Ask Noah International – The 7 Universal Commandments and Much More | Podcast on RSS.com

Ask Noah International – The 7 Universal Commandments and Much More

Ask Noah International – The 7 Universal Commandments and Much More

by Ask Noah International

Religion & Spirituality Spirituality

Season 2

A Noahide's Perspective on Finding Truth in a World Full of Misinformation

A Noahide shares her perspective on good influences versus misleading influences in the world today. Misinformation abounds, especially in regard to morality and the claims of man-made religions. Therefore, Gentiles must focus on the obligation of observant Jews to promote correct learning and observance of the Noahide commandments. This will help to heal a fractured world and hasten the coming of the true Messiah, speedily in our days.

Thoughts from a Student of the Noahide Code

Audio reading of a message for everyone, from a student of the Noahide Code. Abraham in his generation taught vast numbers of people about the one true G-d. Likewise, Jews were given the Torah and tasked with teaching the nations about G-d and the Seven Noahide Commandments. When this task is being fulfilled, the world is being readied for the coming of the true Messiah.

The Morality of Doing Good – Make the World a Better Place!

Torah teaches that every act of kindness that a person does is like a pebble dropped into the water. Its good effects keep spreading and growing, reaching people and places that the person never could have imagined. That's why you don't have to be a politician, a movie star or a champion athlete to make the world a better place for all mankind. It all begins – and then continues – with doing a good deed for someone else. As we learn from the story of Joseph who was imprisoned in Egypt, giving a caring good word to someone who's down can bring redemption to yourself, to your family, to your nation, and to the whole world. That is the way G-d works through our selfless good deeds, and He usually accomplished that behind the scenes. As it says in Psalms 136:4, "[Give thanks] to Him Who performs great wonders alone, for His kindness is eternal." One of the meanings is that G-d alone knows the wondrous miracles that are sparked by a person's act of kindness.

What are Mitzvos (Commandments) for Gentiles?

This lesson explains that G-d gave different commandments for different people. A G-dly commandment is not just a thing that should or should not be done. The commandment also includes whom it is that G-d wants that thing to be done by, or not done by. Without that detail, the commandment is incomplete. What's commanded to be done by some people may be forbidden to be done by another category of people. Or it might not be applicable to them at all. G-d's plan for creation depends on each person doing the commandments that G-d has uniquely assigned for him or her. In that way, everyone helps to change the world from evil to goodness, and from spiritual darkness to spiritual light. A nation has to have divisions of army, navy and air force with their own unique directives. But they also have to work together in disciplined coordination in order to have a viable military for defense of the country. So too, G-d arranged His world into categories of people. There are Gentiles and Jews, men and women, adults and children. We all have to work together with each other and with G-d to make the world the better place that it's meant to be! In this way, through the eternal Torah, G-d specifies to each person how to fulfill his or her particular invaluable mission in this world. But that's not enough! The world depends not only on the commandments, but also on everyone doing good deeds. A look into the hundreds of Jewish commandments reveals that many of them are also good deeds for anyone to do! How is this understood? If a particular Jewish commandment is rationally necessary for everyone, it should also be observed by Gentiles. And if it will give a logical practical benefit to someone, which a person can know by human logic or correct morality, it can also be observed by Gentiles. Here are a few examples. From among the 613 Jewish commandments, these include universally logical positive activities such as getting married, having children, honoring parents, giving charity, proper education of children, and returning lost objects. They also preclude universally negative behaviors such as bearing a grudge, taking revenge, or deliberately misleading other people.

Getting Started on Observing the Noahide Code

This audio lesson gives advice on how a Gentile can get started with accepting his or her obligation from G-d. The starting place is observance of the Seven Noahide Commandments from the authentic Hebrew Bible (the "Tanach", which is known as the "Written Torah"). The source verses for six of the Noahide Commandments are in the Book of Genesis, and one is in the Book of Exodus. Just as with the Jewish commandments, the source verses, and the details for how to observe them, are known and have been codified from the "Oral Torah" that Moses received from G-d on Mount Sinai. As it is taught in Chapter 1 of the Mishnah "Ethics of the Fathers": "Moses received the [Oral] Torah from Sinai and gave it over to Joshua. Joshua gave it over to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets gave it over to the Men of the Great Assembly" [the Sages of the Great Sanhedrin court]. Ideally, Gentile's should read the Tanach from a reliable, Orthodox Jewish translation. For those who are on a limited budget, we recommend the pocket-size, paperback Stone Edition English Tanach from Artscroll publishers (caution: small print; there are also larger size editions).

Season 1

When do the Noahide Commandments Permit Gentile Nations to Go to War?

This audio lesson is a review of an article by Rabbi J. David Bleich. He explains the circumstances that lead to very limited permission within the Torah’s Noahide Code for warfare by Gentile nations. For information on permissible or forbidden actions for Gentile soldiers, in taking prisoners or booty, see the book "The Divine Code" by Rabbi Moshe Weiner of Jerusalem. It covers some of the Torah laws regarding wars by Gentile nations. In "The Divine Code", see Part VII, topics 10:1-4 on Taking Captives (in war), and topics 14:1-3 and 9-10, on Land Conquered in War.

The Prohibition of Murder in the Noahide Code

The Seven Universal Noahide Commandments prohibit murder, including euthanasia. (A Living Will that is consistent with the Noahide Code can protect an incapacitated person against this from of homicide.) Human life is an unalienable right of every person, and a gift from G-d that He expects us to guard and respect. Mankind was created “in the image of G-d”, and therefore possesses a dimension of holiness. Taking a human life diminishes a measure of the Divine image that is present in the world, and without G-d’s permission it is strictly forbidden. Furthermore. murder is an act of extreme rebellion against G-d Himself, Who blessed mankind “to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28), and “He did not create it for emptiness; He fashioned it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18). One who truly repents for the sin of murder should make a complete repentance, including increasing his acts of loving kindness and his charitable giving, and providing sustenance to those who are poor and living in pitiful conditions. It is also good for him to exile himself from his place of residence and his station in life, for exile atones for the sin of murder.

What Kind of Meat is Prohibited for Gentiles?

This lesson is a reading in 20'05 of the transcript of Ask Noah’s on-line interview with Dr. Temple Grandin, on April 12, 20'02. For many years, Dr. Grandin has been a leading expert on animal welfare and humane slaughter in the meat industry. The chat session addressed many points of interest for those who observe or wish to increase their observance of the Noahide prohibition of eating meat that was removed from a living animal. The unedited, full text of the chat session was posted on the web site of the North American Meat Institute with member log-in. This audio recording is an edited version of the chat session. We have arranged the communications into the logical flow of the discussion. Questions that were unrelated to Noahide issues have been omitted from this recording. The full details for fulfilling the Noahide prohibition of eating meat which was removed from a live animal are presented in the book “The Divine Code”, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner of Jerusalem (published by Ask Noah International). Commercial USDA meat from slaughterhouses that follow the government regulations is fully permissible for Gentiles to eat.

Courts of Law are Commanded by G-d to be Righteous in Judging all Cases

This audio lesson from the Director of Ask Noah International discusses an important question: Do the secular courts in today’s societies satisfy the Torah-true requirements of the Noahide Code? Some Torah scholars designate the Noahide commandment for righteous laws and courts of law as the first commandment in the list. The other six commandments are all prohibitions, while this commandment has both obligatory and forbidden components.

Recognizing Biblical or Modern-day Miracles can Bring Awareness of G-d

Experiencing, witnessing or learning of open miracles from the One True G-d can be deeply convincing. For example, the miracles of the exodus from Egypt brought two famous idol worshipers to accept the Noahide Commandments. Likewise, modern-day miracles are bringing idolaters and even atheists to believe in G-d and give up their false beliefs.

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