Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

In addition to faithfully observing the Seven Noahide Commandments, the Noahides of antiquity voluntarily accepted several rules of moral behavior, which are in fact intellectually incumbent obligations for all people. Read more »

Question:

If the Noahide Law to “Establish Laws and Courts” includes to keep the laws of the state, it would impose different obligations depending on where and when somebody lives. Since the details of the other six commandments can be derived from the Torah and classical rabbinical sources, they are constant obligations. But is it true concerning the laws of the state as well? Read more »

In our time, women are accepting greater roles in business and political life. Many people ask, “Should these greater opportunities for women be embraced, or should they be rejected as negative aspects of modern society, or perhaps as conflicting with traditional values?” Read more »

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Introduction

If you’re a Gentile who’s observant of Torah’s Seven Noahide Commandments, you may be interested in lighting Hanukkah candles. If so, you can very easily buy or make a menorah lamp. All that’s needed is a sturdy base with holders for 8+1 candles. (The ninth candle is added, offset from the rest, which is used to light the main candles). Your intention for doing this shouldn’t be to fulfill the Rabbinical commandment, which is only for Jews, Rather, it should be for the practical objective to publicize the One G-d’s open miracles.

G-d’s miracles were seen in His physical and spiritual redemption of the Jews who were oppressed by the Greek empire. This happened in Judea in the second century BCE. Publicizing these miracles can be done by safely (!) lighting the Hanukkah candles in a place like a window sill. They should be able to be seen at night by people who are walking or driving by. This publicizing can also be done by speaking about this message to your family and other people. The objective is to educate and remind them about the truth and greatness of the One G-d.

As verified by Rabbi Moshe Weiner (author of The Divine Code), Noahides may light Hanukkah candles with that intention. This can be done in the same manner as the Jewish custom (below), but without reciting the associated Jewish blessings. (For Gentiles, those blessings would be false statements said in G-d’s Name, G-d forbid. The blessing testify that the person lighting the candles is commanded to kindle the lights of Hanukkah. The blessings also state that G-d did those miracles for “our fathers”. Both of those statements apply only to Jews.) Other suggested readings and Psalms that a Noahide can say after lighting Hanukkah candles are listed below. Read more »

Question: I am looking for a tutor, one who is a Noahide or a Rabbi. I need first to ask this question, about how to be guarded and prudent. How to take a pace of grace is my question. What is in the book “The Divine Code” that could help me to become discerning?

Answer from David D. ben Noach (a discerning Noahide):

First about the tutor question:
Currently, the approach taken by other Noahides is to study sources on the Noahide Commandments, like “The Divine Code,” taking their time and asking questions on this forum. To find an actual Noahide teacher for you might be difficult, because there are so many Noahides at different levels of learning and few Rabbis to look after many of them. Read more »

Question: I am a minister seeking to further understand the ordinance of tithing. Here are my questions: Read more »

Question: What is the significance of Deut. 6:4 (“Hear, O Israel: the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One”) for a Noahide, since it is specifically directed towards the Jewish people? Isn’t there a commandment for all mankind to believe in the Unity and Oneness of G-d?

Answer (from Rabbi Moshe Weiner of Jerusalem): Although this verse expresses one of the positive (“to do”) commandments for Jews specifically (that Jewish men must recite these words every day, in the morning and in the evening), the call is universal. Read more »

The following questions were received from a Noahide woman (a “Daughter of Noah” / Bas Noach):

Bas Noach: Is it good for Noahides to learn about kabbala, or is it for Jews only?

From the explanations in The Divine Code, 4th Edition, Part I, topic 5:5: Read more »

The 9th/Tisha of the Hebrew month of Menachem Av is when Jews observe total fasting for a full day. The fasting for over 24 hours done in mourning over the destruction of the First and the Second Holy Temples. Both temples were destroyed on the same date – the First by the Babylonians, the Second by the Romans. When the 9th begins on Friday night, the fast is pushed off 24 hours, and starts on Saturday night. Read more »

Question: Can I say the truth about the deeds of people who have no fear of G-d, without fearing about committing “lashon hara” (evil gossip)?

Answer: In regard to people in general, the answer is no. But there are few exceptions which I will mention below. Read more »

A Gentile is only liable for a transgression of the Noahide Commandments in two ways. (a) If he performed the forbidden act knowingly. (b) If he knew that there is a significant probability that he might be performing the forbidden act. (Committing unintentional homicide through negligence is an exception.)

Usually, there is only a small chance (much less than 50%) that any piece of commercial meat sold in a store or served in a restaurant would have been cut from an animal while it was still alive. So when you get a random package of meat in a store or a meal in a restaurant, it’s very unlikely (less than 50%) that you’re eating a piece of forbidden meat. Therefore you could not be liable for anything on that account.

This is certainly the case if the meat is from a slaughterhouse that follows practices that make it very unlikely that butchering of an animal could begin before the animal’s heart permanently stopped beating. (This applies regardless of whether or not the animal was stunned.) This requires that there are inspectors to make sure that those practices are followed.

On the other hand, there are some animal parts that are almost always taken from living animals. Common examples are testicles (e.g., from castrated bulls) and bobbed tails (e.g., from sheep and dogs). Those parts should not be eaten unless one knows with certainty that the meat before him was not taken from a live animal.

These points are explained in Part IV of the book The Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner:
https://asknoah.org/books/the-divine-code
The book also explains that for any meat that is reliably kosher for Jews, there is definitely no chance that it could be forbidden for Gentiles in regard to the requirements of the Noahide Code.

Also see our web pages about our discussions on animal welfare with Dr. Joe Regenstein [1] and Dr. Temple Grandin.

[1] https://cals.cornell.edu/joe-regenstein

A translation by Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver of a talk given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe,[1] which is included as Part VIII in the book To Perfect the World: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Call to Teach the Noahide Code to All Mankind (pub. SIE, 20’16, and copyright © by Rabbi Y. Oliver and Ask Noah International).

At the outset of the Laws of the Nazirite,[2] Rambam defines the nazirite vow: “The nazirite vow is one of the types of vows involving prohibitions.”[3] He goes on to explain the details of the obligations involved, the positive and the prohibitive mitzvos, and so on. In the second chapter, he continues, “The nazirite vow does not apply to Gentiles, as it is written about this,[4] ‘Speak to the children of Israel.’ ” A literal reading of this would imply that Gentiles are not obligated at all to fulfill an oath not to partake of products of the grape vine. […]

However, upon further analysis, it is untenable to suggest that Rambam means to instruct a Gentile to profane his word and fail to keep his oath. Rather, his intent is that [although the Gentile must indeed keep his oath], he does not have the status of a nazirite as the Torah defines it, as will be explained below. Read more »

The book “The Divine Code” gives the following instructions on this subject (Part I, Chapter 3), which are presented here. Within the quotations, the parts in square brackets [ ] are insertions for additional clarification: Read more »