The following is a rough draft of Ger Terminology. I'm not sure what this concept will look like in its final format; right now this is a little insight into what the genre looks like straight from text. As time goes on I hope to have a pure 'enclyclopedic dictionary' for the whole of Ger. In the meantime, here is 1.0 and I welcome your feedback. You can always write me at soulmazal@gmail.com
*Note this is advanced reading, and should be read (and re-read) slowly and with careful review. Think of this as a study workbook.
This is also an unfinished work, i.e. non-exhaustive...please keep these points in mind; enjoy.
Lexicon of Terms
Encyclopedic
Dictionary For ‘Non-Jews in Torah’
(A Guide to Understanding Rabbinic Noahism Ikkar
Terms and Phrases)
'Geulah has a larger framework than you thought'
Compiled and written by Rabbi David Katz
Ikkar
Term/Phrase: a word or
phrase in Torah that carries inherent and specific meaning; not limited
to obvious context. This would be a simple explanation of the essence of the
Written Torah. Everything is an ikkar term/expression in potential. While
remaining blind to the ikkar, one assumes obvious context and meaning. Once
aware, the word or phrase takes on a deeper, profound meaning. To aide in
locating and defining ikkar terms and phrases, God gave an Oral Torah to
accompany the Written Torah.
The
Oral Torah is the discipline [and subsequent writings] of ‘working with all
things ikkar’; the concretization of the Oral Torah has founded [draconian]
religion [and dogma]. When viewed correctly, the Oral Torah serves as a
commentary to the ikkar. For example, Rashi explains the Written Torah by copy
and paste from the Oral Torah. What he has done is locate the ikkar, and
provided its definition and context. Rashi has chosen to do this within the
confines of Lefi Pshuto, i.e. rabbinic ikkar and meaning as opposed to
prophetic or kabbalistic. Throughout the Oral Torah, one will find kabbalistic
practices that do exactly what Rashi and other Lefi Pshuto authorities do, only
they seek to provide the prophetic meaning to the ikkar words and phrases.
The
two look similar and the process is identical. The difference is the prophetic
reveals the ikkar wisdom of the Bible, and the rabbinic reveals the wisdom of
the Talmud. The Talmud is rabbinic/halachic reality, and serves Judaism the
religion. The Bible is the study solely about God; it is devoid of religion.
The difference is that all religion should be dedicated to God, but God is not
found in all religion. An example would be that the Jewish religion maintains
customs and practices that are good for the Jewish People and the Jewish
religion, but do not necessarily reflect the absolute will of God. But while
serving God, the Jewish People have a Jewish religion to do so.
This
in general is called Torah. One could argue that there are two paradigms
(‘Tzvei Dinim’) at play: The Torah and the fence to the Torah. Both are
necessary, but being able to differentiate between the two is a fundamental
aspect of Torah Judaism. The difference is the same between exile and
redemption consciousness, and the difference between the prophet and the rabbi,
etc.
Ger: alien, stranger, foreigner [Biblical]; any
other definition is Talmudic, i.e. ‘Lefi Pshuto’
Ger
Toshav: legal fiction [term]; a Ger Toshav [is
a term that] is defined by its associative ‘Ikkar Term/Phrase’
Ger
Toshav ‘who doesn’t serve idols’:
a non-Jew who has turned away from idolatry. A Ger Toshav who is associated
with the ikkar phrase ‘doesn’t serve idols’ generally has a connotation of a
proper rejection of idolatry, i.e. has rejected ‘shituf’. Shituf is any belief
in God that attributes shared powers upon the Almighty. The Jewish commandment
from Sinai to reject idolatry implies a rejection of shituf. Thus the non-Jew
who rejects shituf (with an oath; kabbalah) has chosen to perform this
commandment (1 out of 7 of the Noahide Laws) in the way that an Israelite
performs the same commandment.
If
the non-Jew keeps all 7 Laws of Noah, and rejects shituf with an oath in the
way that a Jew was commanded to at Sinai, he is not a ‘complete Ger Toshav’
[i.e. a full ‘Ger Toshav in the time of Jubilee’], but rather a ‘partial Ger
Toshav’, or in other words, he is allowed to be called (‘in the name of’;
‘compared to’) Ger Toshav. Another term that he may be called is [a ‘proper Ben
Noah’; ‘Ben Noah Kosher’] ‘Ben Noah’ – i.e. ‘not a complete Ger Toshav’.
Ben
Noah: Any ‘non-Jew’. It can also imply
[based on context] one who is attempting to keep the ‘Noahide Laws’, or one who
is successfully keeping the Noahide Laws. It can also mean one is not quite a
‘full Ger Toshav’, i.e. has chosen to take on more than the standard Noahide
Law, but ‘has not or cannot appear before Beit Din’. Context will reveal the
ikkar usage, and provide insight as to connotation.
Ben
Noah Kosher: a Ben Noah who
has taken on more than the standard Noahide Law. Usually this means a proper
rejection of shituf and/or an observance of the ‘Ger Toshav Shabbat’. This term
is synonymous with a Proper Ben Noah.
Ger
Toshav Shabbat: One who is not
a ‘Nochri’ by either rejecting shituf or ‘properly accepting upon one’s self
the Noahide Laws’, may choose to ‘observe the Sabbath’ by ‘performing Melacha’,
but refraining from ‘performing Melacha for a Jew’. This removes the Ger Toshav
from the category of a ‘Shabbos Goy’, and his Shabbat observance is not
considered ‘observing the Jewish Shabbat’, for to do so would be considered to
‘make a new religion’.
Nochri: a non-Jew, by standing as a non-Israel
ideologically. This term is synonymous with acum, goy, non-Jew, and sometimes kuti.
Nochri is a Biblical term, while the others are Talmudic synonyms.
Lefi
Pshuto: Rabbinic meaning and reality of an
Ikkar term or phrase. This is the opposite of a literal (simple) or prophetic
meaning to a Torah Ikkar term or phrase. For example, the commandment to ‘Learn
Torah’ is generally not discussed on a literal level. It is an ikkar phrase,
which comes to imply a ‘Jewish command to learn Torah’. Thus it is not literal
and is not discussed literally. It would only be discussed in the manner of its
implications of a Jewish commandment to learn Torah. Thus it must be
understood, Lefi pshuto, i.e. rabbinically, based on rabbinic reality, context,
and meaning; i.e. non-literal, and contained within a pre-determined Talmudic
reality and specific [to] context.
Melacha: Prohibited creative work in regard to
Shabbat. A Jew is prohibited from performing melacha, a nochri may not do
melacha for a Jew, and Ger Toshav who has either rejected idolatry or properly
accepted the Noahide Laws, performs melacha, but not for a Jew.
Tzvei
Dinim (two dinim/laws): often
times one word or phrase (mostly ikkar) will have two distinct (-ly different)
meanings and associations. For example, Ger Toshav usually either implies
rejection of shituf, or proper acceptance of Noahide Law. Both are called Ger
Toshav, and thus the term carries two laws.
One
could ask, ‘how would anyone ever know the difference?’ The answer is that each
time Ger Toshav is brought, one must realize that it is an ikkar, and therefore
it is part of a larger (seemingly superfluous) phrase. If it says, ‘A Ger
Toshav who doesn’t serve idols’… The term that carries tzvei dinim is ‘Ger
Toshav’ and the lefi pshuto definition is ‘who doesn’t serve idols’; that is
its ikkar, and therefore the Ger Toshav is not the same as one who properly
accepted the Noahide Laws. They would effectively be different types of Ger
Toshav, hence ‘legal fiction’.
Neither
one is a Ger Toshav. What it is in truth, is that two different people
in two different scenarios exist in a rabbinic reality, where the name Ger
Toshav is apropos. Thus Ger Toshav is lefi pshuto, restricted to Talmudic use,
and is therefore a rabbinic, non-prophetic term. This would be most effective
in ‘Fenced-in Judaism’. If we were to speak about the same person Biblically,
in their service of God, as told prophetically, they would be simply called
Ger. The prophetic ikkar is Ger, and its ikkar meaning is ‘The Ger in your Gate’.
This explanation is not Talmudic, but represented through kabbalistic or
Midrashic wisdom.
Such
an explanation reveals a Ger who would come to the Temple to give an offering
or hear the Torah, as opposed to a Ger Toshav who fulfills a rabbinic decree,
for the sake of preserving Jewish customs. Tzvei Dinim would say two kinds of
Ger exist in this case; Ger Toshav and Ger in your Gates. There is no limit as
to how many distinctions can be made in theory. There is an infinite amount of
combinations found within the Talmud and the Bible. Everything written is a
potential ikkar term, and therefore carries an equally potential amount of
tzvei dinim, lefi pshuto, and prophetic insight opportunities.
Ger
Toshav who ‘properly keeps the Noahide Laws’:
A non-Jew who formally accepts upon one’s self the 7 Laws of Noah. In the times
of the Temple this would render one as a complete/full Ger Toshav; a proper Ger
allowed to live in Israel that is privy to certain rights and advantages. This
distinction is given today, albeit on a lower unofficial level. One can choose
to properly accept, and thereby called a Ger Toshav, or one can unofficially
accept and be treated like a proper Ben Noah who is to be considered like a Ger
Toshav.
Ger
‘who eats neveilah’: The Torah
commands that a Jew who comes into possession of neveilah, non-kosher meat
should either give to a Ger Toshav/of your gates or sell it to the nochri.
Biblically the Ger is any non-nochri. Talmudically, it is Ger Toshav, either
because he rejects idolatry, or keeps the 7 Laws, or both, or neither; one who
minimally doesn’t have a religion of idol worship is considered like a Ger
Toshav. An example of the latter is an Ishmaelite, and the former would be a
Noahide – lefi pshuto.
Ger
Shaar: The Biblical Ger in your gates. It
does not exist in the Talmud, and it implies a kosher non-Jew who is in a
working proximity with the Jewish people for the sake of serving God in the
kosher way. He eats neveilah, keeps Shabbat, and listens to the Torah being
read at the Temple, as explained by the Bible itself. The Talmud says a Ger
Toshav can do some of these things as well, but in truth that would be a Ger
Shaar who doubles as a Ger Toshav semantically. The coupling in this way does
not always work, and it depends on the ikkar and the commentary lefi pshuto.
‘Who
is a’ Ger Toshav: The Talmud asks
‘who is a Ger Toshav’ and many Rishonim and Achronim copy and paste this
expression along with the Talmudic conclusions. The three answers given are:
‘rejects idolatry’, ‘keeps the 7 Laws’, and ‘eats neveilah’ while [potentially]
keeping every other commandment in the Torah. The wrong approach is to these
three answers as arguing and contradictory. In truth they are three ikkarim,
and are speaking lefi pshuto. They are to be applied according to the Torah
situation.
If
it is a question as to who eats the neveilah, obviously the 3rd
answer is used. But then we may qualify still, exactly which Ger Toshav; one
that is an Ishmaelite, one who has rejected shituf, one who keeps the 7 Laws,
or one who properly accepts the 7 laws etc. The goal isn’t to find a right
answer, for there is no right answer, and these are not answers in that way.
These function as a raw potential in articulating clearly which type of Ger
Toshav we are speaking about in context, in potential, lefi pshuto, through
ikkar terms, on a Talmudic level.
For
example, the 2nd answer of keeping the 7 Laws needs to be explored
when used. Because it is vague, it can give many views, and thus becomes a
super-conscious position. Does he keep 7
Laws with an oath? Not an oath? …For the sake of Shabbat? …For the sake
of receiving charity? …For the sake of rejecting shituf? None of this
uncertainty changes the source; it only changes how we view the source and
apply it to the Ger Toshav in context.
We
aren’t looking for the one right answer, we are looking to understand Ger in
text lefi pshuto, and multiple ikkarim can be used to achieve so. If we come
across an opinion that a Ger Toshav can receive charity, and it is not a time
of Jubilee, then we will say one who has unofficially accepted upon themselves
the 7 laws, and is only to be considered like a Ger Toshav; etc. etc. There is
enough Ger Toshav essential material to make a situational category out of the
data. This understanding should not concretize into dogma, but rather allows
the reader to understand the coordinate of this particular Ger Toshav. Every
and any combination of ikkar terms and lefi pshuto explanations can be applied
to expanding one’s consciousness of potential Ger Toshav.
Ger
Tzedek: The Talmud uses this term to denote
either a full convert to Judaism, also known as a Ger Gamur, or a term used to
describe a Canaanite Slave who is a quasi-convert to Judaism. The Zohar uses
this term mystically, or to denote a non-Jew who has overcame many challenges
in order to reside spiritually close to Israel/Jews.
Nilvah: A Prophetic term used to describe a Ger
(typically non-Jew) who is attached to Israel in a bonded way. The ikkar phrase
would be ‘nilveh – ger’ and the lefi pshuto is to refer to another usage in
Tanach, or to describe this as either Ger Toshav or Ger Tzedek. Ger Toshav
would be the Biblical Ger Shaar and the Ger Tzedek is the lefi pshuto term for
someone who flees to Israel and attaches themselves through serving God. A
Canaanite slave who flees his master is the lefi pshuto example of a slave who
keeps the 7 Laws, and by fleeing to Israel, will elevate to Ger Tzedek lefi
pshuto, since he was always taking on more than the typical 7, by working as a
slave.
Ben
Necher: A nochri antagonist to Israel
Ben
HaNecher: Someone who has nochri ancestry and
is uncircumcised either literally, or has no circumcised offspring, lefi
pshuto. The term implies a longing to attach to Israel despite obvious lacking,
and thus is typically grouped with the nilveh – ger.
Caanite
Slave: A non-Jewish slave who has undergone
mikveh and milah, and has taken on the commandments of a woman. This is not a
full convert, but a quasi convert. When we see Ger Tzedek in text, it will either
be speaking about a full convert or Caanite slave. When the subject matter is a
slave or Ger Toshav, the Ger Tzedek is never a full convert in context. Under
these terms, a Ger Tzedek is called a complete Yisrael as opposed to a Native
Yisrael.
The
difference would be that a native Yisrael level of conversion can marry a Jew
and enters into the 3rd Holy House of Israel, while a full Yisrael
[conversion] (non-native) chooses to not marry Jewish, thereby remaining in the
4th non-Holy House of Israel. When speaking about a Ger Tzedek
Canaanite, the Talmud often pairs them with Ger Tzedek non-native convert. The
native convert is a full Jew while the Ger Tzedek non-native is not a full Jew,
but can keep the Shabbat like a Jew. This explanation is lefi pshuto and
according to rabbinic ikkar terms. Often times the Ger Toshav slave and Ger
Tzedek slave are grouped together, making proper context imperative.
Ger
Toshav Slave: A Canaanite
slave who does not wish to circumcise or mikveh, and only takes on the 7 Laws
of Noah is like a Ger Toshav, and is a Canaanite slave. Through tzvei dinim of
the Canaanite slave, we find two types of non-Jewish slaves: [those that are
considered] Ger Toshav and Ger Tzedek. Thus with slaves we find the ikkar terms
Ger Toshav and Ger Tzedek and their lefi pshuto laws; these should not be
confused with literal Ger Tzedek and Ger Toshav. The sources in the Talmud only
refer to Ger Toshav and Ger Tzedek; the reader must be able to ascertain
through context, ikkar terms, etc. if the source is lefi pshuto, literal, or
both. For example, in the laws of Shabbat, a Ger Toshav may not perform melacha
for a Jew. The Ger Toshav is tzvei dinim; either a slave, Noahide, Yishmaelite,
or a hired worker lefi pshuto. One law may have many applications (and
therefore many types of Ger Toshav) yet are all called/considered ‘Ger Toshav’.
Tzvei Dinim in such a case is an understatement.
Ger
Toshav Jubilee Noheg: A Ger Toshav that only exists in the Jubilee
year. Typically this refers to a slave or a runaway slave seeking asylum, or a
full Biblical status granting liberty to non-Jews who are working in close
capacity with the Jewish People. The righteous non-Jew through keeping the 7
Noahide Laws is considered like a Ger Toshav, but not the Ger Toshav of
Jubilee; Tzvei Dinim applies.
Mekablin
[Ger Toshav]: A forced
acceptance upon someone seeking Ger Toshav status for any number of reasons.
The coercion also is implied upon a Jew who must comply with Torah should he
employ a Ger Toshav. Since today we can never be sure if one is a Ger Toshav
when Torah penalties are involved or monetary loss could occur without proper
background check or a perfect oath-taking system, the Talmud says, this type of
Ger Toshav ikkar lefi pshuto does not exist, accept in a time of Jubilee, and
typically in the Land of Israel.
As
long as there is no danger or loss that can occur through one being considered
Ger Toshav, then such a Ger Toshav exists at all times and in all places. An
example would be the Noahide who rejects shituf is considered like a Ger
Toshav; he does not need the Jew to remind him to not do melacha for the Jew.
He himself refrains from doing melacha for a Jew, while he does melacha for
himself. This level of Ger Toshav who observes Shabbat does not keep Shabbat
like a Jew or due to a Jewish covenant; his Shabbat observance is a stringent
approach to not serving idols, in the same way as a Jew was commanded at Sinai
to not serve idols. The Talmud states that to desecrate Shabbat is akin to
idolatry. Thus if the non-Jew performs melacha for a Jew, it is akin to
idolatry. This Ger Toshav has rejected shituf, and is considered like a Ger
Toshav. The nature of his resting for himself on Shabbat like a Jew could only
happen in a time of Jubilee, a full Ger Toshav, a Ger Toshav Gamur, one who has
properly accepted the Noahide Laws with a kosher oath.
Ger
Toshav Gamur: A complete Ger
Toshav, on the level of a Ger Toshav at the time of the Temple, or a time of
Jubilee.
‘A
Goy who keeps Shabbos is liable for death’:
If a nochri does not do melacha for a Jew becomes he thinks he is commanded as
such, is liable. A nochri is not commanded in Shabbat in any way, and only
rabbinically is a Jew commanded lefi pshuto to remind the nochri to not do
melacha for him. A nochri is not a Ger Toshav, and the Ger Toshav is
scripturally reminded to not perform melacha for the Jew. The Ger Toshav
Shabbat is a way to not serve idolatry, and is therefore categorically not
included in the precept against a goy who keeps Shabbat.
Lefi
Pshuto, a goy works 24/7, and thus is defined as a person who does melacha.
This is a Talmudic ikkar. There is never
a reason for the goy to not do melacha lefi pshuto.
‘A
goy who learns Torah is liable for death’:
The commandment to learn Torah is exclusive for Jews. A Noahide does not have
an 8th commandment to Learn Torah [like a Jew]. A Noahide has a
commandment of Talmud Torah that is required in order to fulfill the 7 Laws. He
gets rewarded as ‘one who is commanded and does’ when ‘dinim’ are performed
according to ‘Torat Yisrael’. This is equivalent to a ‘personal kabbalah’, and
this per force makes ‘him comparable to a High Priest’ and a display of having
‘rejected shituf’. [Notice how many ikkarim lefi pshuto it takes to explain
this point; and there are many more one could bring in for comprehension.]
The
non-Jew studies Torah wisdom in order to perform a commandment. Either of the
7, or a ‘Ben Noah may do any of the commandments according to the halacha’.
Shabbat and Torah are separate; Shabbat is a part of rejecting idolatry, and
Torah we address here.
A
Jew who studies Torah according to the commandment is not required to perform
the law he is studying; his Torah study may or may not be theoretical. The Ben
Noah who engages in deep Torah wisdom must apply the wisdom learned by
fulfilling the din; his study is not Jewish, it is not theoretical. Thus if he
studies like a Jew out of a desire for the theoretical, he is liable for death
[only by the hands of heaven, for he has stolen – lefi pshuto, and according to
the ikkar]. Like all ikkarim and lefi pshuto, this ikkar is merely saying that
a Ben Noah may not purely study as a Jew. He may study as a non-Jew, and that
means that he may study alone where acceptable and/or with a Jew beyond that,
even into the theoretical realm. The ikkarim are many, as we take into account
many factors: is it a goy, acum, noahide, nochri, ger, which kind of ger, etc.
Each coordinate will yield revelation to the permission made available to the
non-Jew. The death penalty is not literal, it is lefi pshuto and refers to
stealing. Stealing is one of the Noahide Laws, and thus it is brought here lefi
pshuto. There are numerous calculations that one can figure of this law. The
diligent student will find the ikkarim, and work them out lefi pshuto; God is
merciful to the Torah student. The Ben Noah who learns Torah is liable for
death, and all are required to understand the ikkar lefi pshuto.
Noahide: Often thought to be a translation of a Ben
Noah; it isn’t. Ben Noah is more closely related to the Ger Toshav, and the
Biblical term is Ger, while the underachieving Talmudic term is Chasid Umot
HaOlam. Noahide is billed as a Chasid…in scholarly circles, but is still
inaccurate. A Ger Toshav is a Chasid… and the Noahide term is meant to exclude
Ger Toshav, for Noahides are allowed to worship in shituf, and are not
commanded to reject shituf. Noahides are categorically shituf, and are employed
as a Shabbos goy; this is synonymous with nochri and acum. The difference
between a Noahide and a regular nochri is that the Noahides non-religion
is a religion of the 7 laws where a
kosher belief in God is not required, and the nochri keeps the 7 Laws under a
different religion, with known ideologies of shituf.
‘A
goy/acum/nochri/ger who learns Torah is like a High Priest’: The Talmud and Midrash bring this quote in
many places. It is often considered unauthoritative folklore/aggadattah; it
isn’t, it is halachic. The non-Jew who learns Torah is compared to the High
Priest for many reasons; namely because just as a High Priest performs more
commandments than a regular Jew, so too the non-Jew who is involved in Torah in
the prescribed way, will find that he has more commandments that he may
fulfill, and not part of the 7. Bnei Noah can bring an offering to the Temple,
and can even offer a sacrifice today while a Jew cannot. The Jew may learn
about it in theory, and even aide the non-Jew who receives the theoretical learning
from the Jew, and is then able to put theory into practice; he is like a High
Priest.
‘Commanded
and Does’: The Bnei Noah are
commanded to keep 7 Laws, for all time and in every place. Mount Sinai changed
history by routing the 7 Laws through the Torah of Moses; Noahide Law must be
according to Torah to receive ample reward, as someone who is commanded and
does/fulfills. The alternative is to not be commanded, although obligated, and
thus the reward is inappropriate. The Noahide Laws must be properly accepted
onto the Ben Noah with a kosher kabbalah/personal acceptance. This makes a ‘Ben
Noah Kosher’, and the details are in the ikkar and lefi pshuto. Many
terminologies are involved and are appropriate according to the coordinate of
the person and/or the source involved. For example, this kabbalah will render
one as a Ger Toshav, or more specifically as one who is to be considered like a
Ger Toshav; the difference is in the specifics, the semantics, the sources
used, and in the ikkar [lefi pshuto].
One
who refuses kabbalah is considered as remaining uncommanded according to the
type of reward; the reward is lefi pshuto and serves as a definition toward the
relationship between the Jew and the non-Jew. Shabbat Law is a practical domain
lefi pshuto to ascertain which type of non-Jew is present. One would need to
know if the non-Jew is on the level of being commanded and fulfilling, i.e.
mekablin [to receive an appropriate reward]. The consequences are serious, and
a monetary loss can occur either for the non-Jew or the Jew. Reward is not a
literal term; it is an ikkar term, and it is used lefi pshuto.
Shituf: Attributing another power to God. Roughly,
this is any non-Kosher belief in God. All organized religion is shituf;
Noahides are not commanded to reject shituf. It is however encouraged to reject
shituf and is praiseworthy. A Jew who identifies a non-Jew who has naturally
come to reject shituf, has an incumbent obligation to associate with the
non-Jew as someone considered to be like a Ger Toshav. A Ger Toshav does not
engage in shituf; that is his fundamental ikkar, and its lowest common
denominator explanation lefi pshuto [in a time when there is no Jubilee].
Ben
Noah - Ger Toshav: A non-Jew must
properly accept the Noahide Laws to reclaim the ikkar status lefi pshuto of
‘commanded and fulfills’. This is achieved in Beit Din and elevates one into a
Ger Toshav. Ideally this is the prescriptive route in a time of Jubilee,
however the obligation still exists. A minimal Beit Din of 3 Jewish Friends may
be used to grant a status that is, like a Ger Toshav; the benefit is to reject
shituf and to learn Torah and to keep Shabbat lefi pshuto. If one cannot appear
before Beit Din either because it is not a time of Jubilee or if it is too
difficult, they may remain a Ben Noah, but are considered as commanded and
fulfills. Their status connotes being not a Ger Toshav Gamur – without
question. They are not a traditional Ben Noah Kosher and all the more so they
are not a regular Ben Noah [and all the more so a Noahide]; this is tzvei dinim
/two laws, and they may keep any commandment according to the halacha.
A
Commandment to sustain the Ger Toshav:
The Jew has a Scriptural Commandment to sustain the Ger Toshav; the source is
the giving of the neveilah. Even one who is considered like a Ger Toshav is to
receive help; the minimal observance of this is that as long as one is not a
wicked acum, a Jew cannot hurt them, even though he may choose to not actively
help them. This is the lowest common
denominator, as the appropriate infrastructure to ascertain who is a Kosher Ger
Toshav will exist until Jubilee. Where there are monetary or consequential
issues at play, the minimal degree is implemented. The laws of this commandment
are many; they depend on the ikkar and the coordinate. The law can fluctuate in
accordance with literal reality and lefi pshuto. One may be a literal Ger
Toshav yet remain an acum lefi pshuto based on circumstances. However a person
who is considered like a Ger Toshav may be the beneficiary of neveilah, or of
anything equivalent. To properly conduct one’s self according to the law, one
must weigh the coordinate, reality, lefi pshuto, scenario etc. Torah scholars
create peace in the World, and Hashem is merciful. Only to the idolater do we
show no mercy, lest we learn from their ways.
Don’t
taunt the Ger: 46 times in the
Torah we are warned against taunting the Ger. This is literal, and the Talmud
understands that this is literal, but emphasizes a meaning lefi pshuto, i.e.
the renegade slave, and allegorically, to anyone who is a ger allegorically.
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