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Is there any established study programme or any structure whatsoever how to teach Noachides according to the teachings of the Rebbes of Lubavitch or any other true source? How to start? Which books to read? How to live?
Answer:
There’s been a lot of discussion on this topic — with little resolution. A collection of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s talks have been printed (in Hebrew) in “Kol Ba’ei Olam”. Your local Chabad rabbi (visit chabad.org to locate him) is likely to have that book. The only explicit statement of the Rebbe concerning study (of which I am aware) is that the second book of Tanya (order at kehotonline.com) is something all people need to know.
The Halachah is that a gentile is not permitted to occupy himself in Torah the same way a Jew does. Yet the Talmud also states that a gentile who is occupied in Torah attains that which is akin to the High Priest. How do we reconcile these two? The Jew studies all aspects of Torah whether they are of practical relevance to him or not — just for the sake of being immersed in Torah. The Ben Noach (Noahide) studies Torah to know and to understand his path. In a footnote, the Rebbe mentions that according to the Meiri, a Talmudic commentator, most of the Torah is of concern to a Ben Noach.
...the tzadik, Rav Azulai, instructed a BN to recite the Shema Yisrael every day
There is a careful balance here: We don’t want to create a new religion. Neither do we want Ben Noach to be emulating the practices that are specific to Jewish people. But every person needs to grow spiritually, and that does not seem possible without daily, meaningful rituals. Also, the path of the Ben Noach is integrally tied to the Jewish people, as stated clearly by the Rambam. Perhaps this is why the Tzadik, Rav Azulai, instructed a Ben Noach to recite the Shema Yisrael every day.
My sense tells me that in each part of the world, a Ben Noach will have a different approach, and they will each bring their particular wisdom into their practice. The Jewish people have always found much to learn from every culture we've come in contact with. The Talmud praises the Greeks for their sciences and beautiful language, the Persians for their modesty, the Romans for the honor they gave their fathers. In each culture, there are different sparks of the Divine which need to be used towards a Divine end. Therefore, it would seem counter - productive to provide a detailed prescription at this point.
From my understanding of what is expected of a Ben Noach, I have put together some suggestions. Your comments are welcome:
What to learn:
1. The Bible with classic Jewish commentaries (including the talks of the Rebbe, which are specific to our day and age), excluding those parts dealing with commands specific to the Jewish people;
2. The thirteen principles of the faith from Maimonides;
3. The Book of Knowledge of Maimonides;
4. Laws dealing with property and personal damages, including slander, gossip, verbal abuse, verbal pledges, cruelty to animals;
5. The second book of Tanya (this was explicitly mentioned by the Rebbe), as well as selections from the first; and
6. Stories of Tzadikim.
Morning prayer (all these in translation):
1. Modeh Ani—optional
2. Study and meditation
3. Adon Olam—optional
4. Psalms of Praise (as in the siddur) — optional
5. Shema Yisrael — first paragraph (this was an instruction of Rav Azulai, father of the Birchei Yosef, to a Ben Noach in his time)
6. Psalm 100 — optional
7. Recitation of the Noahide Creed — optional
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Mitzvot » EducationTorah » EducationJewish Identity » Non-Jews » The Role of the Non-Jew
