Archive for July 9th, 2008

Where and When is the Best Time to Become a Noahide?

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

HaRav Yoel Shwartz shlit”a says in his book “The Noahide Commandments”:

It is stated in the book of Zechariah that after the Temple will be restored, during the holiday of Succoth (Sukkot) all the nations of the world will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to bow down before G-d. (Zechariah 14:1-21)

It is worthwhile for a person to take his vacation during this time. By doing so, a Noahide can use this free time to study, to observe nature and to meet with fellow Noahides for mutual prayer with emphasis on world peace just as Israelites did when the Temple existed and, as sacrifices were made for the welfare of all the nations, to pray for the coming of the Messiah who will amend the ways of the world.

The following video is from sukkot 2006, when gentile families made their way to Jerusalem to accept the Seven Laws of Noah before the Beit Din of Bnei Noah.

The great sage, Rambam, writes that “Anyone who accepts the Seven Laws and is careful to do them, this person is one of the Chasidei Umos HaOlam (very pious of the nations of the world), and he has portion in the world to come.1

Rambam goes on to explain that this applies not when a person accepts the Seven Noahide Laws because they seem logical, but rather because G-d commanded them in the Torah, and taught them to the Jewish people through Moshe a”h.

Therefore new Noahides make the following declaration before a legal Jewish court (beit din)2:

“I Susan Richardson, do hereby freely take upon myself the commandments of G-d to Noah and his offspring and the covenant between G-d and Noah as pronounced in the Torah, given to Moses, as interpreted by the Beit Din of Bnei Noah (High Court of the Children of Noah) in Jerusalem.”

Links:

The next best place for Noahides to gather during Sukkot: OKBNS Sukkot 2008


  1. Maimonides’ Law of Noahides
  2. The court does not have to be based in Israel. It does some to be more meaningful, however, if one is able to arrange it to be done on Sukkot in Jerusalem. See Zachariah quote above.
    Additionally, if greater numbers of Noahides gathered in Jerusalem during sukkot, it would be a massively greater “Kiddush Hashem” - Sanctification of G-d’s Name, since more people would see their righteous acceptance of the Noahide Laws according to halacha. i.e. it would be an inspiration to the world.

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Travis's Song ( A Noahide's Prayer )

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