Noahides

We all know that when a person encounters danger, his or her heart pounds. One can easily identify physical parameters of the cardiovascular system, such as pulse and blood pressure. But spiritually, what's going on inside the heart and the blood stream? Rebbe Nachman explains…

Once we find the harmony within ourselves, we can make the world more harmonious. This newly released book, "Emuna and the Noahide" by Lazer Brody will help us on both counts. Available online here.

A Noahide's prayers are not written in any prayer book. They are written on the walls of the Noahide heart.

The 6th and 7th Noahide Laws are easy to uphold. The 6th is the prohibition of eating the flesh of a live animal. This law also encompasses the laws of kindness to animals, which is the main focus of today's lesson. The 7th is a law that is a societal obligation, that of forming of judicial system. Today's lesson also includes the additional commandments of Torah that a Noahide may observe on an elective basis. 

The prohibition of theft has a profound impact on maintaining a harmonious society. Buying, selling, service-providing and exchanging goods play such a significant role in our daily lives. The prohibition of theft is therefore designed to protect people's property and assets. In the absence of such a prohibition, chaos prevails. Beware: the evil inclination first gets a person to do some slight misdemeanor. Then, the road is to financial felony is much shorter...

To understand the severity of adultery, look at liberal American law. To this day, treason remains the highest crime, punishable by the highest penalty. Even in the state of Michigan, where capital punishment is outlawed, a person who commits treason may be put to death. Is not adultery domestic treason?

Our souls are tiny sparks of the Creator. We call Him "Father in Heaven" because we all inherit His spiritual DNA. Each of us has the potential of greatness and righteousness. Snuffing out a human soul is tantamount to destroying an entire universe. It's as if the murderer extinguishes a spark of Godliness, Heaven forbid.

Maybe you're thinking that this commandment is superfluous. A decent person asks himself, "Who in his right mind would blaspheme? Who could possibly be so blatantly insolent that they'd curse the Almighty?" You'd be surprised...

Since emuna and idolatry are mutually exclusive, the first Noahide Law that prohibits idolatry is actually a law that obligates emuna. Without emuna, a person is vulnerable to all types of idolatry, some in very subtle forms. In spirituality, there is no vacuum; where there's no emuna, idolatry fills the void.

Today's lesson teaches how emuna deeply permeates each of the 7 Noahide Laws. Were it not for emuna, the pure and complete belief in the Almighty, one's observance of the Noahide Laws would be ever so weak, vulnerable to persuasion and political correctness.

An automobile company's new-car warranty is only valid if the owner cares for car as stipulated in the owner's manual. But if the owner never reads the manual, how can he or she know how to care for the car? For sure, they can expect problems. The same goes for the soul, which is much more intricate than an automobile. Today's lesson introduces us to the Seven Noahide Laws, the owner's manual for the maintenance of a smooth-running soul.

Noahides are truth-seeking people who have exchanged former beliefs for the purest form of faith. The Seven Noahide Commandments, the first of which is emuna, are their guiding lights.
Enjoying marvelous spiritual status in this world and the next, Noahides sometimes feel alone. Some seek to convert to Judaism. Others think they must have a house of worship to attend. They need neither. I do encourage them, though, to network and to develop support groups.
As we learn in this brief and encouraging message, the goal and beauty of a Noahide is cultivating his or her own intimate personal relationship with the Almighty. Nothing is more gratifying.