How Do Noahides Become Ger Toshav

                                

                                7 Laws of Brisk

The 7 Laws of Noah are a part of the Torah, and they are made available to every non-Jew in the World. Jewish Orthodox institutions can facilitate the Bnei Noah on their journey. When they can’t, they can guide them to a place/rabbi that can. Many will be surprised that the 7 Laws are an in-depth study; a Mitzvah of Talmud Torah (Torah study directed at the 7 Laws). The 7 Noahide Laws are a key path of wisdom.

Judaism teaches that The Jewish people accepted 613 Commandments, elevating them to ‘The Children of Israel’ and that The Bnei Noah were instructed to keep the 7 Laws of Noah. But what do they elevate to?

There are three core issues: a) what is the status of a Torah Ben Noah through Sinai tradition b) what is their relationship to Torah Study c) how should a Jew involve himself with the Bnei Noah?

Some answers given are: ‘A Noahide can’t learn Torah; they can only keep the 7 Laws (in their details) while reading in the Torah up to Parashas Noah. A Jew may only teach the 7 Laws and their din’.

More often than not, this is what is readily available. The most liberal will say that the Bnei Noah may learn the entire Chumash (5 Books of Moses) or learn the Tanach. It may even go as far as to say that they can study the Talmud vis-a-vis their 7 Laws. The truth be told, these are trite answers to a surprisingly massive subject matter.

Too many times it is colloquially said, ‘they say if you do and study the 7 [Laws] (in-depth) it is enough for a lifetime; so I’m doing that, and ya’ll get upset!’ In other words, the only way to achieve a lifetime’s worth of Torah Study through the 7 laws is to practice true in-depth scholarship.

Remember our three questions:

·         What is the status of a proper Ben Noah?

·         What are the parameters of Torah Study?

·         What is the role of Jewish participation?

The answers are found through ‘Brisk’, a Talmudic dynasty of the Soloveichik family, scions of the Vilna Gaon. Briskers are known as chief practitioners of the Oral Torah’s analytical process.

The Briskers are masters of learning b’iyun (in-depth) and are specifically famous for their novel study of the Rambam. Together, the Rambam (who is a prolific source of Noahide material) and Brisk (and their methodology) have perfected the halachic principles for Bnei Noah. The [halachic] path is Ger Toshav; it makes sense, showing that there is no dispute among the Sages.

Brisk teaches that the Bnei Noah are expected to be able to produce Torah solutions that pertain to their Laws, and the Jewish sage is expected to know the material well enough to be able to offer assistance. The methodology and the message is straightforward learning b’iyun.

Brisk reveals the ideology of Noahism through solving the mysteries of Ger [Toshav]. Some examples are: the relationship between Abraham and Shem son of Noah, Shabbat observance for Bnei Noah as Ger Toshav, and how to make a proper personal acceptance of the 7 Laws. In all three we see Bnei Noah growing into Ger Toshav. Torah for Bnei Noah takes a lifetime to study. The more we grow in the 7 Laws of Noah together, the more the 7 Laws of Ger Toshav will forever stay the same.