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Reading Room ViewPoint B'nei Noach - A Decade
Later The following ViewPoint was intended to provoke thought and discussion. It's hard to imagine that a decade (and more) has gone by since the modern B'nei Noach movement gained momentum. Even long before the Texas and Tennessee B'nei Noach ground swell took place, scattered pockets of B'nei Noach had already been established in the United States and in other areas around the globe. Collectively, we have a common bond: we have all shared in the joy of finding G-d, Torah and Israel, and we have shared in the resulting heartaches, frustrations and loneliness of being B'nei Noach. The Path of the Righteous Gentile appears to be relatively simple and easy to follow. We have Seven Laws (general categories) to observe. But many of us have also learned from Orthodox Judaism that we cannot invent or make up our own rules in how to observe G-d's Commandments. We have learned that at the same time G-d gave the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) to Israel, he also taught Israel the halacha, the proper way to observe the Commandments. Since G-d commanded Israel to teach us the Seven Laws, it's reasonable to believe He also gave and taught them the halacha to teach to us. Halacha and mitzvot go hand-in-hand - you can't have one without the other. They are inseparable. How important is halacha? The rabbis teach that if a person does not keep the mitzvah according to halacha, then that person has not kept the mitzvah. It does not matter how good the person is, or how hard he tries to be good; the mitzvah must be observed according to halacha. Therefore, I ask the Orthodox rabbis, and in particular, the Chabad Lubavitch rabbis (because Rebbe Menachem Schneerson [of blessed memory] told them to teach the Sheva Mitzvot), "Where is the halacha for the Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noach? For ten years I have been seeking to be taught. Can some Rabbinic authority offer us guidance? Can you teach me, and teach B'nei Noach, the halacha necessary for proper observance of the Sheva Mitzvot?" B'nei Noach - A Decade Later: We still do not have halacha. We have spent over ten years trying to be good, but we have yet to keep the mitzvot according to halacha! The Path of the Righteous Gentile details a lot of don'ts, but it does not list the sources for the rulings of the halacha, nor do the authors tell us that they are teaching halacha. Ben Bag Bag, in Pirke Avos, tells the Jewish people that all is in the Torah, and instructs them to delve into it, to turn it and turn it again. This is where the halacha is. It is my opinion that this should be happening in the yeshivas. Also, I emphatically urge and beg the Chabad Lubavitch to seriously consider devoting a full session addressing this topic during next year's annual Shluchim convention. We have joined the Jewish people in yearning for Moshiach (the Messiah). "We want Moshiach now - we don't want to wait!" Several years ago the Rebbe stated that the teaching of the Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noach was the precursor to the actual coming of Moshiach. Therefore, we absolutely encourage the Orthodox rabbis to learn about, and then teach us, the Seven Laws of Noah and all their halacha! Together, we can be partners in the Ultimate Redemption, may it be speedily in our day! Amen! This is where B'nei Noach is - a decade later. Nu? And where do you think we should be? Back to the Reading Room
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