Chavurath B'nei Noach: CB"N Library: FAQs

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

HINT:Use the Glossary of Yiddish and Hebrew (122KB) if you don't understand a word.

Q: Are the followers of the Noahide covenant strictly gentiles?
A: Yes. According to halacha, all non-Jews are considered B'nei Noach, whether they observe the Seven Laws or not. However, the rabbis have recognized that the term "B'nei Noach" generally applies only to those non-Jews who are observing the Seven Laws.

Q: Are Jews part of B'nei Noach?
A: Absolutely not. According to halacha, all Jews are considered B'nei Yisrael, and even Bala'am, the gentile sorcerer, admittedly recognized the fact that Israel dwells alone and is not reckoned among the nations.

Q: How does B'nei Noach worship?
A: Worship is the Service of the Heart, and is performed by the Jewish people during their daily prayers, on Shabbat, and on the Holy Days. B'nei Noach has not been explicitly instructed concerning the Service of the Heart (which implies both Positive and Negative Commandments). However, we are permitted to attend the Shabbat services, but we must be careful when reciting the prayers. We are not Jews, therefore, we cannot recite those prayers or words which pertain strictly to the Jewish people.

The following information is from http://www.vendyljones.org.il/noahide/chp1hal3.htm (please visit the site for more detailed information)

Prayers
Noahides are not commanded to have formal prayers. It should be left to the individual how, what, and when he will pray. Prayer is permitted, but not commanded. There are several types of prayers, requests, and thanksgiving to G-d for good things that He has done for a person, as it is stated in many places in the book of Psalms. A Siddur for B'nai No'ach should be established for those who wish to have a guidance in prayer. Below are some suggestions for formal prayer that might be included in a B'nai No'ach Siddur:

• Regular prayers might be said everyday in the morning: "I offer thanks to you HaShem, Eternal King, Who has returned my soul to me with great kindness. Your faithfulness is great. In addition, I praise you for guiding mankind, providing their lives with whatever they need. You give them wisdom in order that they fulfill their purpose in this world. I shall know today and have put it before my heart that G-d is the Lord and there is none other than Him Know that the L-rd is G-d of all the powers of this universe, there is none beside Him."

• Here is a suggested prayer before retiring in the evening: "Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One. Give thanks to You O L-rd for all your kindness that You have done for us and for (specific kindness) which You did for me today. I ask O L-rd Your forgiveness if I have sinned or committed any misdeed against You. I hereby forgive anyone who sinned against me and I ask You O L-rd that You open the hearts of those whom I may have wronged that they forgive me for my trespasses against them.

• Prayer in time of emergency or danger: A person who finds himself in danger should recite an appropriate chapter from the book of Psalms, for example, chapter 20. If the emergency is due to illness, chapter 103. If he needs to strengthen his belief in G-d so as to receive His help, chapter 121.

• A Prayer of Thanksgiving: Psalms, chapter 107 or chapter 136. In the prayer emphasize, "and all the living will give thanks to you, sela."

• Special prayers during holidays: It is worthwhile to pray for world peace. When saying such a prayer, one might turn toward the direction of Eretz Yisrael, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and say, "G-d of the world, give peace to the land and allow all living creatures which you created, to enjoy all of your blessings." On the Sabbath recite from the book of Psalms, chapters 102 and 104.

• Blessing before or after the meal: It is worthwhile that after the main meal of the day (whether at noon or in the evening) for a Noahide to wash his hands (there is no command for the Noahide to wash his hands in a ritual matter as do the Jews. This is a Jewish custom. It is, however, necessary to wash before a meal for sanitary reasons.) sit again at the table and give a thanksgiving blessing to G-d for the good that He has given to him. It can be something like this:

Before the main meal: "Blessed are You, King of the Universe, Who feeds the whole world with His goodness, pleasantness, grace and mercy. He gives bread to all flesh and the world is full of His mercy. Due to his great goodness, we have never lacked and will never be in need of food forever. His great Name feeds and gives everyone his livelihood, does good to everyone, and prepares food for all those that he has created."

A person can, of course, change this, especially if some good things have occurred to him lately. This prayer has to be said by each person individually, not just by one person. He must say these prayers directly to G-d and not through any intermediaries. Again this is optional and not required.

After the main meal: "Praised are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe Who in His goodness provides sustenance for the entire world with grace, kindness and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack sustenance, and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great name. For He, benevolent G-d, provides nourishment and sustenance for all, does good to all, and prepares food for all living creatures whom He has created. Praised are You G-d Who provides food for all."

• Repentance: A Noahide who has sinned against G-d or his fellow man must repent and be sorry for what he has done. He must promise to himself that he will not commit this sin again. He will make a personal prayer to G-d, requesting mercy. If he has hurt a fellow person, he must request that person's forgiveness. If he has done damage to that person's property, he must compensate him as the people of Nineveh compensated each other after Jonah preached to them on not committing evil.

There is also a prohibition against causing another person to err or commit sin as Pharaoh accused Abraham (Genesis 20:9) and the same concerning Avimelech who accused Isaac (Genesis 26:10).

• Prayer before reading the Torah: "Blessed be HaShem The Blessed One. Blessed is HaShem, The Blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are You Adonai, Our G-d, King of the Universe, Who selected Israel from all the peoples and gave them Your Torah to be a light to the Gentiles. Blessed are You, Adonai, Giver of the Torah."

• Prayer after reading the Torah: "Blessed are You Adonai, our King and Creator, Who has chosen Israel to Teach us Thy Torah and to plant Eternal Life in us to conform us to Your Image."

Another good source for information regarding prayer is Rules of Effective Prayer for People of All National and Ethnic Backgrounds, Based on the Word of G-d as Preserved in the Jewish Tradition by Boruch Ellison < http://www.noahide.com/prayer.htm >

Q: Does B'nei Noach use a Siddur (Jewish prayer book)?
A: B'nei Noach does not have its own Siddur. The prophets of the Great Assembly created the core of the prayer book for the Jewish people, not for the non-Jewish people. By covenant, Israel is a nation of priests and kings, and they are required to use the Siddur for their prayers. We recommend talking to your Orthodox rabbi concerning this issue. However, we are looking forward to the day when we also have a Siddur...
Q: Does B'nei Noach worship on Shabbat?
A: B'nei Noach are not commanded to observe Shabbat, nor are we permitted to keep it as does the Jew. We are permitted to keep the Shabbos as long as we "profane" it in some manner, i.e. lighting a match before the conclusion of Shabbos. However, our observance is not the fulfillment of a mitzvah, and we must be very careful in how we try to observe the Shabbos. B'nei Noach can go to shul and join the Jewish people as they worship, but again, we must be careful in what is said or done. We recommend talking to your Orthodox rabbi concerning this issue.
Q: Do you believe the Talmud to be an inspired piece of literature at the same level as Torah or the Tanach?
A: The Torah is not merely an inspired piece of literature. The Torah is the Revelation of G-d. The TaNaCH (An acronym for the three sections of the Hebrew Bible [Torah (The Five Books of Moses), Navi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)] is not an "inspired" piece of literature as is common poetry, music, etc. The Tanach details the history of Israel, and threads together the fact that G-d, Torah and Israel are One. The Tanach is truly "His-story." So to answer the question regarding the Talmud - it is not an inspired piece of literature. Being an inspired piece of literature is neither the nature nor the purpose of the Talmud. The Road Map to Jewish Learning will give you more detailed information on this subject.

Q: Do you believe Yeshua (Jesus) to be a historical figure?
A: No, not in the sense that Christians believe. Outside of the Christian's "New Testament," which is based on a few thousand fragments of script which has been compiled and manufactured into single manuscripts throughout the last century, nothing exists which proves that Yeshu[a] lived in the time period claimed by Christianity. In fact, Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman), in his Disputation in Barcelona, clearly showed that the closest person resembling Christianity's Yeshu[a] lived approximately two hundred years prior to the time period Christianity claims!

Use the Jews for Judaism Knowledge Base for questions about:

Resurrection, New Testament Anti-Judaism, Daniel 9, Jeremiah's New Covenant, Atonement, Sacrifice, Salvation, Trinity, Crucifixion, Passover Seder, Second Coming, Jesus' Relationship with Family, Stephens' Confused Acts, Status of Apostates, Suffering Servant, Virgin Conception, Original Sin

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