Author Topic: The Divine Code Daily Dose (Read 200199 times)

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #500 on:** June 09, 2020, 11:10:20 AM »

The Torah as a whole is an inheritance from G-d for the Jews alone, and a Gentile who "delves" into areas of Torah that are unrelated to the Noahide Code is liable for punishment by the Hand of Heaven. In contrast, it was explained in topic 4:2 that a Gentile must learn and know what is prohibited and permissible for him. For if he would mistakenly commit a capital sin from one of the Seven Noahide Commandments because he didn't know of it, even if the action seemed to him to be permissible, still he has the status of one who sinned purposefully and is guilty, for he should have learned and he did not (except when it was not possible to learn) (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 71).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #501 on:** June 13, 2020, 09:40:17 PM »

From here we see that Gentiles are obligated to learn all the details of their seven commandments as they are found within Torah - that which G-d prohibits and that which He permits for them - and to be expert in all their details. But it is forbidden for them to delve into the rest of the Torah that is not about the Noahide Code.⁸⁸

⁸⁸ Tractate Sanhedrin 59a; Rambam, Laws of Kings 10:9 (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 71).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #502 on:** June 18, 2020, 10:29:57 AM »

Rambam, Laws of Kings 10:1, says that a Gentile who mistakenly sinned because he did not learn is liable, so it is obvious that Gentiles must clearly understand their commandments. Rambam's statement (ibid. 10:9) about Torah study, "They may not delve into anything other than their... Noahide Commandments," means that within the broad Noahide Code, a pious Gentile may (and should) study deeply, including even in penetrating investigative learning, as will be explained (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 71).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #503 on:** June 20, 2020, 12:37:33 PM »

Not only is it permissible for a Gentile to learn about the Noahide commandments, but regarding anything he is obligated to do (e.g., things that are intellectually obligatory, like giving charity or honoring parents), he is allowed to learn Torah sources that will help him know how to fulfill and understand his obligation in a practical and even outstanding way.⁸⁹

⁸⁹ Meiri on Sanhedrin 59a, and Maharsha on Avodah Zarah 3a. This applies even if he only wishes to know about these Torah laws, but he does not intend to actually perform the permitted action. It is obvious that any Torah learning should only be from correct translations by observant Jewish Torah scholars (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 71).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #504 on:** June 22, 2020, 07:26:23 PM »

And even for Torah precepts that he is not obligated in it at all but he is permitted to perform, it is permissible for him to learn the Torah laws that deal with those precepts.⁹⁰

⁹⁰ Rambam, in Laws of Sacrificial Procedures 19:16, states: "It is permitted to instruct and teach them how to sacrifice to the Almighty, blessed be He." This clearly implies that Jews may teach Gentiles the parts of Torah that relate to optional precepts within the Noahide Code, as well as the Noahide Commandments and moral precepts. This can include instruction in proper understanding of these precepts, above and beyond their practical details (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 71-72).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #505 on:** June 27, 2020, 09:44:24 AM »

The difference between learning the Noahide Commandments and learning other topics in Torah is that in learning these commandments, a Gentile is obligated to understand them very well in all their details, and is even permitted to delve into this learning. But for the rest of the sources within Torah, even those that are permissible for Gentiles to read, it is prohibited for even a pious Gentile to study them in a way of deep involvement and penetrating, investigative learning (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 72).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #506 on:** July 01, 2020, 02:39:10 PM »

What is "delving into Torah"? It is learning only for the sake of acquiring the Torah knowledge itself (which is called "learning Torah for its own sake"). This means deep involvement in the study, and penetrating, investigative learning (pilpul in Hebrew). This includes learning to deeply understand the detailed Torah laws, the deeper reasons for the commandments, or the depth of the intention of the words of Torah, and not for any other goal (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 72).

Israel Chai · « **Reply #507 on:** July 01, 2020, 05:39:19 PM »

Quote from: Hrvatski Noahid on July 01, 2020, 02:39:10 PM

What is "delving into Torah"? It is learning only for the sake of acquiring the Torah knowledge itself (which is called "learning Torah for its own sake"). This means deep involvement in the study, and penetrating, investigative learning (pilpul in Hebrew). This includes learning to deeply understand the detailed Torah laws, the deeper reasons for the commandments, or the depth of the intention of the words of Torah, and not for any other goal (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 72).

Yeah goal is the key word, you can be happy that studying Torah makes you more moral and smarter, but if you make that the aim instead of the knowledge you don't learn the same.

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #508 on:** July 05, 2020, 10:27:45 AM »

One who learns for a goal other than these is not learning Torah "for its own sake." Rather, he is learning for the sake of a reward - that is, for the sake of some benefit that he will get from the information.⁹¹

⁹¹ This difference can be seen from what Rambam writes, that the study of Torah is forbidden to a Gentile, as is the observance of a sabbath, because of the prohibition of adding a new commandment or religion. Even though the Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin 59a says that this is like "having relations with a betrothed woman," or "stealing from the Jews," it appears that its intention is only regarding such a depth of Torah study that it is severely prohibited, more so than the general restriction that Gentiles should not take upon themselves an additional observance in a manner of a Divine commandment. Therefore, a Gentile who delves in Torah study to that extent is violating two prohibitions: (1) the general prohibition of adding a commandment, and (2) the specific prohibition of learning Torah in such depth that it is like having relations with "a betrothed woman" (a metaphor for the Torah), or stealing that which belongs to someone else (the Jewish people) (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 72).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #509 on:** July 11, 2020, 10:25:25 AM »

This is why the Talmud compares this level of Torah study to a capital sin. The comparison is relating only to the spiritual perspective (since this transgression is not punishable by a court of law).

It appears that the prohibition or permission to learn Torah in one way or another follows the general rule that was explained in Chapter 3 above: for any Torah commandment that has a reason and benefit for a Gentile to perform, it is permitted for him to do (and therefore he may also learn the details of its performance), and if it is a purely spiritual Jewish precept, it is prohibited for Gentiles to do. Likewise in regard to learning Torah, one who learns to obtain a benefit, like knowing the logical societal laws as the Torah gives them, is permitted to learn the parts of Torah which are connected to this, such as the Book of Damages in the Mishnah, or the section Hoshen Mishpat in the Code of Jewish Law (the Shulhan Aruh). Since he is learning this for his own benefit, and he is certainly not learning Torah "for its own sake," this is not called "delving into Torah," and it is permitted (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 73).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #510 on:** July 17, 2020, 02:08:38 PM »

Therefore, anyone who wants to learn specific parts of Torah in order to perform the logical commandments, such as honoring parents, returning lost objects, and giving charity, is not forbidden to do so, because he wants to perform these as righteous and upright actions, and not as spiritual statutes (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 73).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #511 on:** July 21, 2020, 02:38:03 PM »

Even if he only wants to learn Torah in order to know the special distinctions of the Jewish people and their Divine commandments, and he does not want to perform the Jewish precepts nor to study in consideration of conversion, this is not called "delving into Torah," and it is not prohibited (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 73).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #512 on:** July 25, 2020, 12:08:04 PM »

This is why Moses wrote the Five Books of Moses in the 70 languages, to inform the Gentiles about the Torah, so that they would know the special distinctions of the Jews and the Torah they received from G-d. See Tractate Sotah 35b as to how the Gentiles learned these translations by Moses (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 73).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #513 on:** July 30, 2020, 10:51:22 PM »

However, a Gentile who is involved in learning Torah for its own sake (not related to the Noahide Code) is adding on another commandment from which he has no practical benefit, and therefore is doing it only as a commandment of G-d, like one who observes a sabbath or fasts on Yom Kippur; all such observances are forbidden for Gentiles. This is what the Talmud refers to by saying that a Gentile who delves into Torah learning is reaching to a level of Torah that was "betrothed" only to the Jewish people and given as their exclusive possession, so he is liable for death by the Hand of Heaven. All of this is in accordance with the opinion of Rambam on this subject (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 73).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #514 on:** August 03, 2020, 10:05:48 PM »

It is also prohibited for a Jew to teach Torah to Gentiles in the canonized Hebrew or Aramaic text (see Tractate Hagigah 13), either because of the inherent holiness of the Torah's Hebrew letters and its precise wording, or because they may cause others to err if they know how to read the original text and as a result give their own explanations and interpretations of Torah (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 73).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #515 on:** August 08, 2020, 07:06:23 AM »

However, here we are mainly speaking about a sincere and pious Gentile who wants to learn Torah on his own in translated books. We can add that after the Torah was translated into Greek as the Septuagint, it is permitted to learn Torah in one's own language from a proper translation (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #516 on:** August 12, 2020, 03:44:57 AM »

The general rule is that it is obligatory for a Gentile to learn the seven commandments that he is commanded to do, and he should learn them very well, to know what is permitted and prohibited for him. He is permitted to learn them even in a way of "delving into them," meaning deeply learning to understand the reasons and the details within the Noahide Code (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #517 on:** August 18, 2020, 01:17:03 PM »

But in regard to the rest of the commandments of the Torah (i.e. the Jewish commandments), he is allowed to learn about them for the sake of understanding them, whether from the text of the Written Torah or the Oral Torah, but not in a way of in-depth learning or penetrating investigative learning (i.e. pilpul, which is the Jewish style of learning Talmud). Rather, a Gentile is permitted to learn from books in a language he understands, on topics that are written in a concise and clear way. An example would be a proper translation of the text of the Mishneh Torah by Rambam, which presents Torah-law decisions, but not the inner reasons or the details of how the derived rulings were decided by the Sages (including Rambam himself) (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #518 on:** August 24, 2020, 07:15:15 PM »

Rambam wrote Mishneh Torah as a practical Torah-law guide, and his opinion is that from learning his Mishneh Torah one could know the final Torah Laws without the reasons. The Sages taught (Tractate Kiddushin 30a) that a (Jewish) person should divide his time for Torah study into thirds (i.e. three parts): Written Torah (the Hebrew Bible), "Mishnah," and "Gemara" (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #519 on:** August 28, 2020, 03:01:29 AM »

"Mishnah" as a general term includes any part of the Oral Torah that is recorded for the sake of basic knowledge. This includes those texts that present the opinions of established Torah Sages on Torah Laws in brief, without their explanations, like Mishneh Torah, Tur, and Shulhan Aruh (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #520 on:** August 30, 2020, 07:23:11 PM »

However, sources that explain reasons for the Torah Laws, and texts that explain details of the Shulhan Aruh, are included in the in-depth part of Torah that is called "Gemara" as a general term (which includes the Talmud, Midrash and Zohar), and Gentiles are restricted from learning these (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #521 on:** September 01, 2020, 05:15:24 PM »

According to this categorization, we can explain that anything that is within the part of Torah that is "Mishnah" is permitted for a pious Gentile to learn, because he is not delving into Torah; rather, he is just learning a text that teaches about Torah Law without its depth and reasons, as can be found in the following specific classic works: Examples include Rambam's Mishneh Torah, Rabbi Yosef Karo's Shulhan Aruh, and certainly the Kitzur ("Abridged") Shulhan Aruh by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, and likewise the Tractates of Mishnah itself by Rabbi Yehudah the Prince, without its subsequent explanations (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 74-75).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #522 on:** September 04, 2020, 06:21:35 PM »

However, the explanations of the Mishnah, such as those of Rabbi Ovadiah Bartenurah, are considered part of "Gemara," because they explain the reasons and depth of the Mishnah. The Talmud itself, and books by codifiers who write in depth about the reasoning of the Torah Laws, like the Shulhan Aruh HaRav, the Aruh HaShulhan, and the Mishnah Berurah, are definitely forbidden for Gentiles to learn, because this is called "delving into Torah." This categorization is defined in responsa Mahaneh Hayim vol. 1, ch. 7 (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 75).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #523 on:** September 06, 2020, 01:42:01 PM »

If a Gentile does not understand what is permissible for him to learn, he should ask an observant Jewish Torah scholar to explain it to him. Therefore, if one does not understand a point in any text that he may read or study that is mentioned in this chapter, he is permitted to ask a reliable and observant Jewish Torah scholar to explain it to him (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 75).

Hrvatski Noahid · « **Reply #524 on:** September 08, 2020, 08:42:16 PM »

It appears that it is permissible for a Jew to teach a Gentile single Torah laws that he asks about, or to answer a question in a specific area of Torah, without explaining the depth and reasons involved. See Pe'ar Hador ch. 60 (the Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Ask Noah International, 2018, p 75).