''Ger toshav'' ( he, גר תושב, ''ger'': "foreigner" or "alien" + ''toshav'': "resident", lit. "
resident alien
In law, an alien is any person (including an organization) who is not a citizen or a national of a specific country, although definitions and terminology differ to some degree depending upon the continent or region. More generally, however, ...
")
is a
halakhic term used in
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
to designate the legal status of a
Gentile
Gentile () is a word that usually means "someone who is not a Jew". Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, sometimes use the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is generally used as a synonym fo ...
(non-Jew) living in the
Land of Israel who does not want to convert to Judaism but agrees to observe the
Seven Laws of Noah, a set of imperatives which, according to the
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
, were given by
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
as a binding set of
universal moral laws for the "
sons of Noah"—that is, all of
humanity.
A ''ger toshav'', especially one who decides to follow the Noahic covenant out of religious belief rather than ethical reasoning, is commonly deemed a "Righteous Gentile" ( he, חסיד אומות העולם, ''Chassid Umot ha-Olam'': "Pious People of the World"), and is assured of a place in the
World to Come (''Olam Ha-Ba'').
Definition
A ''ger toshav'' ("resident alien") is a
Gentile
Gentile () is a word that usually means "someone who is not a Jew". Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, sometimes use the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is generally used as a synonym fo ...
(non-Jew) living in the
Land of Israel who agrees to follow the
Seven Laws of Noah.
The seven commandments of the Noahic Covenant to which the ''ger toshav'' agrees to be bound are enumerated in the
Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cent ...
(''
Avodah Zarah'' 8:4, ''
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ...
'' 56a-b):
[Multiple sources:
*
*
*
*
*
]
# Do not worship
idols.
# Do not
curse
A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particula ...
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
.
# Do not
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
.
# Do not commit
adultery
Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
or
sexual immorality.
# Do not
steal.
# Do not
eat flesh torn from a living animal.
# Establish
courts of justice.
The ''
Encyclopedia Talmudit
The ''Encyclopedia Talmudit'' ( he, אנציקלופדיה תלמודית ''entsiyklopediah talmudiyt'') is a Hebrew language encyclopedia that aims to summarize the halakhic topics of the Talmud in alphabetical order. It began in 1942 and is ...
'', edited by rabbi
Shlomo Yosef Zevin, states that after the giving of the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
, the Jewish people were no longer included in the category of the sons of Noah; however,
Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
(''
Mishneh Torah
The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...
'', ''Hilkhot M'lakhim'' 9:1) indicates that the seven commandments are also part of the Torah, and the
Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cent ...
(''
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ...
'' 59a, see also
Tosafot
The Tosafot, Tosafos or Tosfot ( he, תוספות) are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes.
The auth ...
ad. loc.) states that Jews are obligated in all things that Gentiles are obligated in, albeit with some differences in the details.
According to the ''Encyclopedia Talmudit'', most
medieval Jewish authorities considered that all the seven commandments were given to
Adam, although
Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
(''
Mishneh Torah
The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...
'', ''Hilkhot M'lakhim'' 9:1) considered the dietary law to have been given to
Noah.
The term ''ger toshav'' may be used in a formal or informal sense. In the formal sense, a ''ger toshav'' is a Gentile who officially accepts the seven Noahide laws as binding upon themself in the presence of three ''haberim'' (men of authority),
or, according to the
rabbinic tradition
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writ ...
, before a ''
beth din
A beit din ( he, בית דין, Bet Din, house of judgment, , Ashkenazic: ''beis din'', plural: batei din) is a Rabbinic Judaism, rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of ...
'' (Jewish rabbinical court).
In the
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
there are two other, differing opinions (''
Avodah Zarah'', 64b) as to what the ''ger toshav'' accepts:
# To abstain from
idolatrous
Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...
practices of any kind (detailed in
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
and
Deuteronomy ).
# To uphold all the
613 commandments in rabbinical enumeration,
except for the prohibition against eating kosher animals that died by means other than ritual slaughter, or possibly
(Meiri) any prohibition not involving ''
kareth
The Hebrew term ''kareth'' ("cutting off" he, כָּרֵת, ), or extirpation, is a form of punishment for sin, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish writings. Kareth in its simplistic meaning refers to an individual being expelled fr ...
''.
The accepted opinion is that the ''ger toshav'' must accept the seven Noahide laws before a rabbinical court of three.
They will receive certain legal protection and privileges from the community, the rules regarding Jewish-Gentile relations are modified, and there is an obligation to render him aid when in need. The restrictions on
having a Gentile do work for a Jew on the Shabbat are also greater when the Gentile is a ''ger toshav''.
In the informal sense, a ''ger toshav'' is a Gentile who agrees to follow the seven Noahide laws on his own, or alternatively, simply rejects idolatry
(the latter issue is in particular brought up regarding
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
).
According to the
rabbinic tradition
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writ ...
, a Gentile who agrees to follow the seven Noahide laws, although not before a ''beth din'', is still regarded as ''Chassid Umot ha-Olam'' ("Pious People of the World"),
and the observance of the Seven Laws of Noah grants them a place in the
World to Come (''Olam Ha-Ba'').
There is a debate among the
halakhic authorities as to whether the rules regarding a ''ger toshav'' would apply to the informal case.
The procedure to officially recognize the legal status of ''ger toshav'' has been discontinued since the cessation of the year of
Jubilee
A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...
with the
destruction of the Second Temple
The siege of Jerusalem of 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), in which the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Ju ...
of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
;
hence, there are no formal ''gerim toshvim'' (plural) extant today.
However, it can be argued that a great deal are "informal" ones,
especially since it is possible to be a ''Chassid Umot ha-Olam'' even when the Jubilee year is not observed.
Modern times and views
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, encouraged
his followers on many occasions to preach the Seven Laws of Noah, devoting some of his addresses to the subtleties of this code. Since the 1990s,
Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
s from Israel, most notably those affiliated to
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
and
religious Zionist
Religious Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, translit. ''Tziyonut Datit'') is an ideology that combines Zionism and Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' ( "National Religious"), and in Israel, the ...
organizations, including
The Temple Institute
The Temple Institute, known in Hebrew as Machon HaMikdash ( he, מכון המקדש), is an organization in Israel focusing on the endeavor of establishing the Third Temple. Its long-term aims are to build the third Jewish temple on the Temple M ...
, have set up a modern Noahide movement.
[Multiple sources:
*
* ] These Noahide organizations, led by religious Zionist and Orthodox rabbis, are aimed at non-Jews in order to
proselytize
Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries.
Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...
among them and commit them to follow the Noahide laws.
According to anthropologist Rachel Z. Feldman, many of the rabbis involved in mentoring Noahides are supporters of the
Third Temple movement who believe that the messianic era begins with the establishment of a
Jewish theocratic state in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, supported by communities of Noahides worldwide.
Feldman describes Noahidism as a "new
world religion
World religions is a category used in the Religious studies, study of religion to demarcate the five—and in some cases more—largest and most internationally widespread religious movements. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ...
" that "carv
sout a place for non-Jews in the messianic Zionist project" and "affirms the superiority of Judaism and the Jewish biblical right to the Land of Israel".
She characterizes Noahide ideology in the Philippines and elsewhere in the global south as having a "markedly racial dimension" constructed around "an essential categorical difference between Jews and Noahides".
David Novak
David Novak, (born August 19, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Jewish theologian, ethicist, and scholar of Jewish philosophy and law (Halakha). He is an ordained Conservative rabbi and holds the J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studie ...
, professor of
Jewish theology and
ethics
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...
at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
, has denounced the modern Noahide movement by stating that "If Jews are telling Gentiles what to do, it’s a form of
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
".
According to the Jewish philosopher and professor
Menachem Kellner's study on
Maimonidean texts (1991), a ''ger toshav'' could be a transitional stage on the way to becoming a "righteous alien" ( he, גר צדק, ''
ger tzedek
Conversion to Judaism ( he, גיור, ''giyur'') is the process by which non-Jews adopt the Jewish religion and become members of the Jewish ethnoreligious community. It thus resembles both conversion to other religions and naturalization. ...
''), i.e. a full
convert to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism ( he, גיור, ''giyur'') is the process by which non-Jews adopt the Jewish religion and become members of the Jewish ethnoreligious community. It thus resembles both conversion to other religions and naturalization. " ...
.
He conjectures that, according to Maimonides, only a full ''ger tzedek'' would be found during the Messianic era.
Furthermore, Kellner criticizes the assumption within
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...
that there is an "ontological divide between Jews and Gentiles",
which he believes is contrary to what Maimonides thought and the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
teaches,
stating that "Gentiles as well as Jews are fully
created in the image of God".
According to
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
, the status of ''ger toshav'' will continue to exist, even in the Messianic era. This is based on the statement in ''Hilkhot M'lakhim'' 12:5 that lit. “all the world (''kol ha'olam'') will be nothing but to know G‑d." In its plain meaning, he asserts, ''kol ha'olam'' also includes Gentiles. As proof, he cites 11:4, which deals with the Messianic era, and the similar term ''ha'olam kulo'', "the world in its entirety", refers to Gentiles. Continuing the text in ''Hilkhot M'lakhim'' 12:5, Maimonides explicitly changes the topic to Jews by using the term ''Yisra'el'', explaining that "Therefore, the Jews will be great sages and know the hidden matters, grasping the knowledge of their Creator according to the full extent of human potential", indicating that Jews and Gentiles will co-exist in the time of the Messiah.
In any case, even when there is a Jewish king and a Sanhedrin, and all the twelve tribes live in the Land of Israel, Jewish law does not permit
forcing someone to convert and become a ''ger tzedek'' against his will.
See also
*
Am ha-aretz
*
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism ( he, גיור, ''giyur'') is the process by which non-Jews adopt the Jewish religion and become members of the Jewish ethnoreligious community. It thus resembles both conversion to other religions and naturalization. ...
*
Ethical monotheism
Ethical monotheism is a form of exclusive monotheism in which God is believed to be the only god as well as the source for one's standards of morality, guiding humanity through ethical principles.
Definition
Ethical monotheism originated within ...
*
God-fearer
God-fearers ( grc-x-koine, φοβούμενοι τὸν Θεόν, ''phoboumenoi ton Theon'') or God-worshippers ( grc-x-koine, θεοσεβεῖς, ''Theosebeis'') were a numerous class of Gentile sympathizers to Hellenistic Judaism that existed ...
*
Noahidism
Noahidism () or Noachidism () is a monotheistic Jewish religious movement based upon the Seven Laws of Noah and their traditional interpretations within Orthodox Judaism. According to the Jewish law, non-Jews (Goyim) are not obligated to conve ...
*
Proselyte
The biblical term "proselyte" is an anglicization of the Koine Greek term προσήλυτος (''proselytos''), as used in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) for "stranger", i.e. a "newcomer to Israel"; a "sojourner in the land", and in the ...
*
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations ( he, חֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, ; "righteous (plural) of the world's nations") is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to sa ...
*
Seven Laws of Noah
*
Virtuous pagan
Virtuous pagan is a concept in Christian theology that addressed the fate of the unlearned—the issue of nonbelievers who were never evangelized and consequently during their lifetime had no opportunity to recognize Christ, but nevertheless ...
, similar concept in Christianity
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*{{cite encyclopedia , last=Zuesse , first=Evan M. , year=2006 , title=Tolerance in Judaism: Medieval and Modern Sources , editor1-last=Neusner , editor1-first=Jacob , editor1-link=Jacob Neusner , editor2-last=Avery-Peck , editor2-first=Alan J. , editor3-last=Green , editor3-first=William Scott , encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Judaism , volume=IV , location=
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
, publisher=
Brill Publishers , doi=10.1163/1872-9029_EJ_COM_0187 , pages=2688–2713 , isbn=9789004141001
Biblical law
Codes of conduct
Jewish belief and doctrine
Jewish courts and civil law
Jewish ethical law
Jewish law and rituals
Judaism and society
Land of Israel laws in Judaism
Noahides
Talmud concepts and terminology
Virtue ethics