Here are some resources for you to learn the origins and basis for Christmas, as well as guidelines for Chanukah, and some other thoughts I had.

Table of Contents for this post:

1. Can Noahides Celebrate Christmas?
2. Can Noahides Celebrate Chanukah?
3. Historical Background
4. How to Handle Family Conflict Over Christmas and Chanukah
5. There Are Worst Things Than Christmas Trees

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Can Noahides Celebrate Christmas?

From The Path of the Righteous Gentile:

… the Noahide is strictly forbidden to create a new holiday that has religious significance and claim that it is part of his own religion, even if the religion is the observance of the Seven Noahide Laws. For example, it would be forbidden to make a holiday celebrating the subsiding of the waters of the Flood of Noah or anything of the like. And, all the more so, it would be forbidden to institute holidays that ascribe religious significance to events [or myths] outside the purview of the Seven Noahide Commandments [for example, Easter or the popular holiday on Dec. 25].

Celebrating secular activities and commemorating historical events, even if they involve a festive meal, are permissible [for example, the Independence Day of your own country, such as July 4th in the U.S.]. [It is also permissible for Noahides to participate in days which are set aside by their nation for remembering to praise and give thanks to the One True G-d, such as Thanksgiving and the National Day of Prayer in the U.S.]

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Can a Noahide Celebrate Hanukkah?

Yes! (there may be Rabbinic approaches that disagree.  iHN follows those that do agree, namely Rav Yoel Schwartz.)

…as long as Noahides don’t turn their celebration into a new religion or incorporate idolatrous practices into their celebration. Doing so is forbidden.  If they light candles, they should not say the blessings over them since they were not commanded to do these things, whereas the Jews were commanded after G-d made the miracles for them. However, reading the story of Chanukah, singing songs of praise to G-d, and speaking about G-d’s greatness are appropriate for Noahides.  See Nancy’s guide below.

Nancy, of the Oklahoma B’nai Noach Society has put together a lovely Chanukah Guide based on her Bnei Noach family’s yearly celebration.

You can donwload the PDF of the guide at the following link:

http://www.okbns.org/Free.html

Chanukah begins at sundown on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev.
This year it is Sunday December 21st.
Each day of Chanukah begins at the evening.
So the first day is Sunday-night & Monday-day.

Here is the introduction to Nancy’s guide (with permission):

Every year as our family begins to prepare for Chanukah, we get a lot of questions from family and friends about why and how we celebrate this “Jewish” holiday.  This guide is written to answer the most common questions and provide a starting point for other Gentiles to begin a tradition of celebration in their own homes.

Unlike the Jews, Gentiles have no command to celebrate Chanukah.  But we may choose to do so as long as we don’t turn our celebration into a new religion or incorporate idolatrous practices into our celebration.

Our family likes to read part of the story each night and light the appropriate number of candles according to the Jewish tradition.  On the eight night, we invite everyone we have room for (always making sure to include someone new) and read the whole story from the beginning!

This book tells only of the way our family celebrates this holiday — which may be different from the way other families celebrate.  However, all celebrations include telling the Chanukah story, lighting candles, and having a lot of fun.

Here are the rules our family uses for gift-giving:

1. The gift must increase or reinforce the recipient’s knowledge or awareness of G-d.
2. The giver should be able to explain the relationship of the item to one of the lessons of Chanukah or how the gift will benefit the recipient to be more aware of G-d.

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Historical Background of Christmas

The Real Story of Christmas (download) (low bandwidth)
The Real Story of Christmas (download) (high bandwidth)

(To read answers to the following questions, go here:
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm -iHN)

1. When Was Jesus Born?
2. How Did Christmas Come to Be Celebrated on December 25?
3. The Origins of Christmas Customs
4. The Christmas Challenge

Excerpt:

The Christmas Challenge

• Christmas has always been a holiday celebrated carelessly.  For millennia, pagans, Christians, and even Jews have been swept away in the season’s festivities, and very few people ever pause to consider the celebration’s intrinsic meaning, history, or origins.
• Christmas celebrates the birth of the Christian god who came to rescue mankind from the “curse of the Torah.”  It is a 24-hour declaration that Judaism is no longer valid.
• Christmas is a lie.  There is no Christian church with a tradition that Jesus was really born on December 25th.
• December 25 is a day on which Jews have been shamed, tortured, and murdered.
• Many of the most popular Christmas customs – including Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas presents, and Santa Claus – are modern incarnations of the most depraved pagan rituals ever practiced on earth.

Many who are excitedly preparing for their Christmas celebrations would prefer not knowing about the holiday’s real significance.  If they do know the history, they often object that their celebration has nothing to do with the holiday’s monstrous history and meaning.  “We are just having fun.”

Imagine that between 1933-45, the Nazi regime celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday – April 20 – as a holiday.  Imagine that they named the day, “Hitlerday,” and observed the day with feasting, drunkenness, gift-giving, and various pagan practices.  Imagine that on that day, Jews were historically subject to perverse tortures and abuse, and that this continued for centuries.

Now, imagine that your great-great-great-grandchildren were about to celebrate Hitlerday.  April 20th arrived. They had long forgotten about Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen.  They had never heard of gas chambers or death marches.  They had purchased champagne and caviar, and were about to begin the party, when someone reminded them of the day’s real history and their ancestors’ agony.  Imagine that they initially objected, “We aren’t celebrating the Holocaust; we’re just having a little Hitlerday party.”  If you could travel forward in time and meet them; if you could say a few words to them, what would you advise them to do on Hitlerday?

On December 25, 1941, Julius Streicher, one of the most vicious of Hitler’s assistants, celebrated Christmas by penning the following editorial in his rabidly Antisemitic newspaper, Der Stuermer:

If one really wants to put an end to the continued prospering of this curse from heaven that is the Jewish blood, there is only one way to do it: to eradicate this people, this Satan’s son, root and branch.

It was an appropriate thought for the day.  This Christmas, how will we celebrate?

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How To Handle Family Conflict Over Christmas and Chanukah

(NOTE: this is a Jewish woman speaking with a Rabbi, not a Noahide woman.  However, I think the Rabbi’s advice is applicable to anyone really. -iHN)

family_trouble: what is the proper way to handle family who celebrates Christmas and we wish to bring our son up in a strictly Jewish environment?

family_trouble: I should explain–it is my mother who was born Jewish, and raised us Jewishly. My sister married a gentile and thus my mother is trying to please us all-celebrating X-Mas and Chanukah. My son was born naturally Jewish.

Rabbi Gurkow: and you are your son’s mother or father?

family_trouble: I am my sons mother.

Rabbi Gurkow: I see

Rabbi Gurkow: in answer to your question, since you tell me that you and your son are Jewish the correct thing for you to tell your mother is: “thank you very much for thinking of us during this family time, we will gladly participate in the Chanukah celebration, but please understand that we will not be coming to the christmas celebration

Rabbi Gurkow: “that would be contrary to the values and religion in which we are trying to conduct our lives and raise our daughter”

Rabbi Gurkow: then send your parents and your sister nice cards and gifts that have nothing to do with christmas and everything to do with family and love

family_trouble: We tried that for the first time this year and now my extended family is not speaking to us because of our decision. Should we make any attempts to heal the rift?

Rabbi Gurkow: yes
Rabbi Gurkow: but be sure to understand the dynamics first… the root of their irritation
Rabbi Gurkow: is it that your religion is different or that you sent anti family signals?

family_trouble: That we are “too Jewish” now and they cannot relate to us any longer.

Rabbi Gurkow: That itself can be seen in two ways described above. can you discern what the root is?

family_trouble: Yes, I was raised secular and my mother would prefer not to acknowledge her Jewish roots any longer.

Rabbi Gurkow: if the problem is indeed religious then you need to know first and foremost that the shoe is on the other foot… your family is being incosiderate here not yoruself

Rabbi Gurkow: you are not required to participate when the values at an event are contrary to the choices you made in life… you need not be brought to another’s life preferences… you have the right to make your own choices

Rabbi Gurkow: and if they cannot see that, then it is indicative that they do not respect your maturity, independance and inherent right to make your life’s choices
Rabbi Gurkow: you are howevr required to be civil, polite and nice
Rabbi Gurkow: if you have done that then you have fulfilled your requirement
Rabbi Gurkow: so in answer to your question, you should make efforts to make ammends — but do so without guilt… know that you are the one reaching out across a divide that you did not create

family_trouble: Thank you Rabbi–this has been a very painful time for me and my own family. I will take your advise and hope that the rift can be healed. I also plan to discuss this with my own Rabbi for support.

Rabbi Gurkow: I can only imagine how painful a subject this is, I can only imagie the pain of being left alone and misunderstood, and I must tell you that this will not go away… it will be an issue every year… so you must face it head on

Rabbi Gurkow: it may still have after-effects but at least it will have been dealt with
Rabbi Gurkow: please do discuss this with your rabbi
Rabbi Gurkow: he may have an entirely differnt approach, but that will largely depend on your rabbi

family_trouble: I think he will agree with you, Rabbi. I just needed support from a Rabbinical source at this time. You have been so very kind to lend you time and wisdom. Many thanks.

Rabbi Gurkow: your welcome
Rabbi Gurkow: shabbat shalom

family_trouble: Shabbat Shalom and thank you for providing me with some peace.

(source: http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/703,136539/What-is-the-proper-way-to-handle-an-invitation-to-a-family-Christmas-party.html)

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There Are Worst Things Than Christmas Trees

(I feel very similar to Shira who authored the below statements on cross-currents -iHN)

I’m searching for a reputable site discussing tzedakah (charity) with regards to Noahides.

That includes a mention of the general rule of the 20% (one fifth) minimum and the precept that giving often is preferable.

Have been looking, haven’t found it.

-CY

Dear CY,

Next time, instead of searching on Google, try searching here:
http://4torah.com/ That’s a customized Google search by selected Torah-oriented websites.

You can even narrow the search by clicking “Noachide” on the homepage.

For all things Noachide, go here: http://www.WikiNoah.org

I also would note that the notion of a 20% minimum is not correct.  The number “20%” is the maximum amount that the rabbis instituted for Jews, lest the giver himself become impoverished, ch”v.

The exception is for those who are very wealthy and have the means to give great amounts - they can and should give beyond 20%, instead of spending the money on speed boats and extra vacation homes.  Of such people, my rabbi says “G-d gives you money so you can give it away.”

********

The laws below are sited by Rabbi Yoel Schwartz who is the rabbi designated to lead the High Court of Bnei Noach in Jerusalem.  See more at WikiNoah.

Here’s what the Torah Law is for Bnei Noach¹ as regards tzedakah (charity):

A Noahide is called upon to give to charities and persons in need. According to Rav Saadiah Gaon, it is commendable for a person to tithe, meaning that he set aside up to one tenth of all his earnings for this purpose. However, a person need not deprive himself of his own basic necessities in order to give to others.

According to Ezekiel, one of the reasons for the punishment of Sodom was that the poor people there were not given alms. It is worthwhile that a person keep a special account for such a purpose, and once a week or month he should transfer it to good causes. It is best to transfer it directly to the needy people.

A Noahide is called upon to act in a graceful manner and to be benevolent. One should be hospitable and a good host with all his heart as Abraham did.

There are eight degrees of charity², one higher than the other:

1. The highest degree is to aid a man who is in danger of losing his financial independence by offering him a gift or a loan, by entering into partnership with him, or by providing work for him, so that he may remain self supporting.

2. The next highest degree is where the one who gives and the one who receives are not aware of the identity of each other.

3. The third, inferior degree, is when the giver knows who is the recipient, but the recipient does not know who is the giver.

4. The fourth, still lower degree is where the recipient knows who is the giver, but the giver does not know who is the recipient.

5. The fifth degree is where the giver puts the alms into the hands of the poor without being asked.

6. The sixth degree is where he puts the money into the hands of the poor after being asked.

7. The seventh degree is where he gives less than he should but does so cheerfully.

8. The eighth degree is where he gives resentfully.

May you merit to give an abundance of tzedakah, and never come to need to receive it.

Regards,

Daniel

P.S.
While on the topic of tzedakah, I would note that it is the only investment of your money that is GUARANTEED to pay off. Think about that next time you see the stock market roller coaster headlines.

There is no “right way” for Bnei Noach to get married.¹  Rather, the questions to ask are:

1) What action(s) on our behalf constitute establishment of our marriage
2) What ceremonies are fitting and appropriate for Bnei Noach weddings

The length of this post will give one example of how you might answer question #2.

To answer question #1:

The subject of Noahide marriage according to Torah is discussed in the book “The Path of the Righteous Gentile,” in the chapter on Sexual Relations:

“Under the Seven Universal Commandments [for Gentiles], a woman is considered to be a man’s wife when the couple has sexual relations [in the normal manner] with the intent² that it constitute marriage.”

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Source: (Rabbi Mordechai)

…

…My third thought was that I wouldn’t know what ritual to use. I wouldn’t want to use Jewish ritual – they are not Jewish, and are under no illusions on that matter. So what would I do?

On the other hand: Come on, how cool is that, getting to do a Noachide wedding?

So I emailed colleagues, who clarified that a rabbi is empowered to perform any wedding which conforms with municipal law, but who had no idea what ritual to use. I Googled “Noachide Weddings” and “Noahide Weddings” and came up with this page, but the contents made me uncomfortable; I really didn’t like their adaptation of key Jewish wedding elements – the berachah [blessing] on wine, the ketubah, the Chuppah canopy.

But some colleagues of mine urged me on, pointing out that it’s pretty rare for an Orthodox rabbi to have a chance to get really creative!

Then, as I talked to the couple more and met with them, they were so visibly sincere that I fell in love with the idea beyond the “adventure” level. It was a chance to help good people do a good thing, in a meaningful way. Isn’t that why I’m a rabbi in the first place?

So I developed a ceremony which drew on biblical themes common for Jews and non-Jews, and meaningful for a wedding.

Here’s what we did:

1) They had found a non-denominational chapel in a park, and we used that space. As they stood together, I sang the traditional Jewish chuppah songs of Mi Adir and Mi Ban Siach.

2) I then presented a dvar torah on the Torah’s history of marriage, going back to Adam and Chavah [Eve]. I explained the Adam I and Adam II narratives, using Ramban’s idea that one narrative is creation of the soul (unified) and the other is creation of the body (separate). I talked about why Adam and Chavah benefit from being of two separate bodies – the idea, expressed in various commentaries, that the man and woman complement each other with their strengths, and so accomplish things they could never accomplish as one unit.

3) They had wanted to give each other rings, and written their own declaration of love and faithfulness for the occasion, so they did that at this point. I had them say “Behold you are sanctified to me,” taking the first half of the Jewish formula and dropping the “according to the laws of Moses and Israel” segment.

4) They had wanted to have a toast with wine at this point, but I was uncomfortable because of halachic [Torah Law] issues which are beyond the scope of this blog, and because of the adoption of a very Jewish wedding practice. So I decided to use water instead.

I explained the biblical significance of water, tracing it from the water present at Creation, through the punitive water of the flood rolling back Creation, through the water in which Jews drowned in Egypt, through the punitive water of Yam Suf [Sea of Reeds], through water from a stone in the desert, etc. My point was the power embedded by Gd in this natural element.

We recited the berachah [blessing] on water together (the berachah itself – “that all comes into existence at Gd’s command” – being very appropriate for the occasion), and drank.

5) To close the wedding I adapted a tefillah [prayer] authored by Rabbi Yochanan, presented in Yerushalmi Berachot 4:1, to read as follows:

יהי רצון מלפניך רבונו של עולם שתשכן בבתינו אהבה ואחוה ושלום ורעות ותצליח סופינו אחרית ותקוה ותרבה גבולנו בחברים ותקנינו לב טוב וחברים טובים ונשיש בחלקנו ונשכים ונמצא ייחול לבבנו

May it by Your will, Master of the Universe, that You bring love and brotherhood and peace and friendship into our home, that You give us success and hope, that You broaden our boundaries with friends, that You establish for us a good heart and good friends, that You make us happy with our lot, and that we rise each day to find our hearts’ desire.

On the whole, it was a remarkable experience. I was moved by their sincerity, and by their respect for Torah and Jewish belief.

I’m glad I did it - not because it was unusual, but because it really was cool in a much deeper way.

*********

I admit I should have posted this 2 weeks ago, at the beginning of this month.  My apologies.  Please forgive me.

Rosh Hashanah is coming up quickly.

- The day that Hashem is declared Master over the entirety of Creation, including each and every one of us!
- The anniversary of the day homosapiens were imbued with the soul (the 6th Day of Creation), separating them from the animal kingdom!
- The day that the Creator judges the entirety of Creation!

How can you ensure a wonderful Rosh Hashanah when you stand before the King?

Just like marathon runners prepare many days in advance of their big day, so too must we prepare ourselves in advance.  In fact, we don’t even do teshuvah (repentance) on Rosh Hashanah itself - it’s all supposed to be done now, leading up to the day of judgment!

So here’s how you can get started.

1) Download and read the Rosh Hashanah Celebration guide by the Oklahoma B’nai Noach Society.
2) Don’t (just) make a “New Year’s Resolution” on Rosh Hashanah.  Instead, make and do your resolution now.
3) Take time each day to talk with Hashem.  Go over the past year.  Review your life.¹

Below is the Table of Contents from the OKBNS Rosh Hashanah Celebration guide.

This wonderful guide they have designed with Rabbinic support is not meant to establish a single obligatory standard for all Bnei Noach.  Rather, it is a guide for those who feel that such a guide will enhance there connection to and service of Hashem.  This is important to understand, lest people mistake this for a new religion.
See “About this Book” page 3.

Table of Contents

About this book………………………………………………………………………………….3
Rosh Hashanah (New Year)……………………………………………………………….5
Prayer……………………………………………………………………………………………8
Prayer Customs……………………………………………………………………………8
Pre-Prayer Meditation……………………………………………………………………9
Kindling Lights…………………………………………………………………………….10
Psalms 1……………………………………………………………………………………11
Prayer for Parents……………………………………………………………………….11
Prayer for Children………………………………………………………………………11
Prayer for Remembrance……………………………………………………………..11
Rosh Hashanah Celebration Meal ……………………………………………………..13
Kiddush………………………………………………………………………………………..14
Washing of the Hands……………………………………………………………………14
Symbolic Foods…………………………………………………………………………….15
Against Idolatry…………………………………………………………………………..15
Against Theft………………………………………………………………………………15
Establishing courts of Justice………………………………………………………..15
Against Blasphemy……………………………………………………………………..16
Against Homicide………………………………………………………………………..16
Against Elicit Behavior…………………………………………………………………16
Against Eating the Limb of a Living Animal …………………………………….16
Merits of Society…………………………………………………………………………16
Blessing for Bread…………………………………………………………………………16
Blessing for Apples………………………………………………………………………..17
Eat the Festive Meal…………………………………………………………………………17
Blessing After the Meal……………………………………………………………………..17
Blessing of the New Moon…………………………………………………………………18
Shema……………………………………………………………………………………………19
Song………………………………………………………………………………………………20

In the Code of Jewish Law it says:

Here is, in the language of the Rambam zt”l, the basic Torah commandment of prayer, at the very opening of his Laws of Prayer:

“The Torah does not set the number of prayers [to be said each day], it does not give its formulation, it does not set fixed times for prayer… the obligation to pray is for a person to beseech and supplicate each day;

1. to [first] praise HaShem,
2. then implore and beg for what he needs,
3. and then to thank HaShem for His goodness to him,

each one the way he can. If he is fluent, he elaborates his supplications and requests; if he is not articulate, he speaks the way he can, and any time he wants.

So too, the number of prayers a day is according to each person’s capability. One will pray once a day, and another several times.

And everyone prays in the direction of the Temple, from wherever he is. This is how it was done since the time of our teacher Moses until the time of Ezra”.

This is the proper way to turn to God, for Jews as well as Gentiles. It changed for Israel at the time and Ezra, and for Gentiles it is still the same.

In the Second Temple period¹, Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly established structured, organized, set prayers for the Jewish people. One reason for this was to ensure unity within the Jewish people, having seen the division and destruction that exile caused within the Jewish people.

However, prior to Ezra, the way of prayer for Jews was the same as it was - and is - for Gentiles today, as described above by Rambam.

Rabbi Schwartz² also implied that [Bnei Noach] saying their own [personal] prayers may be the ideal situation, but has ruled that a BN may pray all the prayers from the Jewish prayer book.

Some prayers however don’t make sense for a BN to say, so the [Oklahoma Bnai Noah] prayer book was an attempt to select the prayers and wording that would be more applicable to BN, but still parallel the Jewish prayer book. The nascent Sanhedrin supports Rabbi Schwartz rulings in these matters.³

That is to say, it seems that ideally a Noahide should pray directly from the heart, without an organized prayer book as a guide.

However, if the need arises, one can use the OKBNS prayer book, which is similar to the Jewish prayer book - only modified to be more relevant to Bnei Noach.

For advice on praying from the heart, see Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, amongst the many other ways and guides for opening up personal prayer to Hashem.

(source: Jpost.com)

For some time there has been a controversy about Agriprocessors, the largest kosher meat plant in the United States. The media have raised questions of how workers are treated, workers’ safety and conditions in the plant. The government detained a large number of illegal workers. All of these questions concerned me. So when a mission of national Jewish leaders was organized to inspect the plant, I decided to go.

Rabbis inspect Agriprocessors
Photo: Courtesy

The mission included national leaders of the Orthodox community and the directors of kashrut agencies across the country. It represented the broad spectrum - rabbis from Agudat Yisrael, modern Orthodox, the OU, the Rabbinical Council of America, Chabad and Young Israel. Postville, Iowa is remote, the nearest airport is an hour and half away, and that’s sparsely serviced Dubuque. I had two flights canceled and got home just before Shabbat after driving hours to Chicago.

We were given free reign of the plant. Randomly, we interviewed dozens of employees, selecting them ourselves. We viewed the production lines. We spent hours inside the plant. In no way was the trip choreographed.

THE REALITY we saw was far different from that described in the press. The plant is state of the art,and workers told of us of wages beginning at $10 an hour. Benefits such as full health and dental plans kick in at 90 days. One woman from Chicago spoke of working previously at the Tyson meat plant. There she received a dollar an hour more, but told us “in this plant the work is less rigorous and the training better.”

I was most impressed from the actual kosher slaughter process. I discovered innovations that reflected the highest standards of halachic observance.

The mayor told us that if the plant fails, the local economy will be devastated. The Presbyterian minister said he has never had reports of abuse from his congregation. We questioned plant officials about safety, human resources and compliance. We heard how the plant had recently instituted the E Verification system that coordinates with the federal government to ensure that all employees are legal. Apparently this system checks the Social Security number against government records to insure all employees are who they say they are and that they are not under 18.

Some of our group, including myself, met with leaders of the local church, St. Bridget, that has historically been very critical of the plant. The rabbis suggested that they begin ongoing meetings with the plant management to investigate alleged abuses. We asked them to provide us with documentation of specific cases of worker abuse which we would bring to the attention of the plant management. We still have not heard from them, and they have nor have they responded to our request for regular meetings with the plant. Instead they continue to use the press as their mode of communication.

NONE OF the press reports have been by reporters who have been inside the plant. One JTA reporter who did visit the plant a few days before us filed a report that reaffirmed what we said. Almost all have based their stories on reports from outside sources - the church and the union which is trying to take over the plant and is being sued by Smith Food for racketeering. In Arizona, a grocery chain that has resisted the union is in court accusing it of defamation, extortion and trespass.

Some leftist Jewish organizations interested in immigration issues have joined the bandwagon. A group of non-Orthodox rabbis wants to create a new rabbinical kashrut certification, based on liberal social values instead of Halacha. Claiming to be motivated by ethics, its approach to the issue has been far from ethical - smear campaigns and demonstrations instead of the Jewish way of exploring the issues objectively and seeking solutions. It has created a battle of Jew vs. Jew, creating a show the media relishes.

While I cannot know anything about the past, I did witness myself the reality today, and it’s not what we have read in the media. It could have been that Agriprocessors grew very swiftly and management was not as strong as it could have been. Today the plant is without question state of the art, workers are treated well and there is strong attention to safety and compliance.

The writer is president of the Rabbinical Council of Orange County, California.
rabbi@ocjewish.com

As a follow up to yesterday’s post on the real names for the days of the week, here’s an answer to a very common and important question for Bnei Noah.

How Do Noahides Observe the Sabbath (Shabbat / Shabbos)?

(source: WikiNoah.org)
(excerpted from “Noahide Commandments” Download PDF | View Online)

Rabbi Yoel Schwartz (Jerusalem Court for Bnei Noah)

A Noahide should not observe the Shabbat in the manner that a Jew does. Nor should he make a point of abstaining from hard physical work on the Shabbat. A Noahide should not give occasion for a Jew to break the Shabbat.

There are those who say that every Ger Toshav (a non-Jew living in Eretz Yisrael in the time of the Jewish Temple, who has formally accepted the obligation to observe the Noahide laws in front of a Jewish court) has to uphold and keep the Sabbath (Rashi, Kritot 9, Yevamot 40). There is room to suggest that the Noahides, even nowadays, by accepting to fulfill the seven commandments, are in the same category as a Ger Toshav and should, according to Rashi, be required or at least allowed to keep the Shabbat. So I (Rav Schwartz) would like to suggest that this is the way that the Noahides could celebrate the Seventh Day, a day of refraining from his vocation. On the eve of the Sabbath (Friday night), they might have a festive family dinner with special food and light candles after sundown in honor of the Seventh Day, which was given to Adam and Noah (and to make the Noahide celebration of the Shabbat distinct from the Jewish Shabbat observance). During the meal they may sing songs to strengthen their belief, including songs about the creation. They may read from the Torah. They should not call this day the Sabbath, but the Seventh Day as it is written in Genesis.

On the Seventh Day itself, if they can arrange it without difficulty, they should refrain from going to work. If possible, they should go out to the fields or a park so as to feel close to the Creator of the world. If the congregation holds a prayer session, they may recite the Psalms connected to the Sabbath and to the creation (like Psalm 104). Also they should study portions of the Torah connected to commandments of the children of Noah. They can study from the weekly portion of the Torah being read that Sabbath in the synagogues those subjects which concern all mankind and skipping those topics that concern specifically the Jews.

At the end of the Sabbath (Motzai Shabbat), the end of the Seventh Day and the beginning of the new week, they can recite the prayer for the new week (Havdalah) after having lit a havdalah candle, to thank G-d for having taught Adam how to make fire, which is the source of all energy that enabled man to make changes in this world. This Havdalah prayer, that separates the Seventh Day from the beginning of the week, can be recited as a Noahide wishes and can go something like this.

Blessed are you our G-d, King of the Universe, Who differentiates between darkness and light, between day and night, between the seventh day from the first day of the week, between the clean and the unclean, between the sacred and secular, between holy days and regular days, between Israel and the rest of the nations, who together are partners in one holy objective, to make Your Name holy in this world. AMEN.

(See more in the lengthy discussion here.)