Thanks to a generous donor, iHeartNoahides.com will remain available on the web this year!

Goodness abounds!

Thanks friend!

أهل نوح

The People of Noah

As noted in my previous post, I hope to continue making occasional posts.  My goal is that they will be valuable useful posts, since I will only be able to write them from time to time.  Enjoy!

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Shalom!
please refer me to another noahide site, esp one that most takes [Rebbe Nachman's] vibrations into account!

- E. from Israel

Dear E.,

I’m glad you would like to connect with fellow Jews who are involved with Bnei Noach.  That is wonderful.

You will have to do some searching on your own.  The most comprehensive list of Noahide-related sites that I know of can be found on WikiNoah.org.  Some of the links may be outdated, but you should be able to find some interesting stuff.
See WikiNoah link:
http://wikinoah.org/index.php/Websites

I assume that by “Nanach” you mean “Breslev” and the teachings of Rebbe Nachman who lived in a town called “Breslev.”  The Jewish community that has been most active in teaching and reaching out to Bnei Noach is Chabad, followed more recently by Breslev.

CHABAD
The Lubavetcher Rebbe of blessed memory was adamant that teaching the 7 mitzvot to the nations is our duty as “a nation of priests/ministers,” and that doing so will transform our world into a peaceful community.  One could say that it was the Rebbe who reawakened the Jewish (and non-Jewish) world to the path of Gentiles in Torah - a path that lay mostly dormant in Jewish history due to the hardships of the Jewish exile.

Today, on the footsteps of the Moshiach, the Jewish people are far more secure than in previous generations.  Therefore we are now able to build the bridges between Jews and Gentiles for living life according to Torah.  This is leading up to Moshiach when the Jews and Gentiles will have a G-d-centered relationship of peace.
See Chabad link:
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/62221/jewish/Universal-Morality.htm

BRESLEV

Rabbi Lazer Brody (”Rabbi Rambo”) is affiliated with the “Chut Shel Chessed” Breslev yeshiva lead by Rabbi Shalom Arush. Rabbi Lazer Brody is in communication with some Bnei Noach, including native Americans who have an affinity toward G-d, the Jewish People, and the Torah.  He writes about them from time to time on his award-winning blog “Lazerbeams.”

Here are a list of posts relating to Bnei Noach from Rabbi Lazer Brody’s blog.
See Rabbi Brody link:
http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/bnai_noach/index.html

Breslev.co.il has a Bat Noach journalist named Alice Jonsson who writes a lovely column on Breslev.co.il - she brings thoughts, perspectives, and words of Torah.  Some of them have been posted on iHeartNoahides with permission.
See Breslev.co.il link for her writings:
http://www.breslev.co.il/searchresults.aspx?text=alice+jonsson&type=1&fullType=authors&language=English

NATIONAL
Other than Chabad and Breslev, the more national and long-term-vision type of leadership has been spearheaded in recent years by Rabbi Yoel Schwartz who represents the Nascent Sanhedrin in Israel.
More info about Rav Schwartz in this link:
http://www.wikinoah.org/index.php/Yoel_Schwartz

Also Rabbi Chaim Richman of The Temple Institute in Jerusalem (http://www.templeinstitute.org/main.htm) has done a great deal for the BN community - some of my Bnei Noach friends consider Rav Richman their personal rav.
See Rabbi Richman link:
http://www.lttn.org/

I thank you for the email, and wish you the best.

Shabbat Shalom,
Daniel

As stated previously, this site follows the rulings of Rabbi Yoel Schwartz of the Jerusalem Court for B’nei Noach.  As regards marriage, he states the following (I added paragraph headings and brackets for clarification):

Marriage:
Every man should marry a woman, and every woman should marry a man since it is written “that it is not good for a man to live alone by himself.” Marriage brings about a partnership between two people and increases the population of the world. In marriage a Noahide will participate and contribute in the building of the world. Marriage is initiated by the couple’s decision to live together as husband and wife followed by their sexual union. It is worthwhile and enhancing that the two hold a formal marriage ceremony and a marriage feast.

Divorce:
A married couple can divorce even if both don’t agree to the divorce. If the husband sends his wife away from their home declaring that they are no longer married or if the wife leaves their home with a similar declaration they are no longer married. However, Noahides should abide by the laws of the state in which they live in marriage matters. They should therefore also follow any procedures that are required by the laws where they live so that they should be considered divorced also according to these laws. After the divorce, both partners are free to remarry. The marriage also ends if one of the two dies.

Forbidden Relations
According to the Torah, a married woman and another man are not allowed to have sexual or any intimate relations with each other. A man, on the other hand, is allowed to marry more than one wife or concubine. Since the l0th century the Ashkenazic Jews generally have only one wife. Today there are also civil laws in many countries against bigamy, which are to be followed as law for the Noahide.

A person is not allowed to have sexual relations with his mother, sisters, maternal aunts from his father or mother’s side, his father’s wife even after the death of his father, daughter, granddaughter, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law and her mother, his wife’s daughters and granddaughters. A person is not allowed to have homosexual relations (man with another man or a woman with another woman). Also a person is not allowed to have sexual relations with animals. This is bestiality.

Safeguarding from Transgression
Rape by a Noahide is a capital offense. There are opinions that, regarding people who are forbidden by the Torah to have sex with one another, the Torah prohibits any physical contact between them that is liable to be stimulating. This would include kissing, hugging and social dancing. It is nevertheless permitted for people to kiss their offspring.

It is worthwhile for men and women to minimize their mingling with one another. For this reason, youth groups and social activities should be organized separately for boys and for girls. In particular, when groups come together for prayer, etc. the men and the women should sit separately.

Proper Sexual Relations
The purpose of sexual relations is to increase the human race and to strengthen the ties between the married couple. According to the Torah, a husband is called to gratify and satisfy sexually his wife. The same holds true for the wife toward her husband. All this is to strengthen the ties between the married couple. God created men and women with sexual appetite and chemistry. Sex is a blessing from God, and it is not sin in the bounds of permitted sex under the seven laws of Noah.

One should not read pornographic literature or watch pornographic movies. As women who are dressed inappropriately can stimulate men easily, women should dress modestly.

Having Children
Most authorities are of the opinion that Bnei Noah are not obligated any more to have children. There is a minority view that they are. According to this minority view and the view of Nachmanides, masturbation is prohibited. Also, according to them [the minority view] only the female is allowed to use contraceptives. The ones that would be permitted are foam or pills or similar methods.

Timing of Relations
It is an ancient custom of Israel to be careful and not to have sexual relations when the woman is having her menstrual period. An Israelite married woman is not allowed to have sexual relations with her husband for seven days, starting from the first day of her menstruation period. After the seven days she must go to a ritual bath, a mikvah, before she resumes having sexual relations with her husband. A Noahide is not called to do so, but it is worthwhile for the couple to abstain from having sexual relations during the woman’s menstrual period.^[1]

[-iHN note: Western medicine is disputed on whether sexual relations during menstruation is healthy or unhealthy.  Chinese Medicine advices against it, as it causes 'Qi Stagnation' in women.  Of course, Torah laws are not rooted in health concerns, despite often leading to better health.]

Here’s a short primer on pronouncing transliterated Hebrew words.

Hopefully this will give the Bnei Noach clarity when reading English Torah materials in print or on the web.  You can link to this page with the following URL: http://www.iheartnoahides.com/2008/12/pronouncing-hebrew-words-bas-or-bat-noah-or-noach/

Pronunciation: Sepharadic or Ashkenazic
Sepharadic = Spanish & Middle Eastern Jewry
Ashkenazic = European Jewry
Yemenite = Yemenite Jewry (very isolated)

Over the past 2,000 years of exile, the pronunciation of certain Hebrew letters and vowels has split between 2 major camps and a third smaller camp, as listed above.

It should be noted that even prior to our exile from the Land of Israel, there were inter-tribal differences in certain pronunciations.

Today, modern Hebrew in Israel follows the Sephardic rules.  However, Ashkenazic Jews within Israel still study Torah, pray, and use phraseology with the Ashkenazic pronunciations and accents.  This practice is in line with Jewish tradition, which does not so easily dismiss the ways of our fathers, including their pronunciations.

The differences in pronunciation can be broken down into three categories:

1. Letters
2. Vowels
3. Placement of Accents

I will only talk about Letters and Vowels for now, since that’s the only area that I think might be confusing for Bnei Noach.

Letters

כ – ח – Ch/Kh/h

This is the letter that has no English equivalent.
It’s that harsh, grinding sound that American’s usually can’t make right away.
“challah”  “chanukah”  “chumus”  are mistakenly pronounced as
“hallah”  “hanukah”  “hummus” (said as “hoomoos” - although my grocery store clerk called it “hum-us” which is quite funny, really.)

Hence, we see the name Noach is pronounced “Noah” in English.  “Bnei Noach” (Children of Noah) therefore goes from Noachite (like Israelite, Levite, etc.) to Noachide to Noahide.   Noahide is the most commonly used written form I see on the internet.  The most common term I hear spoken is “Noachides” and “Bnei Noach.”

This “ch” sound is also written as “kh” - as in TaNaKh (Hebrew Bible: Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim)

ת – T vs. S

Ashkenazic Jews say that this letter ת, when lacking a dot in it (as here), is pronounced with an ‘S’ sound.
“Good ShAbbos”
“I’m a Bas Noach” (daughter of Noah)

Sephardic Jews say that this letter ת, when lacking a dot in it (as here), is pronounced with a ‘T’ sound.
“ShabbAt Shalom”
“I’m a Bat Noach”

Yemenite Jews say that this letter ת, when lacking a dot in it (as here), is pronounced with a ‘Th’ sound.
“ShabbOth Shalom u’mevorach!”
“I’m a Bath Noakh” (the yemenite “kh” is a bit softer and further back in the throat)

Linguists that I know maintain the yemenite rules as most accurate.  However, Jews should maintain the tradition of their father, who keeps his father’s tradition, who keeps his father’s tradition.  Following one’s father’s tradition is our practice and it has kept our tradition in tact thus far.

If you are Jewish and you don’t know what your father’s tradition is, you should follow either
A) what you grew up around, or
B) what your heritage is, such as Ashkenazic, Sephardic, or Yemenite.

We’ll see what happens linguistically when Moshiach comes.

Vowels

A - as in “park the car” (non-Bostonian).  An “h” is often added after the “a”.  This doesn’t change the sound; it represents a nearly-silent Hebrew letter.
E - as in “don’t eat bread in your bed”
I - as in “you can’t ski Israeli style…you just ski”
I - as in “If I lick the floor I feel sick.” some people just write “e” since they sound similar and it avoids confusion over which “i” sound you intend.

If you read the name “Daniel” using the vowels we’ve learned so far (first version of “i” sound), you will be pronouncing the name “Daniel” as is properly done in Hebrew.

Abraham now becomes “Avraham”
Sarah now becomes “Sarah”

O - as in “Oh Canada, my home and native land…”
O - also can be as in “coffee” (New York accent), like Moshiach, which is not Mo- as in “mow the lawn”
U - as in “Superman and Spider-man were created by Jewish immigrants to America.”
Y - some people write a “y” instead of an “i” to make the first “i” sound
Y - as in “Yo! Look at those yellow yardsticks over there!”  used in “Yisrael”

ei/ai/ay - as in “let’s play a game!”  used in Bnei Noach & Bnai Noach.

Joshua   now becomes   “Yehoshuah”
Samuel   now becomes   “Shmuel”
Obadiah   now becomes   “Ovadyah”

And if you were given a biblical name, you might want to look it up to see how it’s transliterated since you now have the tools to pronounce Hebrew transliteration. 

Enjoy!

If there are areas you would like further clarified, write a comment or send me an email.

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Singular & Plural

This section was suggested by a Ben Noach named Andy. Thanks Andy!

In English you add an “s” to make things plural.  “Thing” becomes “Things.”
Additiionally, an “ies” can be added to the end.  “Berry“  becomes “Berries.”

Similar rules apply in Hebrew.  But they are a bit more complex because there is the masculine and feminine factor in the Hebrew language.  There is nothing that is gender-nuetral in Hebrew.  Whether it’s a chair, or it’s a body part, or it’s a mountain, or it’s G-d - everything is either masculaine (male) or feminine (female).  Hence, there is no such word as “it” in Hebrew.  There is either “he” or “she”.  So the previous sentence would read “Whether she’s a chair, or he’s a body part, or he’s a mountain, or He’s G-d.”

Masculine Plural

Masculine words that become plural get an “-im” added to the end, just like in English we add an “s” to the end.  So “tribe” which is “sheivet” becomes “shvatim.”  Another example is “child” which is “yeled” becomes “yeladim.”  And finally, the more relevant example for you is “son/child/descendent” which is “ben” in plural becomes “banim.”  So why don’t we say call “Children of Noah” Banim Noach?

We don’t say “Banim Noach” because that would translate as “Children Noah.”  To say “Children of Noah” in Hebrew, you would say “Banim shel Noach.”  So why don’t we say that?  What’s this “Bnei Noach” business?

“Bnei Noach” is simply the shortened version of “Banim shel Noach.”  They are both correct.  One is simply the shortened form that is used and accepted.  It’s kind of like the difference between saying “Children of Noah” and “Noahides.”  Similarly we don’t say “Banim shel Yisrael” - we say “Bnei Yisrael.”

The mechanical explanation: In Hebrew, when you have a plural noun, such as “banim” (sons/children/descendents) attached to another noun (”Noach”), the plural noun, which is the subject of the sentence, drops the “m” and becomes “bnei.”

Feminine Plural

There’s no shortening for feminine plural like there is for masculine plural. (Thank G-d!)

Whereas masculine words that become plural receive a suffix of “-im”, feminine plural words receive a suffix of “-ot” (or “-os” or “-oth” via Ashkenaz and Yemenite respectively).

So the word “poem” which is “shirah” becomes “shirot.”

The word “song” is “shir” - So how do you think we say “The Song of Songs” in Hebrew?

Masculine & Feminine Together

In Hebrew, any group of people or objects that comprises both masculine and feminine people or objects acquires masculine grammar.  So a group of 5 male Noahides and 5 female noahides would be a group of 10 “Bnei Noach.”  If it were just the 5 women, they would be a group of 5 “Benot Noach.”

Summing It Up

One male Noahide - “Ben Noach”
One female Noahide - “Bat Noach”
Two or more male Noahides - “Bnei Noach”
Two or more male and female Noahides - “Bnei Noach”
Two or more female Noahides - “Bnot Noach” (this rhymes with “fur coat”)

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In his popular book “To Kindle a Soul” Rabbi Kelemen discusses the three ways that we raise a child.

1. Planting
2. Building
3. Prayer

Planting is the instilling of values on a constant basis.  We plant seeds of potential, of values in a child and continuously water the seed as the child grows.

Building is the sudden fixing or enforcing of an idea or habit that cannot be left to the slow growth of “planting.”

Prayer is the final component, which acknowledges that a mother and father are two out of three partners in the raising of a human being.  This aspect is important because we will never be able to watch over our children 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but G-d can.

TV works against you if you are trying to plant seeds of positive values in your child.  The TV is a force that has clinically addictive features for the viewer, especially children.  Yet this is something that spews values of the pop culture, not of the parents.

Here is an interview of a mother who does not let TV run her home.
Here is a some research on the destructive nature of television, also by Rabbi Kelemen.

This letter from More on Jonathan Pollard:
http://www.jonathanpollard.org/

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Dear President Bush,

I hope this letter finds you well as you successfully complete your second term as President.
First of all, we would like to say to you that we, the nation that dwells in Zion, greatly admire the manifold efforts you made on behalf of our security over the years. Your good works, in assisting Israel, the nation that exists forever, shall be to your eternal credit and shall bring you everlasting blessing.

Your record of good work renders us certain that you understand the motives of Jonathan Pollard when he acted on behalf of our security, passing on to us information about unconventional Arab weapons against us and about preparations for Arab terror activities against us – information that saved many lives in Israel.

It is true that through his actions he committed crimes against the United States, but he received his punishment, serving twenty-three years of prison under very difficult conditions. Jonathan Pollard is the only man in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for passing on intelligence information to a friendly U.S. ally, with the maximum punishment for such a crime being ten years, and the average time served being between two and four years.

And indeed, the President of the United States is entitled to grant a pardon without providing any explanation, although in this case, certainly, there is a logical basis for doing so.

Moreover, His Honor is certainly aware that top-echelon figures in the United States, who previously were opposed to Pollard’s release, now support a pardon. For example, during the winter of 2006, James Woolsey, a former head of the C.I.A., stated at the Herzliya Conference on Iran and the Second World War:

“When I was in the American Government, we examined Pollard’s whole file. At the time I was against his early release, because he really did steal secret materials from the American Government, and in defense of the privileged information of the American People, I thought such a person should be punished. Now, after he has spent twenty years in prison, my opinion, which I already expressed in the Jerusalem Post, is that twenty years is more than enough. We have to consider U.S.-Israel relations.”

Therefore, we are therefore turning to your exalted self, entreating you not to conduct yourself with strictness, but with mercy and forgiveness towards a man who has already paid twenty-three years, with great suffering, and who is suffering from very poor health. Please bring this episode to a humanitarian close. In reward for this G-d will bless you and will bless America.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Shlomo Aviner

Rabbi Skobac Why Christians are turning to Judaism 1

Rabbi Skobac Why Christians are turning to Judaism 2

Rabbi Skobac Why Christians are turning to Judaism 3

Rabbi Skobac tells of a Christian becoming a Noahide

G-d, best at making in the morning, tossed stars and planets, singing and dancing, rolled Saturn’s rings spinning and humming, twirled the earth so hard it coughed and spat the moon up, brilliant bubble floating around it for good, stretched holy hands till birds in nervous sparks flew forth from them and beasts-lizards, big and little…

THE REMAINDER OF THIS POEM WAS CUT OUT SO AS NOT TO INFRINGE ON COPYRIGHTS.  SEE THE WORKS OF VASSAR MILLER FOR HIS FULL POEM “Morning Person”