Monday, April 24, 2017

Australian senator says Noahide Law has "wide and universal application"



SIGN THE PETITION 

In 2016, Newsweek published an article entitled "Book traces foundations of true civilisation". Australian Senator Eric Abetz attended the book launch of "The Theory and Practice of Universal Ethics: The Noahide Laws" written by Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen. The Noahide Laws are Jewish laws which apply to non-Jews, forbidding them freedom of worship, freedom of sexual choice, and freedom of speech (no blasphemy). The Noahide Laws also give Jews more rights and legal protections that non-Jews.  In regards to Noahide Law, the senator states: "As a legislator, I am very conscious that I want to encourage good behaviour and discourage bad behaviour in any legislative instrument... Now, out of this diversity Rabbi Dr Cowen has extracted ethics that have a very wide or universal application... This does not include everything which assumes a religious veneer, but rather religion focused on monotheism with the universal values projected by it".  Many Jewish writers have stated that the universal application of Noahide Laws would be execution for non-Jews who do not comply, is this what the senator is referring to? 



http://newsweekly.com.au/article.php?id=57184

ETHICS
Book traces foundations of true civilisation


by Eric Abetz

News Weekly, January 30, 2016
Senator Eric Abetz delivered the following address on the occasion of the launch of Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen’s new book, The Theory and Practice of Universal Ethics: The Noahide Laws, on November 16, 2015, at the Jewish Russian Community Centre, Balaclava, Victoria. Rabbi Cowen is the son of a former governor-general of Australia, the late Sir Zelman Cowen, and is director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization, Inc.

If ever there was a need for our world to understand, appreciate and salute some fundamental unifying ethics, surely it is now.

We’ve had the recent vile and violent attacks in Paris. The so-called thought leaders of the Western world describe us as being “postmodern” for want of being able to provide an adequate descriptor. Anxious to junk the values which have seen personal wellbeing blossom like never before as “outmoded”, “dated”, “no longer relevant”, we are being left with nothing except an ideology of self-centredness, which is the antithesis of a recipe for a cohesive society.

Into this void bravely enters our author, Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen, with this wonderful offering, The Theory and Practice of Universal Ethics: The Noahide Laws.

In fairness, if you want a light read while watching the cricket, this book is not for you! Every chapter, every line, every word needs to be pondered and considered if the reader is to begin to absorb the wealth of wisdom, tradition and guidance in this 386-page masterpiece detailing the foundations of true civilisation.

Only a few pages escape without an impressive list of footnotes highlighting the scholarship and wide research of our author. The list of references draws on a library of sources, especially historic traditional writings.

As a legislator, I am very conscious that I want to encourage good behaviour and discourage bad behaviour in any legislative instrument.

So, what determines “good” and “bad”? One’s perspective on how to categorise a particular piece of legislation will depend on one’s moral compass, which in turn is determined by one’s religion or worldview. And, as we know, there are a substantial number of religions – each with its own traditions and teachings.

Now, out of this diversity Rabbi Dr Cowen has extracted ethics that have a very wide or universal application. Over 75 per cent of the world’s population have adopted religions that reach back to the Noahide laws, which provides a commonality among them.

And, talking of religion, allow me to quote from page 21 – an extract which our journalists and commentators, who have become increasingly anti-theistic, will do well to read and absorb: “This beholdenness to something higher than psychophysical elements, the primacy of the spiritual, marks a civilised society. This does not include everything which assumes a religious veneer, but rather religion focused on monotheism with the universal values projected by it …

“Civilisedness is not the same as reason by itself: a society could be the most scientifically and intellectually developed of its day, as was the Germany in which Nazism arose, and yet manifest the ultimate barbarism.”

When given the privilege of addressing students, I encourage them to excel, but I also seek to stress that excellence of itself is not sufficient. The juxta­position I employ is the oratory skills of Hitler and Martin Luther King, both of them capable of holding a crowd and swaying their audiences.

On oratory qualities alone, both might score equally well.

So, do we celebrate and salute them equally? Hopefully not. Because another measure is required – morality. One used his oratory gifts for untold good; the other for untold evil. We celebrate one and condemn the other. We salute one and rightly shun the other.

Our attitude and value judgement is ultimately based on our religion or worldview. And Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen makes that point more emphatically, eloquently and capably than I ever could do.

In short, this insightful treatise takes the reader on an excursion through ancient writings and traditional interpretations, and transforms them to make them relevant for today’s world, highlighting the essential need for the spiritual in order to enjoy a civilised society.

I wholeheartedly endorse and praise this robust and well-researched treatise, noting my lower status than those who have already done so – such substantial figures as: a former governor-general of Australia, General Michael Jeffery; a monarch, King Mohammed VI of Morocco; a recent president of the European Union, Herman van Rompuy; and learned rabbis.

Hearty congratulations and sincere thanks to the author, Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen, for undertaking this mammoth venture and distilling his findings and scholarship into one volume to help us understand the roots of our civilisation and the essentials for civilisation.

The Theory and Practice of Universal Ethics: The Noahide Laws will be as relevant in a thousand years’ time as it is today.

Senator Eric Abetz is a Liberal Party member of the Senate, representing the state of Tasmania. During the prime ministership of Tony Abbott (2013–15) he was minister for employment and leader of the government in the Senate.

Posted by at 6 comments:
Labels:

News: Noahide Law praised by President of European Union, USA and Australia

Table of Contents


American Public Law 102-14 not only states that the Noahide Laws are "the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded", but also states that the USA will "turn to education and charity to return the world to the moral and ethical values contained in the Seven Noahide Laws; and Whereas this will be reflected in an international scroll of honor signed by the President of the United States and other heads of state".  The Noahide Laws are Jewish supremacist laws from the Talmud which command death for non-Jews globally  who worship in ways not approved by Jews, or blaspheme or have sexual relations deemed illicit by the Talmud.  Is there any indication that the USA and other heads of state might be preparing to sign an international scroll pledging to return the world to the "ethical values" of the Noahide Laws?  In 1982, President Ronald Reagan spoke of “the eternal validity of the Seven Noahide Laws [as] a moral code for all of us regardless of religious faith”. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Union wrote in July, 2014 that he seeks greater “dissemination of the universal values known as the Noahide Laws,” and Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor General of Australia, lamenting family breakdowns and drug and alcohol abuse in modern society in a 2008 letter, wrote that he believed that observing the fundamental values of the Noahide Laws can be an antidote to such ills of society. The Noahide Laws make non-Jews global second class citizens, are these really the types of laws which our world leaders want to put in place? 



https://asknoah.org/faq/have-the-noahide-laws-been-recognized-by-any-governments

Have the Noahide Laws been recognized by any governments?

The site www.jifga.org includes information on recognition which the Noahide Commandments have received from leaders in a number of countries. This is reprinted here, from http://www.jifga.org/government-leaders-and-the-seven-noahide-laws.html, with permission from the Director of J.I.F.G.A. :

The universality of these principles and global import was recognized in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan when he spoke of “the eternal validity of the Seven Noahide Laws [as] a moral code for all of us regardless of religious faith” (Proclamation on the National Day of Reflection, April 4, 1982).
Seven years later, in 1989, President George H.W. Bush not only proclaimed that these “Biblical values are the foundation for civilized society,” but he also recognized that “A society that fails to recognize or adhere to them cannot endure.”

He understood how these “principles of moral and ethical conduct that have formed the basis for all civilizations comes to us, in part, from the centuries old Seven Noahide Laws.” And, in doing so, he noted their origins: “The Noahide Laws are actually seven commandments given to man by G-d, as recorded in the Old Testament. …” (Proclamation 5956-Education Day, USA 1989 and 1990, 102 Stat. 3016, April 14, 1989)

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States Congress in 1991, on a [unanimous] bipartisan basis, further recognized how this “historical tradition of ethical values and principles…upon which our great Nation was founded … have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws.” The American Congress understood how “the most recent weakening of these principles … has resulted in crises that beleaguer and threaten the fabric of civilized society.” Thus, they warned us that “without these ethical values and principles the edifice of civilization stands in serious peril of returning to chaos.” (Public Law 102-14, 102d Congress, 1st session, H.J. Res. 104)

Other world leaders have joined the call for further observance and knowledge of these laws. For example, Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Union wrote (in July, 2014) that he seeks greater “dissemination of the universal values known as the Noahide Laws,” and Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor General of Australia, lamenting family breakdowns and drug and alcohol abuse in modern society in a 2008 letter, wrote that he believed that observing the fundamental values of the Noahide Laws can be an antidote to such ills of society.

We only need to look at the havoc in which we find ourselves living today in order to recognize the validity of these truthful assertions
________________________________________________________________________________
102nd U.S. Congress (1991-1992)
Click here for full text of:
House Joint Resolution H.J.RES.104.ENR
Designating March 26, 1991, as Education Day, U.S.A.
The Seven Noahide Laws:
“Congress recognizes the historical tradition of ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded … these ethical values and principles that have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws.”
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Noahide Laws should factor in US election says Jewish writer



SIGN THE PETITION 
http://chng.it/yXcvjMZk

VIDEO TO THIS ARTICLE


Right before the US Election in November of 2017, the Israel National News published an article by a Jewish writer named Menachem Ben-Mordechai who has advocated for the global implementation of the death penalty for non-Jews who break the Noahide Laws (here), such as practicing idolatry, or blaspheming or engaging in "sexual deviancy". However this article dealt with the US election and the Noahide Laws and was titled "The elections and the Noahide Laws" with the subtitle "The basis for moral civilization has a role to play." American Public Law 102-14 (here) says the Noahide Laws are the "ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded", and so it would only make sense that these Noahide Laws should play a role in Presidential Elections. Menachem Ben-Mordechai basically makes the case for Trump because he will likely be less favorable to gay marriage and abortion. In regards to abortion Menachem Ben-Mordechai states: "Judaism teaches that Noahides are specifically enjoined from destroying fetal life upon penalty of death. Consequently, any aid extended to a gentile in the performance of an abortion is a violation of the precept".  A leader of the Noahide Movement, Rabbi Schneerson, who is honored in Public Law 102-14, implied that only Gentiles (non-Jews) are to be executed for aborting a fetus (here), but not Jews, because a Gentile's fetus is meant for Jews and the non-Jew does not have a right to destroy that which has been created for Jews. 
 A non-Jew's entire reality is only vanity. It is written, "And the strangers shall stand and feed your flocks" [Isaiah 61:5]. The entire creation [of a non- Jew] exists only for the sake of the Jews. Because of this a non-Jew  should be punished with death if he kills an embryo, while a Jew,  whose existence is most important, should not be punished with  death because of something subsidiary. We should not destroy  an important thing for the sake of something subsidiary. - Rabbi Schneerson (here)
Menachem Ben-Mordechai ends his article with:  “Our task was and still is to teach the Torah to mankind, to influence the non-Jewish world...In a word, we are to teach the world the seven mitzvot that are binding on every human being.”



The elections and the Noahide Laws

The basis for moral civilization has a role to play.

Menachem Ben-Mordechai, 

“Where are the Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach [Seven Noahide Laws]?”

So asked Rav Aaron Rakeffet last month expressing his dismay at the support for same-sex marriage legislation by members of “Open Orthodoxy.” (See 37:00 here.) Rav Rakeffet's question came to mind after reading these recent remarks by an Orthodox blogger who supports Hillary Clinton:

"What is truly troubling to me is the number of Orthodox Jews that have indicated to me that they will vote for Trump. It doesn’t even matter what side of the Hashkafic spectrum they reside. Whether they are hassidic, haredi (Yeshivish), or Centrist...So I have one question to ask all of my Orthodox co-coreligionists who say they will still vote for Trump. What’s the matter with you?!"

This individual received ordination from Rav Aaron Soloveitchik, zt"l. In The Warmth and the Light, his rebbe referred to the Noahide Laws as “the moral basis of civilization."
That is worth repeating: "the moral basis of civilization."

Accordingly, one might define political unfitness as advocating policies that violate the moral basis of civilization—for example, a candidate whose platform seeks to subsidize abortions.
I refer to Clinton's objective to end the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding of abortion in almost all cases. “Deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases have to be changed,” she said in this regard last April. A writer for a left-wing publication likewise asserted in an article from July titled “The Next Big Fight for the Pro-Choice Movement: Taxpayer-Funded Abortions”:

"In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling against two abortion restrictions in Texas, the pro-choice movement is eager for an offensive. That means pushing to expand abortion coverage at the state level, too..."

Contrast this with the stand of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, zt"l: "Abortion on demand is a moral abomination, whoever the fetus may be.” Specific to Noahide norms, Rav. J. David Bleich observes:

"Judaism teaches that Noahides are specifically enjoined from destroying fetal life upon penalty of death. Consequently, any aid extended to a gentile in the performance of an abortion is a violation of the precept 'Thou shalt not place a stumbling-block before the blind' (Lev. 19:14). It is instructive to note that, historically speaking, societies which condoned abortion invariably practiced infanticide as well...From the historical perspective, it is not at all surprising that in the aftermath of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion, attempts are being made to effect what is tantamount to the legalization of infanticide." (Rav Bleich discusses related issues at 34:40 here.)
On the verse cited by Rav Bleich, consider the gravity of a vote that furthers subsidized abortions and associated violations of religious conscience. It is especially horrifying to reflect upon what such voting—along with related Israeli policies—signal to a general population when compared with the Radak on Jeremiah 2:33, discussed by Rabbi Gidon Rothstein at 4:00 here.

The foregoing is intertwined with Clinton's oppo‎sition to Noahide sexual morality both domestically and abroad. As her website states:

“Hillary will work with Congress to pass the Equality Act, continue President Obama’s LGBT equality executive actions, and support efforts underway in the courts to protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in every aspect of public life...Hillary will promote LGBT human rights and ensure America’s foreign policy is inclusive of LGBT people, including increasing our investment in the Global Equality Fund to advance human rights.” (Compare with a recent announcement by the Israeli government.)
So why do many Orthodox Jews seem callous to or ignorant of the Noahide Laws? A possible answer comes from another comment by the aforementioned blogger, posted publicly in July:

"In certain areas of Jewish study...I have fallen way short...I have for example hardly studied the Ramban on Chumash at all...And when it comes to Navi?...I know precious little of it.”
I do not believe that ignorance of the Prophets and callousness toward the Noahide Laws are coincidental. Among other benefits, studying the Prophets sensitizes a person to global themes and duties in Judaism. Rav Hershel Schachter notes, "All of hashkafa [religious outlook] comes from the Nevi'im, from the Nevi'im and Kesubim." (See 30:20 here. In that vein, a recent collection of Noahide addresses by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l, contains approximately two hundred references to the Nevi'im.)

Universal morality is not a chumra (stringency) in Judaism but a cornerstone of belief. As Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt”l, wrote:

“Our task was and still is to teach the Torah to mankind, to influence the non-Jewish world...In a word, we are to teach the world the seven mitzvot that are binding on every human being.”

It should be obvious that Jews fulfill that by affirming morality and defending civilization.

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: ,

Jewish writers say apply Noahide death penalty



SIGN THE PETITION 
http://chng.it/yXcvjMZk

VIDEO TO THIS ARTICEL

In 2013, the American based news outlet "The Jewish Press" published a very disturbing article by a Jewish writer named  Menachem Ben-Mordechai. The tile of the article is "Like It or Not, the Seven Noachide Laws Are Still Pending" and carries the creepy subheading "There are many good, solid reasons to support applying the death penalty to a variety of crimes."  Menachem Ben-Mordechai basically argues that it is non-Jewish secular law which is prohibiting Noahides from murdering non-Jews who do not comply with the Noahide Laws, he uses " sexual deviancies" and "idolatry" as examples. He states: "Judaism does not care only about Jewish conduct. Judaism is not indifferent to whether gentiles commit idolatry, rape, etc. The Seven Laws of Noah still exist, as do both our national and global duties." In order to defend his belief that non-Jews who break the Jewish Noahide Laws should be killed globally, he references the writings of Rabbi Moshe Weiner whose book "The Divine Code" implied that non-Jews who do not follow Noahide Laws globally should be killed (here), this book was also given blessings and approval by the Chief Rabbis of Israel. Menachem Ben-Mordechai also sites the Lubavitch movement, which is referenced in US Public Law 102-14 (here) and whose leading figure, Rabbi Schneerson, said non-Jews have satanic souls and only exist to serve Jews (here). Public Law 102-14 states that these Noahide Laws are the "foundation" of American civilization, and we have Noahide Converts (here) here in America proselytizing these murderous laws of hate, and now the The Jewish Press is publishing calls from Jewish writers to have non-Jews killed for idolatry and sexual deviance?  Not only this, but we have Jewish Noahide Law advocates suggesting our Supreme Court use Talmduic execution (here) methods such as decapitation and receiving praise from former Presidents and Supreme Court Judges (here & here)? What is going on here?



Like It or Not,
the Seven Noachide Laws Are Still Pending

There are many good, solid reasons to support applying the death penalty to a variety of crimes.
By
 Menachem Ben-Mordechai
 -
 
During a recent Shabbat, I was reading volume one of Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s A Code of Jewish Ethics. In a discussion of permissible lying under oath, Rabbi Telushkin writes of a situation where “the punishment to be imposed on the basis of the testimony is so enormously disproportionate to the crime committed as to be a worse offense than perjury.” As an example, Rabbi Telushkin notes how pickpocketing in eighteenth-century England was a capital offense, then states:
“It would seem to me that a person who saw an act of pickpocketing and was summoned as a witness would be morally obligated to lie under oath if his truthful testimony could result in a person being killed for an act of pickpocketing (it is better to lie under oath, if one cannot avoid testifying, than to be responsible for bringing about a non-violent felon’s death).”
This position seems admirable, but was England’s policy in fact contrary to Torah?
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”lwrote in Abraham’s Journey, “From a halakhic viewpoint, the universal mission of Abraham crystallized in seven mitzvot, the covenantal mission in 613.” The universal mission refers to the Seven Laws of Noah (Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach) that apply to gentiles. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch zt”l described the Noahide laws as “the moral code for all of mankind” (commentary to Bereshit 2:16) and observed in this vein during a speech in 1859:
“The Jewish mind understands that the law of Judaism was intended only for the sons and daughters of Abraham as the God-ordained norm for the nation that has been chosen as a nation of priests, as consecrated torchbearers of the truth that is destined to redeem all of mankind. But the Jewish mind also understands that truth as such, that justice, that enlightenment and that moral civilization are intended to be the heritage of all to whom God has given breath on earth.”
In relation to Rabbi Telushkin’s example, one of these seven universal commandments prohibits theft. What is the punishment for theft under Noahide law? Rabbi Moshe Weiner writes in his study of the Sheva Mitzvot:
“An adult Gentile is warned about the prohibition of theft, and can be subject to capital punishment in a court of law for this transgression. This applies whether one forcefully robs or secretly steals money or any moveable property, or kidnaps a person, or withholds the wages of his employee or other similar acts, or even an employed harvester who eats from his employer’s produce without permission to do so. For all such acts, a Gentile is liable for a capital sin, and one who commits any of these types of transgressions is considered as a robber.”
Likewise, in his 2012 book We’re Missing the Point: What’s Wrong with the Orthodox Jewish Community and How to Fix It, Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein dedicates two chapters to the Noahide laws and writes on the prohibition of theft:
“Like murder, theft as a broad concept is intuitive, but its exact definition and the punishment accorded it in the Noahide code goes beyond the expected. First, Noahide law punishes theft of even minimal amounts of money, even if the victim is not the rightful owner. Second, like all Noahide law, theft is considered a capital crime.”
Rabbi Dr. Rothstein observes in a footnote to that passage:
“I suspect most of us find it difficult to justify the death penalty, even in theory, for stealing a few dollars. That may reveal how inured we have become to theft’s ubiquity; were we more sensitive to the damage theft does to a social sense of unity and common purpose, we might understand better how it could arouse the kind of moral revulsion usually reserved for murder or rape–which, incidentally, is seen as a kind of theft by at least one rabbinic author.”
Similarly inured to certain sexual deviancies, some Jews—among them those who identify as Orthodox—might have difficulty with Noahide prohibitions in this realm. Rabbi Dr. Rothstein notes that “Judaism has a view of wrongful sexuality for non-Jews as well” and how “part of being Jewish is to adhere to and believe in a universal ethic about sexuality, one at great odds with common assumptions of contemporary Western thought.”
As specific examples, Rabbi Soloveitchik wrote in The Emergence of Ethical Man, “It is worth mentioning that both prohibitions (bestiality and homosexuality) apply to non-Jews too and form part of a universal religion that is based upon the concept of man and personality.” Rabbi David Bar-Hayim of Machon Shilo has more recently discussed these matters.
There are Jews who act like the Noahide laws are some historical curiosity with no binding relevance today. For instance, a self-described Orthodox rabbi recently wrote of “how foggy our understanding is of Noahide law.” Contrast this glib claim with the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s advocacy of Noahide outreach and Rabbi Soloveitchik’s reflections:
“Our task was and still is to teach the Torah to mankind, to influence the non-Jewish world, to redeem it from an orgiastic way of living, from cruelty and insensitivity, to arouse in mankind a sense of justice and fairness. In a word, we are to teach the world the seven mitzvot that are binding on every human being.”
Judaism does not care only about Jewish conduct. Judaism is not indifferent to whether gentiles commit idolatry, rape, etc. The Seven Laws of Noah still exist, as do both our national and global duties.
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: ,

Friday, April 21, 2017

Israel is not a Secular State

SEE TABLE OF CONTENTS


We have learned that the Noahide movement in the United States is being directed largely in part by Rabbis within the Israeli government.  This may come as a surprise to some who believe that Israel is a secular state which would not engage in Jewish Law movements either within Israel or abroad.  Israel is not a secular state, it is a Jewish State, and Jewish Law is very much part of the Israeli legal system. 

Israel Does Not Have A Constitution 
A truly “secular state” has a constitution which makes a clear separation between Synagogue and State, Israel does not have such a constitution because it would clash with the idea of a “Jewish State” and the implementation of Jewish law (Halacha). Rather than provide a clear-cut secular constitution, Israel has a vague and shifty set of laws called “basic laws” which do provide some degree of secular civil rights to Israelis, however these laws do not prevent the implementation of Jewish religious laws as you will see. Indeed, this lack of real secularism has become the lamentation of many modern day Israelis who resent the influence of the Rabbis in their daily affairs.
“Israel does not have a written constitution, even though according to the Proclamation of Independence a constituent assembly should have prepared a constitution by October 1, 1948. The delay in the preparation of a constitution resulted primarily from problems that emerged against the background of the alleged clash between a secular constitution and the Halacha (the Jewish religious law).” - Israel Government & Politics: Constitution, Jewish Virtual Library
“Despite what the Proclamation of Independence of the State of Israel states regarding the preparation of a constitution by the Constituent Assembly, Israel has no written constitution in the formal sense, even though it has a constitution in the material sense – in other words, laws and basic rules that lay down the foundations of the system of government and the rights of the individual. Some of these are formulated in basic laws, some are scattered in other laws, and part – at least until the passing of basic laws dealing with human and civil rights – were interpreted and formulated in a series of decision by the Supreme Court.” - - Israel Government & Politics: Constitution, Jewish Virtual Library 
“But Ben-Gurion’s historical compromise with the Orthodox parties has turned out to be a catastrophe. Israel, to this day, doesn’t have a constitution; the Rabbinate is involved in the lives of countless people who don’t want anything to do with it, and the Orthodox stream in Judaism (which is a minority in Jewry worldwide) has a monopoly that aggravates and alienates millions of Jews in Israel and the Diaspora.” - Why Israel must become a secular state: a thought for Yom Kippur 5770, HAARETZ, By Carlo Strenger, Sep. 27th 2009
State Funded Rabbis and Rabbinical Courts 
An obvious example of Israel’s status as a “Jewish state” and not a secular state is the fact that Israel has state funded Rabbis, and these Rabbis wield an incredible amount of political and legal control within the nation. In 2013, two Ultra-Orthodox Rabbis were elected as Israel’s “Chief Rabbis” with control over the nation’s marriage, divorce, adoption and kosher food supervision and with state funded salaries of $100,000 dollars per year.
“Rabbi David Lau, 47, the chief rabbi of Modi’in, a large bedroom community between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, was elected for the Ashkenazim (Jews of European descent), and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, 61, the head of a yeshiva and an author of 40 books on Jewish law, for the Sephardim (Jews of Middle Eastern origin). Both are sons of renowned former occupants of the post: Rabbi Lau’s father, Yisrael Meir Lau, served as Ashkenazi chief from 1993 to 2003 and now is the head rabbi of Tel Aviv; Rabbi Yosef’s father, Ovadia Yosef, was Sephardi chief from 1973 to 1983 and, at 92, remains a powerful force as the spiritual leader of the Shas Party. The younger Rabbis Lau and Yosef were elected to 10-year terms in the $100,000-a-year job. They will rotate leadership of Israel’s rabbinical courts, which control marriage, divorce and adoption for the nation’s six million Jews. The rabbinate also oversees the supervision of kosher food, conversion and other aspects of daily life here, and it is condemned by many critics as a corrupt patronage farm. (Rabbi Lau will replace Yona Metzger, who is under house arrest on suspicion of fraud, bribery and embezzlement.)” - Ultra-Orthodox Candidates Elected as Israel’s Chief Rabbis, THE NEW YORK TIMES, By Jodi Rudoren, July 24th 2013

Jewish Laws of Marriage, Divorce and Adoption 
With the Rabbis in control of Israel’s marriage, divorce and adoption laws, the non-secular and halacha flavor of Israel becomes very apparent. Under the influence of the Rabbis, there is no “civil marriage” in Israel, and all marriages are performed by Orthodox Rabbis. Jews who wish to marry non-Jews must leave the nation, marry outside of the nation, and re-enter as a mixed couple.  This has spawned much discontent among more secular minded people in the Zionist state. 
Per Halacha law (Jewish law for Jews), a Jewish divorce is not considered legal until the husband approves of the divorce and provides his wife with a “get” note.  Today, in Israel, if a women cannot obtain a religious marriage from her husband she is stuck in social limbo, neither married nor divorced, she cannot remarry and is obligated to pay her absent husband’s debts and taxes.

Finally the Rabbinate of Israel makes it very difficult for anyone but Orthodox Jews to adopt children because of special laws which make it mandatory for all adopted children to be converted and and raised as orthodox Jews, a mandate which precludes many secular minded people from the adoption process.
“Only Orthodox Rabbis may perform wedding ceremonies in Israel. More than 70 percent of American Jews define themselves as Reform or Conservative, although these movements have failed to make major inroads in Israel. Conversions done by Reform or Conservative rabbis are also not recognized in Israel… The ultra-Orthodox rabbinate controls all issues of personal status, including marriage and divorce. To get married in Israel to another Jew, you must prove you are Jewish. ” - Israel Civil Marriage Ban Blocks Those Not Considered Jewish From Wedding, HUFFINGTON POST, By Linda Gradstein, June 12th 2013
“Tessler is one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Israeli women caught in legal and social limbo because of a law that leaves matters of divorce for all Jewish citizens in the hands of a government-funded religious court. The court, consisting of a panel of rabbis, bases its decisions on the customs of Orthodox Judaism. The rulings apply to all Jewish Israelis, whether they are Orthodox, Conservative or Reform, observant or secular. And their authority even extends to those who married abroad in civil ceremonies that were registered in Israel. Divorce for non-Jews is handled by their own religious institutions. Under the court’s interpretation of Jewish religious law, a husband’s, or wife’s, consent is necessary to end a marriage. As has been the case for centuries, a Jewish divorce is not final in Israel until men deliver handwritten divorce decrees into the cupped hands of the women, who then must hold the paper aloft. A rabbi tears the document, called a get, into pieces, which are then filed for record-keeping.” - Israel divorce law traps women in marriages that died long ago, LA TIMES, By Edmund Sanders, July 26, 2013
“Those adopting non-Jewish children must convert them through a special Orthodox rabbinical court that deals with converting minors and which operates under the Chief Rabbinate. The process not only includes an order to send the child to a religious school, but also attempts to change the parents’ way of life: They are asked to start observing Shabbat and kashrut, and to go to synagogue.These demands, which have legal backing, are a gross interference in the way of life – which in a democratic society is supposed to be the parents’ choice – of anyone wanting to adopt a non-Jewish child.” - Orthodox control over Israel’s adoption process cannot be tolerated, HAARETZ, June 19th 2012

The Rabbis Seek More Influence 
Beside the legal influence they already have, the Rabbis of Israel are ever seeking (and gaining) more control over other institutions such as the army and the education system in Israel.  Israel has a “Military Rabbinate” who often times makes attempts to shame secular soldiers by having them buried in a manner which many find degrading, separated from the rest in their own cemeteries like second-class citizens. The Military Rabbinate also interferes in the appointments of higher officers. As of 2013, it has been reported that the Israeli government is testing a pilot program which would install “school rabbis” in supposedly secular schools, and so the influence of the Rabbis over Israeli society grows further.
“It’s not Arlington, or Normandy, or any national cemetery where Jews are buried alongside Christians. Here, if a soldier who sacrificed his life for Israel is not sufficiently Jewish the rabbis will try to force him into a different area, far away and fenced in.”… “The chief military rabbi is supposed to serve as the shock absorber for religion in the army but often he’s the one causing the shocks. After hearing of the appointment of reserve Lt. Col. Rafi Peretz to the post, the families of Gil Tzuriano and Assaf Rosenberg, members of Airborne Rescue And Evacuation Unit 669 who died in a 1992 accident in which Peretz was involved as a helicopter pilot, protested the choice.” - God! Enough of the Military Rabbinate, HAARETZ, By Amir Oren, Feb. 1st 2010
“Does a secular school need a rabbi? According to Rahel Metuki, director of the Haifa District in the Education Ministry, the answer is yes. The website Mynet has reported that Metuki has initiated a pilot program for the current school year in which a “school rabbi” will be appointed for every state-run primary school in two Haifa suburbs, Kiryat Haim and Kiryat Bialik.” - Why do secular Israeli schools need rabbis?, HAARETZ, By Naomi Darom, December 9th 13

Many Jews Actually Prefer Halacha (Jewish Law) Over Democracy 
However, even though many people in Israel do take objection to Israel’s lack of true secularism, don’t think that Halacha law is unpopular, recent studies done in Israel show that 44% of the nation prefer Halcha over democracy when the two are in conflict.
“In late January, the Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttman Center for Surveys, along with the Avi Chai Foundation, released the results of a comprehensive survey on the religious beliefs of Israeli Jews… What is not so good is that only 44% of those questioned replied that if there is a contradiction between democratic values and Halacha (Jewish law), the latter should be upheld. This implies that when push comes to shove, a majority of Israelis would prefer Jewish law to democratic values.” - When Democracy and Halacha Collide, Many Israelis Say Jewish Law Trumps Democratic Values, JEWISH DAILY FORWARD, By Harvey Hames, Published February 10th  2012
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Enforcement of the Noahide Law, how and when?


Also See: Israel is not a Secular State

We now know what the Noahide Laws (here) are, Jewish Laws that apply to all non-Jews of the world which forbid forms of worship not approved by Judaism, blasphemy of the Jewish god, sexual relations which are not approved of by the Jewish religion, and that non-Jews must set up courts to enforce these. We have learned that American Public Law 102-14 (here) states that these laws are the foundation of American civilization, that it is our responsibility to transmit them to the next generation, and our president will sign an international scroll along with other heads of state pledging to use education and charity to return the world to the Noahide Laws. We have also learned that Jewish legal groups who advocate for the Noahide Laws have been attempting to suggest USA capital punishment laws (here) that comply with the Talmudic form of execution, namely decapitation. Finally, we have learned that there are non-Jews who are willingly complying with this agenda, they call themselves "Noahides (here)", and they are working with the nascent Sanhedrin (here) in Israel to promote the Noahide Laws and the "conversion" of non-Jews to this system. 

But the question is now, how and when can these laws be enforced? They are not being enforced now, but why? Is it because the Noahides don't yet have enough influence, or is it because there is some injunction against applying the Noahide Laws today? The Sanhedrin that is reviving in Israel is not yet official, the Noahides are not yet gaining their instructions from any official legal body in Israel, so is any of this activity between Rabbis in Israel and Noahides in America and other countries really even binding under Jewish Law? There seems to be some debate between Jews about who can apply the Noahide Laws and when. The National Jewish Commission On Law And Public Affairs (COLPA) (here) is one of the organizations which has submitted briefs to the USA Supreme Court promoting the concept that non-Jews are to follow the Noahide Laws and set up courts to enforce these (here). They have a very interesting review posted on their website entitled "The Obligation of Jews to Seek Observance of Noachide Laws by Gentiles: A Theoretical Review (here)" by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde. The review features the opinion Rabbi Schneerson (here), the Rabbi who is honored in Public Law 102-14 and who has stated that non-Jews have satanic souls (here).


Can Noahide Law be enforced at any time?

From the brief we can gather that Rabbi Schneerson has a minority opinion on when and how the Noahide Laws can be enforced. Schneerson states that the obligation to follow the Noahide Laws applies to "all eras" and that if it is possible the Noahide Laws should be promoted by use of "force", but if not possible they should be promoted by "pleasantness and peace". It also seems to be Schneerson's opinion that it is obligatory upon Jews to influence non-Jews to keep the Noahide Laws, which would include setting up Noahide Courts to enforce these laws. The brief does state that most Rabbis do not agree with Schneerson, however, Schneerson is the Rabbi mentioned in Public Law 102-14. But there is one very interesting statement that Rabbi Schneerson makes, he says that the obligation "is not limited only to a Jewish court, since this commandment is unrelated to the presence of a ger toshav (resident alien), and thus what is the need of a beit din". Schneerson references Jewish legal scholar Maimonides, who also wrote that all non-Jews of the world are to follow Noahide Law, and if they do not comply they should be executed (here). What does Schneerson mean by this statement of "ger toshav" and what can it tell us about the application of Noahide Laws today?
JLAW
The Obligation of Jews to Seek Observance of Noachide[1] Laws
by Gentiles: A Theoretical Review
by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde[*]
https://www.jlaw.com/Articles/noach2.html
One modern responsa stands out as advocating an approach completely different from that generally accepted by Jewish law. The strongest case that a Jew is obligated to teach and persuade a Gentiles to keep the seven commandments is found in the writings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Lubavitch, in one of his classical responsa.[148] After quoting Maimonides, Malachim 8:10 discussed in part one, Rabbi Schneerson states:
It is obvious that this obligation [found in Maimonides, Malachim 8:10] is not limited only to a Jewish court, since this commandment is unrelated to the presence of a ger toshav (resident alien), and thus what is the need of a beit din. . . . Thus, this obligation is in place in all eras, even the present, when no gera toshav can be accepted and it is obligatory on all individuals who can work towards this goal. So too, this commandment is not limited to using force -- where, in a situation we cannot use force, we could be excused from our obligation -- since the essence of the obligation is to do all that is in our power to ensure that the seven Noachide commandments are kept; if such can be done through force, or through other means of pleasantness and peace, which means to explain [to Noachides] that they should accept the wishes of God who commanded them in this rules. This is obviously what is intended by Maimonides.
* * *
In Responsa Tashbetz (3:133) it states that even in a case where there is no prohibition of lifnei iver, such as two sides of the river, still it is prohibited to assist Noachides who wish to sin, since "we are obligated to separate them from sin." In reality, we have no source for the obligation to separate a Noachide from sin, if it is not derived from the remarks of Maimonides discussed above [Malachim 8:10] that we are obligated to coerce them into accepting commandments, and thus, of course, we may not assist them in violating them. 
Rabbi Schneerson concludes by stating:
From all of the above, it is clear that anyone who has in his ability to influence, in any way, a Noachide to keep the seven commandments, the obligation rests on him to do so, since that was commanded to Moses our teacher. Certainly, one who has connections with Noachides in areas of commerce and the like, it is proper for him to sustain the connection in order to convince and explain to that person, in a way that will reach that persons heart that God commanded Noachides to keep the seven commandments...[149]
In this author's review of the literature, the weight of halachic authority is contrary to this analysis, although it certainly is morally laudatory (all other things being equal) to convince Noachides to keep and observe the Noachide laws. 
Rabbi Schneerson again repeated that the Noahide Laws should be implemented by force, and if not through "kindness" 
We must do everything possible to ensure that the seven Noahide laws are observed. If this can be accomplished through force or through other kinder and more peaceful means through explaining to non-Jews that they should accept God’s wishes [we should do so]…Anyone who is able to influence a non-Jew in any way to keep the seven commandments is obligated to do so, since that is what God commanded Moses our teacher (“Sheva Mitzvot Shel Benai Noach,” Hapardes 59:9 7-11, 5745) 
- My Jewish Learning, "The Noahide Laws", Retrieved 10/12/19 from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-noahide-laws/


Who is a Ger Toshav and when?

What is a Ger Toshav? Ger Toshav is simply a Noahide who lives inside the boundaries of Israel. The distinction is that Ger Toshav is a legal definition, Noahides need a form of permission to live and operate within Israel under religious law. Why is this important to the question at hand? There seems to be another debate between Schneerson's followers and the other Rabbis, and that is under what conditions a Ger Toshav can be accepted in Israel. The common position is that Ger Toshav's cannot be accepted unless there is a "Jubilee". A Jubilee is a sort of grand Sabbath which takes place every 49 or 50 years in Israel. On a Jubilee the ancient Israelites would free all of their Pagan slaves, perhaps the logic here is that within this time their Pagan slaves would have become Noahides, and thus once they were freed they would need to be given the title "Ger Toshav" in order to remain within the land of Israel. According to most Jewish scholars, a Jubilee can only be declared by a Great Sanhedrin, and because the current Sanhedrin in Israel (here) is not an official body, it cannot declare a Jubilee and so many believe there can be no Ger Toshav accepted at this time. However, Schneerson's followers at the "Ask Noah" campaign have published a book entitled Sefer Sheva Mitzvot Hashem which challenges the idea that Ger Toshav's can only be accepted in a Jubilee year, thus they are challenging the fact that there needs to be a Sanhedrin for a Noahide to become a Ger Toshav. This would follow Schneerson's logic that there is no need for a "Jewish Court". 
Definition of Ger Toshav 
Ger toshav (Hebrew: גר תושב‎ ger "foreigner" or "alien" + toshav "resident", lit. "resident alien") is a term in Judaism for a gentile (non-Jew) living in the Land of Israel who accepts upon him/herself (and observes) the Noahide Laws (the minimum set of imperatives which in Jewish tradition are said to be applicable to non-Jews, consisting of seven out of the 613 commandments in Judaism) and certain other religious and cultural traditions under Jewish law. A ger toshav is therefore commonly deemed a righteous gentile (Hebrew: חסיד אומות העולם‎ chassid umot ha-olam "Pious People of the World"). -


Common Opinon: Jubilees can only take place under a Sanhedrin, without a true Sanhedrin, no Jubilee and thus no Ger Toshav
The procedure has been discontinued since the cessation of the Year of Jubilee, and hence, there are no formal geirim toshvim (plural) extant today. However, it can be argued that a great deal are "informal" ones,[1] especially since it is possible to be a chasid umot ha'olam even when the Jubilee Year is not observed. - Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, ed. (1979). "Ger Toshav, Section 1". Encyclopedia Talmudit (in Hebrew) (Fourth Printing ed.). Jerusalem, Israel: Yad Harav Herzog (Emet).
Although the laws of shemittah are observed in Israel to this very day, the Jubilee year is not designated or observed. There are many reasons for this. Some of them: a) The Jubilee only affected the shemittah cycle when the shemittah was established and declared by the Sanhedrin, as opposed to today when it is automatically programmed into the perpetual Jewish calendar. b) The observance of shemittah today is only a rabbinic decree, and therefore the Jubilee year does not affect its cycle. c) No commemoration is in order when there is no Sanhedrin, whose participation in the declaration of the Jubilee year was integral. In fact, it was the Sanhedrin’s blast of the shofar (ram's horn) on Yom Kippur which signaled the entry of the Jubilee year. - http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/513212/jewish/When-is-the-next-Jubilee-year.htm
Schneerson disagrees, Ger Toshav can be accepted at any time, not just during a Jubilee  
עוד מבאר בלקוטי שיחות ע"פ הצפנת פענח שחסיד אומות העולם אינו דוקא גר תושב, ואפשר לב"נ להיות חסיד אומות העולם, אע"פ שאינו גר תושב. ולכן לא הזכיר הרמב"ם כאן ש'אין מקבלין גר תושב אלא בזמן שהיובל נוהג' כדרכו בכל מקום (הארה: ראה הל' ע"ז פ"י, הל' מילה פ"א, הל' שבת פ"כ, הל' איסורי ביאה פי"ד.) שהזכיר דין ג"ת, כי אין כוונת הרמב"ם שכופין ב"נ להיות ג"ת, אלא לבאר האפשרויות העמודות לב"נ על פי התורה. א) גרות גמורה מרצונו, ב) קיום שבע מצוות - ועל זה צוה ה' את משה לכופם, ג) גר תושב, ד) למול עצמו.‎ 
"It is further explained in Likkutei Sichot according to the Tzafnat Pane'ach that a chasid umot ha'olam [lit. Pious People of the World] is not necessarily a ger toshav, and it is possible for a Gentile [lit. Descendant of Noah] to be a chasid umot ha'olam despite him not being a ger toshav. And therefore the Rambam did not mention here that "We only accept a ger toshav while the Jubilee Year is observed" as usual in all the places (footnote: See Hilchot Avodah Zarah ch. 10, Hilchot Milah ch. 1, Hilchot Shabbat ch. 20, Hilchot Issurei Bi'ah ch. 14) that he mentions the law of the ger toshav, because the Rambam's intention was not that we force Gentiles [lit. Descendants of Noah] to be geirim toshvim, but rather to explain the options that stand for the Gentile [lit. Descendant of Noah] according to the Torah: 1) Complete conversion by his own free will, 2) upholding the seven mitzvot - and regarding this, G‑d commanded Moses to compel them, 3) ger toshav, 4) to circumcise himself."

Ger Toshav announced in Israel

In 2014, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (here), which is an official legal body, along with the Israeli Lands Administration and Ministry of Religious Service, officially recognized a "ger toshav" in the land of Israel. The title is a little confusing because it seems that it was bestowed upon a foreign born Jew, however the title of ger toshav was granted to him to fulfill religious legal technicalities. It would seem that Jews in Israel must sell their agricultural lands to non-Jews every seven years in order to observe a yearly Sabbath. Since all Jews are supposed to take this year off from agricultural work, the land must be tended by a non-Jew at this time. However, there are difficulties in that most believe the land should not be sold to an "idolator" and the person must be "of the Jewish people". The only human that fits both of the criteria is a Noahide living within Israel, an officially recognized Ger Toshav. Please note that this legally binding title of Ger Toshav was granted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and not the Sanhedrin... "Chief Rabbinate" is a modern body and does not fit the description of an official Jewish legal body according to the Talmud. 

The Noahide evangelist organization "Noahide World Center" located in Israel pronounced "This can be seen as a symbolic act showing that the nation of Israel has a truly universal mission, to be officially and openly involved with humanity as a whole and not to be restricted to its own narrow interests." However, Rabbi Bloomestiel of Yeshiva Pirchei Shoshanim in Israel sent out a letter in opposition to this sentiment, he writes"This report states that the Chief Rabbinate recently awarded ger tosav status to a non-Jew in Israel. Unfortunately, this report is being circulated by dishonest persons as "proof' that ger toshav status may, and possibly must be given to Noahides today. I have spoken with the office of the Chief Rabbi and confirmed that the official position of the Chief Rabbinate is that there is no status of ger toshav in our times". The full letter can be viewed (here) and is available on the "Noahide Nations" website. However, what is meant here is that under religious law there is no Ger Toshav, but again Schneerson would debate this, however, obviously, the title and function of Ger Toshav was set down in law in Israel's so-called secular courts which are not secular but religious (here)

Why were both Noahides and Noahide Law advocating Jews so excited about the acceptance of this Ger Toshav in Israel? As referenced in the article "Top Ger and the “Ger Toshav” Nonsense" appearing on the Noahide blog "Academy of Shem", we learn that many Noahides believe that being a "Ger Toshav" would elevate them to a higher status and would make them closer to the Jews who are at the top of a supposed hierarchy: Jews, then Ger Toshav, then Noahides, then Goys. Rabbi Bloomestiel's letter refuting the idea that Ger Toshavs are being accepted in Israel at this time is directed at Noahides who believe "that ger toshav status may, and possibly must be given to Noahides today". The title of Ger Toshav was not given so as to bring a Noahide into Israel but it was granted to take care of a legal technicality, namely the necessary sale of land to a "non-Jew" during a Sabbath year; Rabbi Bloomestiel was likely correcting Noahides who believed they could get this official title and thus become superior to other Noahides. But there is something to think about here, the title was officially granted by the Chief Rabbinate, not the Sanhedrin, and there was no Jubilee. The Chief Rabbinate is also the office that gave its blessings to materials which suggested that non-Jews who do not follow the Noahide Laws should be killed (here). Can Israel find ways to enact the Noahide laws in any era, as Rabbi Schneerson has suggested? 

After 2500 years: the rabbinate granted the status of "resident ger"

Mndi Grozmn  | 21/9/2014 11:31 
A rabbinical court headed by Chief Rabbi David Lau granted the status to a Polish-born Jew, who was born in Ukraine, had land been sold in the framework of the Heter Mechirah. Streichman enjoyed special status because he was a foreigner who believed in the God of Israel 
Two hundred and five hundred years after the Israeli court granted the man the status of a "resident ger," the tradition was renewed: a court headed by Chief Rabbi David Lau, Rabbi Zion Boaron, and Rabbi Zion Algrabali this week granted the unique status to a native of Ukraine, A Jew who immigrated to Israel as part of the Law of Return and now lives in Ramat Gan. Behind the process is the approaching sabbatical year. 
Unlike the sale of chametz on Passover, the practice of selling land prior to the sabbatical year creates a clash with the prohibition of takhanim, which prevents the sale of land to a person who is not a member of the Jewish people. Accordingly, over the years, the purchaser was careful not to be an idolater, but this year the rabbinate decided to locate Ben Noah, a foreigner who fulfills the seven commandments and believes in the Gd of Israel. 
The ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Jerusalem Rabbinate, and was attended by Chief Rabbi David Lau, Deputy Minister for Religious Services Eli Ben Dahan, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi Avraham Yosef and Israel Lands Administration Director Bentzi Lieberman. The sale included both the fields of the farmers who chose the "sale permit" and the state land. Over the past few weeks, the parties have signed forms according to which they transfer their rights to the Chief Rabbis, who for their part transferred the rights to the ILA, and Lieberman sold them together with state lands to Streichman.  
After a tense period in relations between the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry of Religious Services, it seems that for the Sabbatical year, joint efforts were made to pass the year peacefully. In the previous Sabbatical year, the state comptroller criticized the authorities for unnecessary procrastination in the procedures  
 By Deputy Minister Ben Dahan to please all those involved. Chief Rabbi David Lau also introduced amendments to the wording of the sale and improved its halakhic level. The sale itself lasted an indefinite period of time: each form was brought to the attention of the rabbis and then to Ben Dahan's review - and only after he obtained the approval of the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry of Religious Services was it signed.    
Rabbi Uri Sharki, head of Brit Olam, the world center for Bnei Noach, also served as Shtreichman's spiritual mentor. After years of dealing with the issue of the sons of Noah, for him it was a dream come true. "What happened in the court this week is the beginning of a change for the better and the renewal of the treatment of humanity by the people of Israel," he said in a conversation with Makor Rishon.  
"I aspire to anchor the status of the 'sons of Noah' in the law, and in the present situation, a couple who are both defined as Noahites can not marry in Israel. I work to ensure that they are recognized by the state authorities and by the Chief Rabbinate and that they will be able to marry in a wedding ceremony that is suited to them. "Sharki views the Noahide issue as a basic point in Judaism:" This is a basic method of Judaism that seeks to correct the world in the kingdom of Gd, "We did not invent it.  
"In response to the claim that the efforts should be focused on the Jews and not on the sons of other peoples, Sharki says," On the contrary, I claim that the distancing of the Jews from their tradition stems also from the absence of a universal message in Judaism, in truth there is in it. " Makor Rishon operation acquaintance. Register for an attractive offer

Chief Rabbinate Recognizes a Ger Toshav
Posted by: Rabbi Oury Cherki September 23, 2014 
 http://noahideworldcenter.org/wp_en/chief-rabbinate-recognizes-a-ger-toshav/ 
Rav Oury Cherki comments on the recognition of a “Ger Toshav” by the Chief Rabbinate: For the very first time in 2,500 years, a man was pronounced a “Ger Toshav” – a resident alien – by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. A Ger Toshav is a non-Jew who lives among the people of Israel in its Land, accepts the Torah, loves Israel, and observes the seven mitzvot of Bnei Noach. For reasons connected to the Shemitta year, the Chief Rabbinate has taken an innovative step of accepting a Ben Noach who lives in Israel as a Ger Toshav. This can be seen as a symbolic act showing that the nation of Israel has a truly universal mission, to be officially and openly involved with humanity as a whole and not to be restricted to its own narrow interests. 
(NOTE: If you do not see English subtitles on the video, click on the “subtitles” or “caption” button below the video screen.)


Top Ger and the “Ger Toshav” Nonsense
In the past few years, however, the “ger toshav” has been resurrected by a baal teshuva named Rabbi David Katz. Rabbi Katz teaches that the “ger toshav” is an elevated status of the Noahide, a Noahide with “benefits.” Dazzling Noahides with his mastery of Hebrew sources, Rabbi Katz teaches that there are actually three categories of the non-Jew: the goy, the Noahide, and the “ger toshav,” or “resident alien.” Rabbi Katz teaches that the “ger toshav” is to be considered a “fourth house” of Israel (along with Kohen, Levi and Israel). Rabbi Katz teaches that a common run-of-the-mill Noahide can achieve the exalted status of “ger toshav” by jumping through a few rabbinic hoops, the most important of which is to declare him/herself before three rabbis. The main benefit is that a “ger toshav,” being a “fourth house” of Israel, would have greater access and comradery with the Jews... The idea that the “ger toshav” is one of the four houses of Israel runs into a few problems. If the “ger toshav” can be classified as one of the four “houses” of Bnai Yisrael, is it then halakhically permissible for a “ger toshav” to marry a Jew? Would any God-fearing observant rabbi allow a “ger toshav” to marry an observant Jew? The answer, of course, is NO (cf. Devarim 7:3). The Torah also states quite clearly that the (ger) toshav may not eat the lamb of the Pessach offering (Shmos 12:45.) Also, the verse 14:21 in Devarim states that Jews are commanded to give neveilos (animals that died without proper slaughtering) to a “ger toshav.” In fact, the Talmud (Bava Metzia 111b) describes a “ger toshav” as “one who may eat neveilos.” The Talmud goes on to explain why a “ger toshav” does not have the prohibitions of a day laborer as would a Jew. Clearly, the Talmud makes a distinction between a “ger toshav” and a ger tzaddik, or a full convert. Here we see that the teaching that the “ger toshav” is a “fourth house of Israel” is a tad deceiving.

Chief Rabbi - Non-Jews living in Israel must be Ger Toshav

In 2016, the current Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, stated before a crowd that non-Jews (Gentiles) are forbidden to live in Israel unless they are "Ger Toshav" and follow the Noahide Laws. He stated that non-Jews currently living in Israel who do not follow the Noahide Laws should be deported to Saudi Arabia. There are a few ways that the non-Jews living in Israel could become "Ger Toshav", perhaps the Chief Rabbinate could declare them Ger Toshav as it has done previously, or perhaps the current unofficial Sanhedrin in Israel could be made official. An official Sanhedrin would have implications to American politics, as according to the Talmud, a Sanhedrin would have jurisdiction both inside and outside of Israel (here). On a side note, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef's father, Ovadia Yosef, who also served as a Chief Rabbi of Israel, gave a sermon in 2010 where he made the following statement:
“Goyim were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world; only to serve the People of Israel,” he said during a public discussion of what kind of work non-Jews are allowed to perform on Shabbat. "Why are gentiles needed? They will work, they will plow, they will reap. We will sit like an effendi and eat," he said to some laughter. 
Isreal National News
Chief Rabbi: Gentiles living in Israel must observe Noahide Laws
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef says according to Jewish law, only gentiles who observe the Seven Noahide Laws can live in Israel.

Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef told listeners during his weekly Torah class that according to halakha (Jewish religious law) gentiles are forbidden to live in Israel except under special circumstances. 
Rabbi Yosef argued that only a Ger Toashav, a gentile who take upon themselves the Seven Noahide Laws, can live in Israel. 
"If a goy (gentile) is not prepared to accept the Seven Noahide Laws – one of which is to not commit murder – he should be sent to Saudi Arabia.”

“If we were resolute and had all of the control, the gentile would not live in Israel. However, we are not resolute and we wait for the Messiah and complete redemption for this to happen. Who will be our helpers? They will be. This is why we keep the Ger Toashav in Israel,” said the Rishon LeZion.

Avishai Ben-Chaim, an Israeli journalist, told Channel 10, “We can see the duality in attitudes and discussion with Shas rabbis – on one hand, very harsh words against gentiles and against Arabs but on the other hand, protectiveness of the nation.”

Ben-Chaim further noted that although Rabbi Yosef said two weeks ago that it was that it was a mitzvah to kill terrorists, on the other hand he ruled that once a terrorist has been neutralized and disarmed, the terrorist shouldn’t be killed on the spot and rather must be imprisoned for life.

The Implications

Rabbi Schneerson is the Rabbi honored in Public Law 102-14, he also held a minority opinion that the Noahide Laws can be enacted by "force" at any time. To back up this claim, Schneerson references the fact that Jewish legal sources on Noahide Law say that these can be enforced even when there is no "Jewish court" or "Ger Toshav". According to most Jewish legal scholars, a "Ger Toshav" is a Noahide who lives in Israel, but this official title can only be granted by an official Sanhedrin, and there is only an unofficial Sanhedrin in Israel at this time. However, Schneerson's followers have put forth legal arguments that one does not even need a Sanhedrin to announce a Ger Toshav in Israel. 

It would seem that Schneerson's more radical interpretations are taking root in Israel, as the Chief Rabbinate, which is an official government body, but not the Sanhedrin, has granted the title of "Ger Toshav" to a resident in Israel in order to circumvent technical religious laws regarding the sale of agricultural land. Also, a current Chief Rabbi of Israel has stated that non-Jews living in Israel must become "Ger Toshav" in order to remain. Some proponents of Noahide Law will tell us that we need not worry about Noahide executions because there is no official Sanhedrin in Israel. But the Rabbi honored in Public Law 102-14, a law which states that the Noahide Laws are the foundation of American society, disagrees with this sentiment and believes there is no need for a Sanhedrin to apply the Noahide Laws by "force". If the Chief Rabbinate of Israel can take legal measures usually assigned to a Sanhedrin, such a granting the title of "Ger Toshav", why can't it follow Schneerson's directives and promote the Noahide Laws abroad? 

Further still, it would seem that it is at least possible that there is no need for any Jewish court or any Israeli agency to grant the authority to enforce Noahide Law, and Schneerson said Noahide Laws are in effect in all eras and there is no need for any Jewish court to administer them, either way Jews have Noahide in. We are in a situation now where there are willing Noahides living in America and elsewhere, these people have willingly accepted the mandates of the Noahide Laws of the Talmud, including the mandate to set up Noahide Courts to enforce these laws. They have traveled to Israel to pledge their allegiance to the unofficial Sanhedrin and have set up the "United Noahide Council" (here) to begin the process of training Noahide judges. If we take Rabbi Schneerson's ideas to their logical conclusion, that there is no need for a Jewish court to apply the Noahide Laws by force, what is to stop fanatical Noahides from pushing Noahide Law upon us once they have gained significant numbers and power? There may not be any definite law which says these Noahides must take directives from Jews at all... who are these Noahides that live among us and what are their real intentions? 

Also See: Israel is not a Secular State

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)