The big question is, in my opinion, can Torah offer the non-Jew a meaningful spiritual life, without the necessity of conversion? We must address two issues here. First, there is great suspicion, or even fear, among many Jews of the non-Jewish world. Two thousand years of persecution have left us in doubt as to the motives of the Western World. (A terrorist attack at a Paris synagogue, drew the ire of a prominent French politician, as it had killed not only Jews, but also many "innocent people") Many Jews are even suspicious of converts, let alone non-Jews who want, in one way or another, to be like us, but not completely. There are, after all, besides those who come and say that they are Israel "by the Spirit", there are millions who claim Jewishness by means of various unfounded theories, like claims that all Europeans are Jews, all Africans are Jews, or, a theory espoused by some Churches, that the Biblical Israel means all the English speaking countries of the world. A non-Jew, "disguising himself" as a Jew, at one time was seen as a dangerous infiltrator, perhaps aimed at our destruction. It is a fact that at one time, in many parts of Europe, a Jew could be murdered with no fear of consequences. A non-Jew wearing a tallit, could be out to murder Jews, once he has gained their confidence. Today, few would fear that, but rather just the opposite. Is the nice gentleman sitting next to me in synagogue, really Jewish? What about the woman my son is about to marry? These fears are very much present, and must be considered. As a result, many rabbis take an anti-Noachide stance; not because that is what Torah says, but because they feel truly threatened by the phenomenon. Fear of yet another heterodoxic cult is also palpable. The second issue is, to what degree does the halachah encourage, or even permit, a non-Jew to observe the laws of Judaism, beyond the Seven Noachide laws? Here, there are no clear guidelines, and opinions differ. The Torah only excludes non-Jews from one commandment. The Passover sacrifice stipulates that no "foreigner" (nochri) may partake of it, until he is circumcised, which we undersatnd as converted. However, a few other mitzvot stipulate that they are "a sign between Me and the Children of Israel". Noachides are NOT of the Children of Israel. To observe these mitzvot, one would be undoing the special relationship between G-d and the Jewish People. Therefore, RAMBAM rules that a non-Jew may voluntarily keep any mitzvah that does not stipulate "Between Me and the Children of Israel". If he were to do any other commandment, it would be meritorious, and he would receive a reward. This view has both Scriptural and Talmudic statements to back it up, and is therefore the one I go by.The medieval Ashkenazi rabbis, although very liberal in defining a Noachide, and willing to accept Christianity as an acceptable form of Noachidism, drew the line at voluntary observances. A non-Jew putting on tefillin, for example, is actually desecrating them. He is mocking G-d's Covenant with Israel. It is analogous to a man coming into his neighbor's home, and deciding that his neighbor's wife is also HIS wife, because he feels a special connection. We call that adultery.This idea became very widespread, although, to the best of my knowledge, it has no textual source, and is merely a "svara" (theoretical construct).When, about seventeen years ago, Madonna had a well known rabbi come to her home to affix a mezzuzah, many (including yours truly) cheered, while many others jeered. Was this a Kiddush HaShem (Sanctification of the Name) or a Hillul HaShem (desecration of the Name)? In my series about Daat Torah (The Torah Mind), I described the phenomenon of the last three hundred and fifty years, especially in Lithuanian circles, that the great rabbis of the generation must be understood as being basically infallible. The man who was seen by right wing, non-Hasidic Ashkenazi Jews in America as "THE Great" of the Twentieth Century, was Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. "Reb Moshe" set the standards for American Orthodoxy. (Although he was little esteemed in most Hasidic, and, to a lesser extent, in Modern Orthodox circles). He was asked about this question of non-Jews keeping mitzvot. He reinterpreted RAMBAM. He expanded the idea that non-Jews were only required to abstain from those mitzvot which stipulated "Between Me and the Children of Israel", to include all the mitzvot that have a specifically "Jewish character". All that is left is sacrifice, prayer, and charity. This, too, is only a "svara", but is accepted as law by most of American Orthodoxy.Few non-Jews would see this as a viable way of life. I have here outlined the problems. In my next post, I will explore the possible solutions.
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