groups affiliated with Dor Daim
, and strict students of Maimonides.
Small groups calling themselves the B'nei Noah (children of Noah) have recently organised themselves to form communities to abide by these laws and lead their lives with perceived morality. The High Council of B'nei Noah
is particularly reflective of an apparent success at forming ties with Orthodox Judaism and Observant Noahides.
Some of their organizations include:
'; this Council was set up to represent B'nei Noah communities around the world.
movement has been the most politically active in Noahide matters, believing that there is spiritual value for non-Jews in simply acknowledging the seven laws. In 1991 they had a reference to these laws enshrined in a congressional proclamation: Presidential Proclamation 5956, then-President George H. W. Bush
, recalling Joint House Resolution 173, and recalling that the ethical and moral principles of all civilizations come in part from the Seven Noahide Laws, proclaimed March 26, 1991 as "Education Day, U.S.A." Subsequently, Public Law 102-14, formally designated the Lubavitcher Rebbe's birthday as "Education Day, U.S.A.", with Congress recalling that "without these ethical values and principles the edifice of civilization stands in serious peril of returning to chaos", and that "society is profoundly concerned with the recent weakening of these principles that has resulted in crises that beleaguer and threaten the fabric of civilized society".
In April 2006, the spiritual leader of the Druze
community in Israel, Sheikh Mowafak Tarif, met with a representative of Chabad-Lubavitch to sign a declaration calling on all non-Jews in Israel to observe the Noahide Laws as laid down in the Bible and expounded upon in Jewish tradition. The mayor of the Galilean city of Shefa-'Amr
(Shfaram) — where Muslim, Christian and Druze communities live side-by-side — also signed the document.
In March 2007, Chabad-Lubavitch gathered ambassadors from six different countries to take part in a gathering to declare, in the name of the states they represent, their support of the universal teachings of Noahide Laws. They represented Poland, Latvia, Mexico, Panama, Ghana, and Japan. They were part of a special program organized by Harav Boaz Kali.
In April, the Abu Gosh mayor Salim Jaber accepted the seven Noahide laws as part of a mass rally by Chabad at the Bloomfield Stadium
in Tel Aviv.
In May, the newly elected president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
, met with a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi, Dovid Zaoui, who presented him with literature on the universal teachings of the Noahide Laws.
. The confusion arises from the mistranslation of the Hebrew term for the Ten Commandments, as the "Ten Sayings."
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
, but they are required to observe the Seven Laws of Noah to be assured of a place in the World to Come (Olam Haba), the final reward of the righteous. Those who subscribe to the observance of such laws and their supporting organizations are referred to as Bene Noach (B'nei Noah) , Children of Noah, Noahides or Noahites.
Technically, the Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
term Bene Noach applies to all non-Jews as descendants of Noah. However, nowadays it is also used to refer specifically to those non-Jews who observe the Noahide Laws.
Theological background
According to the Book of Genesis, the first book of Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, all humanity descends from Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
. Noah and his three children Shem
Shem
Shem was one of the sons of Noah in the Hebrew Bible as well as in Islamic literature. He is most popularly regarded as the eldest son, though some traditions regard him as the second son. Genesis 10:21 refers to relative ages of Shem and his brother Japheth, but with sufficient ambiguity in each...
, Ham
Ham, son of Noah
Ham , according to the Table of Nations in the Book of Genesis, was a son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.- Hebrew Bible :The story of Ham is related in , King James Version:...
, and Japheth
Japheth
Japheth is one of the sons of Noah in the Abrahamic tradition...
survived the Flood aboard the Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
, along with their wives (Genesis 7:13, 8:16). Once the survivors were able to leave the ark for dry ground, they started new families and repopulated the earth (Genesis 9:18-19).
When Noah's family left the Ark, God made a covenant
Covenant (biblical)
A biblical covenant is an agreement found in the Bible between God and His people in which God makes specific promises and demands. It is the customary word used to translate the Hebrew word berith. It it is used in the Tanakh 286 times . All Abrahamic religions consider the Biblical covenant...
with them (Genesis 9:8) as well all the creatures they had made aboard on the ark thus survived (Genesis 9:9). Although the account in Genesis 9 explicitly refers only two things on eating flesh meat in a right way (Genesis 9:4) and prohibition of human murder (Genesis 9:5), according to the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, this covenant included the Seven Laws of Noah. Thus, to the B'nei Noah, all living humans as descendants of Noah are subject to the Noahide laws.
Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
(Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, also known as "the Rambam") collected all of the talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic and halakhic
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
decisions in his time, and laid them out clearly in his work the Mishnah Torah; in addition to Jewish laws and their explanations, Noahide Laws were also collected with their explanation in Maimonides' Sefer Shoftim ("Book of Judges") in the last section Hilchot Melachim U’Milchamot ("The Laws of Kings and Wars") 8:9–10:12, which is available in English online.
Some details of these laws are also found in the Midrashic literature.
The Seven Laws of Noah
The seven laws listed by the ToseftaTosefta
The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
and the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
are
- Prohibition of idolatryIdolatryIdolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
: You shall not have any idols before God. - Prohibition of murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
: You shall not murder. - Prohibition of theftTheftIn common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
: You shall not steal. - Prohibition of sexual immorality: You shall not commit any of a series of sexual prohibitions, which include adulteryAdulteryAdultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, certain forms of incestIncestIncest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, homosexual behaviour and bestiality. - Prohibition of blasphemyBlasphemyBlasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
: You shall not blaspheme God's name. - Dietary law: Do not eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. ' onMouseout='HidePop("45587")' href="/topics/Talmud">TalmudTalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(SanhedrinSanhedrin (Talmud)Sanhedrin is one of ten tractates of Seder Nezikin . It originally formed one tractate with Makkot, which also deals with criminal law...
59a)) - Requirement to have just lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s: Set up a governing body of law (e.g. courts)
Modern movement
A modern movement known as the B'nei Noah or B'nei Noach has appeared in which members endeavour to follow the Noahide Laws.Orthodox Judaism does not usually promote conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
but does, on the other hand, believe that the Jewish people have a duty to provide information to those interested in fulfilling the Noahide Laws, based on Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
. Some Jewish groups have been particularly active in promoting the Seven Laws, notably the Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch is a Chasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's larger and best-known Chasidic movements, its official headquarters is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York...
movement (whose late leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
, launched the global Noahide Campaign
Noahide Campaign
The Noahide Campaign refers to a campaign by Orthodox Jews of the Chabad movement to influence all non-Jews to follow the Noahide Laws. This was one of the Mitzvah campaigns of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of Chabad....
), groups affiliated with Dor Daim
Dor Daim
The Dardaim or Dor daim , are adherents of the Dor Deah movement in Judaism. That movement was founded in 19th century Yemen by Rabbi Yiḥyah Qafiḥ, and had its own network of synagogues and schools.Its objects were:...
, and strict students of Maimonides.
Small groups calling themselves the B'nei Noah (children of Noah) have recently organised themselves to form communities to abide by these laws and lead their lives with perceived morality. The High Council of B'nei Noah
High Council of B'nei Noah
The High Council of B'nei Noah is a group of Noahides who, at the request of the nascent Sanhedrin, gathered in Israel on Monday January 10, 2006/10 Tevet 5766 to be recognized as an international Noahide organization for the purpose of serving as a bridge between the Sanhedrin and Noahides worldwide...
is particularly reflective of an apparent success at forming ties with Orthodox Judaism and Observant Noahides.
Some of their organizations include:
High Council of B’nei Noah
A High Council of B’nei Noah was endorsed on January 10, 2006 by a group established in Israel in 2004 that claims to be 'the new SanhedrinModern attempts to revive the Sanhedrin
Modern attempts to revive the Sanhedrin are the efforts from 1538 CE until the present day to renew the Sanhedrin which was dissolved in 358 CE by the edict of the Byzantine emperor. The latest effort was in 2004 when a group of seventy one rabbis claiming to represent varied communities in Israel...
'; this Council was set up to represent B'nei Noah communities around the world.
Acknowledgment of B'nei Noah
The Chabad-LubavitchChabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch is a Chasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's larger and best-known Chasidic movements, its official headquarters is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York...
movement has been the most politically active in Noahide matters, believing that there is spiritual value for non-Jews in simply acknowledging the seven laws. In 1991 they had a reference to these laws enshrined in a congressional proclamation: Presidential Proclamation 5956, then-President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, recalling Joint House Resolution 173, and recalling that the ethical and moral principles of all civilizations come in part from the Seven Noahide Laws, proclaimed March 26, 1991 as "Education Day, U.S.A." Subsequently, Public Law 102-14, formally designated the Lubavitcher Rebbe's birthday as "Education Day, U.S.A.", with Congress recalling that "without these ethical values and principles the edifice of civilization stands in serious peril of returning to chaos", and that "society is profoundly concerned with the recent weakening of these principles that has resulted in crises that beleaguer and threaten the fabric of civilized society".
In April 2006, the spiritual leader of the Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
community in Israel, Sheikh Mowafak Tarif, met with a representative of Chabad-Lubavitch to sign a declaration calling on all non-Jews in Israel to observe the Noahide Laws as laid down in the Bible and expounded upon in Jewish tradition. The mayor of the Galilean city of Shefa-'Amr
Shefa-'Amr
Shefa-'Amr, also Shfar'am is a predominantly Arab city in the North District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 35,300.-Etymology:...
(Shfaram) — where Muslim, Christian and Druze communities live side-by-side — also signed the document.
In March 2007, Chabad-Lubavitch gathered ambassadors from six different countries to take part in a gathering to declare, in the name of the states they represent, their support of the universal teachings of Noahide Laws. They represented Poland, Latvia, Mexico, Panama, Ghana, and Japan. They were part of a special program organized by Harav Boaz Kali.
In April, the Abu Gosh mayor Salim Jaber accepted the seven Noahide laws as part of a mass rally by Chabad at the Bloomfield Stadium
Bloomfield Stadium
Bloomfield Stadium is a 14,700-seat football stadium in the Tel Aviv District city of Jaffa, Israel. It is the home stadium of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.-History:...
in Tel Aviv.
In May, the newly elected president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
, met with a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi, Dovid Zaoui, who presented him with literature on the universal teachings of the Noahide Laws.
The Ten Commandments
There is confusion by some biblical commentators that, in addition to the seven laws of Noah, gentiles are bound to keep the Ten CommandmentsTen Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. The confusion arises from the mistranslation of the Hebrew term for the Ten Commandments, as the "Ten Sayings."
External links
- Ask Noah International and "The Divine Code" – Shulchan Aruch (Code of Torah Law) for Gentiles
- Wikinoah: Online resource of history, halacha, publications, and websites concerning Bnei Noah
- United Noahide Academies — Torah for the Nations
- OU Radio show on Bnei Noah — The Jew, The Minister and The Bnei Noah
- Bnei Noach Movement in the Media
- Magazine Coverage on the 7 Laws of Noah/Bnei Noah — Mishpacha Magazine
- NoahideNations
- Noahide.org
- 7for70.com