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Message DNCDutch Noahide CommunityHelpful guide for thestarting NoahideWith explanations, helpful tips andexperiencesה"ב

DNCCONTENTSWelcomeThe generation of NoahWho was Shem?030406Sometimes something happens in your life that will make youthink and will make you search within Judaism for deepermeaning and truth. This is the beginning of awareness.The time of Adam was a unique period in creation, totally differentfrom how we know the world today. It was a time when creation wasstill pure and in harmony with HaShem.Before the great flood there was abundance of health and prosperity.The climate was pleasant and people aged many hundreds of yearsbut mankind became increasingly alienated from G-d.Explanation Jewish scriptures08Make your way through the Torah with an explanation ofthe Jewish scriptures. An easy overview of the mostimportant books within the Jewish faith.Where do we find the seven Laws?09www.dutchnoahidecommunity.nlMarriage for NoahidesRecommended teachers and literatureGiurEven for non-Jews, marriage between husband and wife was institutedby G-d as the basis for a stable society. Marriage and intimacy betweenthem are sacred, according to the Seven Noahide Laws.There are several rabbis who offer valuable insights for Noahides,although their advice may sometimes differ in practical lifestyle.If you become interested in Judaism, comging from another faith orlifestyle, it can be tempting to join. But this is not necessary becausenon-Jews also have an important role to play in this world!ExperiencesThe path of change is not easy. Here you will read experiencesof Noahides who turned their lives around to live righteouslywith G-d's given laws.12141517ה"ב2EditorsAnne Marie LaseurJudith van KuijerenSarah BakkerDesignSarah BakkerChecked byJacob Nathan de LeeuweJudith van KuijerenThe contents of this guide, including alltext, images, graphics and othermaterials, are the property of the DutchNoahide Community and are protectedby copyright laws. Copying, reproducing, distributing,adapting, publishing or otherwise usingthe contents of this guide withoutwritten permission of the DutchNoahide Community is strictlyprohibited.The guide may be accessed for personaluse only. It may be shared, published ordistributed on other platforms or mediawithout permission. All copyrightnotices and proprietary rights must berespected and may not be altered orremoved.If you are interested in obtainingpermission to use the content, pleasecontact us atdutchnoahidecommunity@outlook.com18The life before NoahThe Torah mentions Shem first as the son of Noah. However,according to Jewish tradition, Shem was Noah's youngest son. Hewas the ancestor of Awraham.The laws are not written down directly in chronologicalorder but they are described in the Tanakh. Here you willfind direct references to verses from the Tanakh by Law.Used sourcesAsknoah.orgChabad.orgSefaria.orgWikipedia.org

welcomeWelcomeה"ב Sometimes things happens in your life thatmake you think and search for a deepermeaning and truth. Perhaps you experiencethat there is more to life and that there is adeeper spiritual reality. You encounterJudaism - an ancient wisdom that not onlyprovides answers, but also awakenssomething within you. It doesn't feel strangeor new, but rather like something you'vealways known, something that resonates deepwithin you. This is the beginning ofawareness.Judaism is more than a religion. It is a way oflife, a culture, an ancient People and aspiritual connection to the Eternal One,HaShem (G-d). The Jewish people received theTorah, G-d's teachings, through MosheRabeinu (Moses) on Mount Sinai. But longbefore the Jewish people were formed, thereexisted people who felt connected to the OneTrue G-d.One of those people was Awraham Avinu(Abraham), who grew up in a world of idolatrybut discovered the truth of HaShem. BeforeAwraham became the first Jew, he was aNoahide - a righteous gentile who livedaccording to the Seven Universal Laws ofNoah, handed down from the time of Noah.These laws are not simply moral guidelines,but the fundamental principles of a justsociety, intended for all peoples of the world.They are the basis for living in harmony withHaShem and His creation. For many whodiscover Judaism, the Noahide path opens agateway to spiritual growth, truth andconnection with HaShem.This guide is intended for you if you seek forclarity and depth on your spiritual path. Hereyou will find explanations of the SevenNoahide Laws, their meaning and how toapply them in your daily life. The goal is notjust to gain knowledge, but to develop aconscious and meaningful relationship withHaShem - a relationship that enriches yourlife and helps you to be a righteous person.3G-d's plan for the world is based on justice,harmony and spiritual connection to Him.Jewish tradition teaches that HaShemcreated all of humanity for a purpose, andthat both Jews and non-Jews have animportant role in His G-dly plan.רצי םיהלאה אוה םימשה ארוב הוהי־רמא הכ יכתבשל הארב והת־אל הננוכ אוה השעו ץראהדוע ןיאו הוהי ינא הרציFor thus said G-d,”The Creator of heaven who alone is G-d,Who formed the earth and made it,Who alone established it—Who did not create it a waste,But formed it for habitation:I am G-d, and there is none else.”I s a i a h 4 5 : 1 8 Every human being has the opportunity tolive a just and spiritual life, regardless oforigin or background.Welcome to this journey to awareness andconnection with the Eternal and know thatyou are not alone. Worldwide, the numberof people searching for answers withinJudaism and finding out that G-d has a planfor non-Jews is growing. And we are happy to help you find answersin your search.

Adam and Chavaה"בThe time of Adam HaRishon (the first man)was a unique period of time in creation,totally different from how we know the worldtoday. It was a time when creation was stillpure and in harmony with HaShem. Let's takea look at what the life of Adam and Chava(Eve) was like according to the Torah andJewish tradition.םי֖ ִהֹל ֱא ם ֶל֥ ֶצ ְּב ֹו ֔מ ְל ַצ ְּב ֙ם ָד ָאֽ ָה־ת ֶא  ׀  םי֤ ִהֹל ֱא א֨ ָר ְב ִּיַו׃םֽ ָתֹא א֥ ָר ָּב ה֖ ָב ֵק ְנּו ר֥ ָכָז ֹו֑תֹא א֣ ָר ָּב“And G-d created humankind in the divineimage,creating it in the image of G-d—creating them male and female.” Bereshit (Genesis) 1:27דאמ בוט־הנהו השע רשא־לכ־תא םיהלא אריו יששה םוי רקב־יהיו ברע־יהיו“And God saw all that had been made, andfound it very good. And there was eveningand there was morning, the sixth day.”Bereshit (Genesis) 1:31When HaShem created the world, everythingwas perfect and in balance. Adam and Chavawere created without sin and had a direct,open relationship with HaShem.There was no death, no pain, no conflict - notime - only divine indwelling in man's soul(Shechina) and spiritual clarity.םש םשיו םדקמ ןדעב־ןג םיהלא םשה עטיורצי רשא םדאה־תא“G-d planted a garden in Eden, in the east,and placed there the Human who had beenfashioned.” Bereshit (Genesis) 2:8Gan Eden was a spiritual and physical gardenwhere Adam and Chava lived in completepeace. The trees, plants and fruits grewwithout effort - no hard work was needed toobtain food.Adam and Chava had divine wisdom and apure soul. Their thinking was not influencedby ego or evil desires.The Shechina (G-ds presence) was directlypresent. HaShem spoke directly to Adam andguided him in life.ןדע־ןגב והחניו םדאה־תא םיהלא םשה חקיוהרמשלו הדבעל“G-d s e t t l ed the Human in the garden of Eden ,to t i l l i t and tend it.” Bere s h i t ( G e n e s i s ) 2 : 1 5Adam w a s c ommissioned to care for andprot e c t t h e world.The w o r l d was perfect, but Adam had toacti v e l y m anage it and elevate it spirituall y .Acco r d i n g to the Kabbalah, Adam was torefi n e t h e divi n e e n e rgies in creation and connect themto H a S h e m .לכא ןגה־ץע לכמ רמאל םדאה־לע םיהלא םשה וציולכאת“And G - d c ommanded the Human, saying, “Ofever y t r e e of the garden you are free to eat ;ךלכא ם ו י ב י כ ונממ לכאת אל ערו בוט תעדה ץעמותומת ת ו מ ו נ ממbut a s f o r the tree of knowledge of good andbad, y o u m ust not eat of it; for as soon as y o ueat o f i t , you shall die.”Bere s h i t ( G e n e s i s ) 2 : 1 6 - 17HaShem gave Adam and Chava free will to choosebetween good and evil. The Tree of Knowledge ofGood and Evil (Etz HaDaat) was a test: would manremain loyal to HaShem or choose independence?Before Adam ate from the wrong tree, his evilinclination was in service to the good inclination.After eating the fruit, the evil inclination becameactive in man who fell prey to the strugglebetween the good and the evil inclination on adaily basis. םיניעל אוה־הואת יכו לכאמל ץעה בוט יכ השאה ארתוןתתו לכאתו וירפמ חקתו ליכשהל ץעה דמחנולכאיו המע השיאל־םג“When the woman saw that the tree was good foreating and a delight to the eyes, and that the treewas desirable as a source of wisdom, she took ofits fruit and ate. She also gave some to herhusband, and he ate.” הלע ורפתיו םה םמריע יכ ועדיו םהינש יניע הנחקפתותרגח םהל ושעיו הנאת“Then the eyes of both of them were opened andthey perceived that they were naked; and theysewed together fig leaves and made themselvesloincloths.” Bereshit (Genesis) 3:6-7The serpent (Nachash, ׁש ָחָנ) tempted Chava to eatof the forbidden fruit. Adam and Chava lost theirspiritual elevation and clarity and they becameaware of good and evil. The world changedbecause death and suffering came into the world,the bond with HaShem was blurred, and Adamand Chava were expelled from Gan Eden. Evilbecame a part of human nature.4Life before Noah

ה"בהנממ יכ המדאה־לא ךבוש דע םחל לכאת ךיפא תעזבבושת רפע־לאו התא רפע־יכ תחקל“By the sweat of your browShall you get bread to eat,Until you return to the ground—For from it you were taken.For dust you are,And to dust you shall return.” Bereshit (Genesis) 3:19Adam now had to work for a living - farming and physical labor became necessary.He and Chava had children and began to build humanity. These were the direct descendants from Adam to Awraham in order, with year and age.Adam reached 930 years of age - Year 0 - 930 The first created human beingSeth reached 912 years - Year 130 -1042 Enosh reached 905 years - Year 235 - 1140 Kenan reached 910 years - Year 325 - 1235 Mahalalel reached 859 years - Year 395 - 1290 Jared reached 962 years - Year 460 - 1422 Chanoch reached 365 years - Year 622 - 987Metushalech reached 969 years - Year 687-1656 Lemech reached 777 years - Year 874 - 1651Noah Reached 950 Years - Year 1056 - 2006 Year 1656 was the great floodי ִ֔נ ֵּׁש ַה ֙ ׁש ֶדֹ֙ח ַּב ַח ֹ֔נ־יֵּי ַח ְל ֙ה ָנ ָ ׁש ת ֹו֤א ֵמ־ ׁש ֵ ׁש ת֨ ַנ ְ ׁש ִּב֙ תֹנ ְי ְע ַמ־לֽ ׇּכ ּ֙וע ְק ְב ִנ הֶּ֗ז ַה ם ֹוּ֣י ַּב ׁש ֶדֹ֑ח ַל ם ֹו֖י ר֥ ָׂש ָע־הֽ ָע ְב ִ ׁש ְּב׃ּוחֽ ָּת ְפ ִנ ם ִי ֖ ַמ ָּׁש ַה ת֥ ֹ ּב ֻר ֲאַו ה ָּ֔ב ַר ם ֹו֣ה ְּת“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in thesecond month, on the seventeenth day of themonth, on that dayAll the fountains of the great deep burst apart,And the floodgates of the sky broke open.”Bereshit (Genesis) 7:11Shem reached 500 years - Year 1558 - 2158 Arpachshad reached 438 years - Year 1658 -2096 Shelach reached 433 years - Year 1693 - 2126 Ever reached 464 years - Year 1723 - 2187 Peleg reached 239 years - Year 1757 - 1996 In the year 1996 came the Babylonianconfusion of tongues ת֥ ֹנ ְב ִל ּו ֖ל ְּד ְחַּיַֽו ץ ֶר֑ ָא ָה־ל ׇכ י֣ ֵנ ְּפ־ל ַע ם֖ ָּׁש ִמ ם֛ ָתֹא ה֥ ָוֹה ְי ץ ֶפָּ֨יַו׃ריֽ ִע ָהThus G-d scattered them from there over the faceof the whole earth; and they stopped buildingthe city.Bereshit (Genesis) 11:8Re'u reached 239 years - Year 1787 - 2026 Shrug reached 230 years - Year 1819 - 2049 Nachor reached 148 years - Year 1849 - 1997 Terach reached 205 years - Year 1878 - 2083 Awraham reached 175 years - Year 1948 - 2123 Awraham's covenant with HaShem׃ד ֹֽא ְמ דֹ֥א ְמ ִּב ָ֖ך ְת ֹוא ה֥ ֶּב ְר ַא ְו ָך֑ ֶני ֵבּו י֣ ִני ֵּב י֖ ִתי ִר ְב ה֥ ָנ ְּת ֶא ְו“I will maintain My covenant between Me andyou, and your offspring to come, as aneverlasting covenant throughout the ages, to beG-d to you and to your offspring to come.”Bereshit (Genesis) 17:7When Noah was born as the tenth generationafter Adam, Adam was no longer alive, but Noahwas still alive when archfather Awraham wasborn ten generations later!5Adam and Chava

The generation of NoahThe generation of Noahה"בוי֑ ָתֹרֹֽד ְּב הָ֖י ָה םי֥ ִמ ָּת קי֛ ִּד ַצ ׁשי֥ ִא ַחֹ֗נ ַח ֹ֔נ תֹ֣ד ְל ֹו ּת ה ֶּל֚ ֵא׃ ַחֹֽנ־ְך ֶּל ַה ְתֽ ִה םי֖ ִהֹל ֱאֽ ָה־ת ֶא“This is the line of Noah.—Noah was arighteous man; he was blameless in his age;Noah walked with G-d.”Bereshit (Genesis) 6:9Before the great flood, people were rich andhealthy and prosperous. The climate waspleasant and people grew many hundreds ofyears old but mankind became more andmore alienated from G-d. They made imagesas reminders of G-d and after some time theyeven began to worship the images. The worldbecame corrupt. All people did the oppositeof what G-d wanted and even the animalsmixed with other species instead of theirown. Noah was a righteous man in his generation.The name Noah means rest or comfort. Noah's father Lamech chose this namebecause he foresaw that Noah would givethem rest. ּ֙ונ֙ ֵׂש ֲע ַּמ ֽ ִמ ּונ֤ ֵמ ֲח ַנ ְי הֶ֠֞ז רֹ֑מא ֵל ַחֹ֖נ ֹו֛מ ְ ׁש־ת ֶא א֧ ָר ְק ִּיַו׃הָֽוֹה ְי ּה֖ ָר ְרֵֽא ר֥ ֶ ׁש ֲא ה ָ֔מ ָד ֲא֣ ָה־ן ִמ ּוני ֵ֔דָי ן ֹו֣ ב ְּצ ִע ֵמּו“And he named him Noah, saying, “This onewill provide us relief from our work and fromthe toil of our hands, out of the very soilwhich G-d placed under a curse.”Bereshit (Genesis) 5:29Rashi tells us that Noah introduced the use ofplows and other agricultural implements,which would make working the land a loteasier. Also, in his day there were no longeras many brambles and thorny bushesgrowing.The sages of the Midrash tell us that Noahwas the first with dexterous fingers, whichmade all kinds of complicated work possible.Noah was handy. G-d told Noah that He had decided to put anend to all creatures.ה֥ ָא ְל ָמ־יֽ ִּכ י ַ֔נ ָפ ְל א֣ ָּב ֙ ר ָׂש ָּב־ל ׇּכ ץ֤ ֵק ַחֹ֗נ ְל םי֜ ִהֹל ֱא ר ֶמאֹּ֨יַו׃ץ ֶר ֽ ָא ָה־ת ֶא ם֖ ָתי ִח ְ ׁש ַמ י֥ ִנ ְנ ִה ְו ם֑ ֶהי ֵנ ְּפ ִמ ס ֖ ָמ ָח ץ ֶר֛ ָא ָה“G-d said to Noah, “I have decided to put anend to all flesh, for the earth is filled withlawlessness because of them: I am about todestroy them with the earth.”Bereshit (Genesis) 6:13Noah was instructed to build for him, his familyand the select animals a giant ark that consisted ofthree layers.The top layer was for Noah and his family, themiddle layer was for the animals and thebottom layer was for the excrement.Building the ark took 120 years. This gavebystanders the opportunity to change theirways. Unfortunately, no one took theopportunity for repentance.When the waters began to flow on theseventh day of the month of Cheshvan in theyear 1656 (2105 BCE) and rain fell from thesky, animals and birds, two of each species,one male and one female, entered the ark.Of the clean, kosher animals seven pairs, onemale with six females, of each species.ׁשי֣ ִא ה֖ ָע ְב ִ ׁש ה֥ ָע ְב ִ ׁש ָ֛ך ְל־ח ַּקֽ ִּת ה֗ ָר ֹוה ְּט ַה ה֣ ָמ ֵה ְּב ַה ׀  לֹ֣ ּכ ִמׁשי֥ ִא ם ִיַ֖נ ְ ׁש או֛ ִה ה֥ ָרֹה ְט א ֹ֣ ל ר ֶ֠ ׁש ֲ֠א ה ָ֡מ ֵה ְּב ַה־ן ִמּו ֹו֑ ּת ְ ׁש ִא ְו׃ ֹוֽ ּת ְ ׁש ִא ְו“Of every pure animal you shall take sevenpairs, males and their mates, and of everyanimal that is not pure, two, a male and itsmate” Bereshit (Genesis) 7:2The rain continued for 40 days and nights.When it stopped raining, the water was still ata high level for 150 days. After that time, thewater slowly subsided.During the time Noah and his family stayedon the ark, they cared for the animals day inand day out. All the animals were able to liveharmoniously with each other. No animalattacked another animal.This was also a reference to the futureredemption, ''the wolf shall dwell with thelamb and the leopard shall lie down with thegoat...'' Isaiah 11:6The total time Noah and his family stayed inthe ark was 365 days.6

flood of Noahה"בChronology of the Flood:Cheshvan 17 (mid autumn): Noah enters theark; the rain begins.Kislev 27 (early winter): Forty days of rainended; beginning of 150 days of bubbling andchurning of water.Sivan 1 (early summer): Water comes to restand begins to subside at the rate of one cubitevery four days.17 Sivan: The bottom of the ark, 11 cubitsunderwater, touches the top of the mountainsof Ararat.Av 1 (summer): The mountain peaks breakthrough the surface of the water.Elul 10 (late summer): Forty days after themountaintops become visible, Noah opens thewindow of the ark and sends out a raven.Elul 17: Noah sends the dove for the first time.Elul 23: The dove is sent a second time andreturns with an olive branch in its beak.Tishrei 1 (early autumn): Third mission of thedove. Water completely drained.Cheshvan 27: The ground has completely driedup. Noah and his family leave the ark.After the Flood, HaShem promised mankindnever again to allow a Flood, which had wipedout mankind in total, to come upon the earth.G-d made a covenant with Noah and hisdescendants, and He reinforced the covenantthrough a rainbow. When mankind is unworthy and sins andpossible thoughts of destruction come to G-d,He will cause a rainbow to appear among theclouds. This will be as a reminder that He keepsHis covenant. The rainbow is therefore animportant symbol for Noahides. Serve only G-d (Worship no false gods)Use G-ds name with respect(Prohibition of Blasphemy)Respect life (Don't Murder)Respect marriage (No immoral sexual acts)Respect what belongs to another (Don't steal)Respect G-d's creation(Do not eat a limb from a living animal)Stand up for law and order (Establish courts of justice)The Seven Noahide Laws are minimumguidelines for a morally healthy society.Every human being can understand andfollow these Laws. If society does notfollow these minimum guidelines, anunhealthy immoral atmosphere willprevail on earth and the foundation of ahealthy society will disappear with greatconsequences.Avodah ZaraBirkat HaShemShefihut DamimArayotGezelEver Min HachaiDinim7

Who was Shem?ChamJafethShemThe Torah mentions Shem first as the son ofNoah. However, according to Jewish tradition,Shem was the youngest son of Noah. He wasthe ancestor of Awraham. He was a prophetand priest. Melchizedek, the righteous king ofSalem, mentioned in Bereshit (Genesis)14:18-20, is Shem. After the great flood, Shem together with hisgreat-grandson Ever had a school (Yeshiva ofShem V'Ever) where Torah was studied.Awraham and Jacob among others were theirstudents. They also had a “beth din” (“houseof law”), where justice was administeredbased on the Noahide Laws. Little is writtenabout the details of their teaching. Thewritten Torah does not reveal where theywere located or how their teaching wascarried out. The Seven Laws are simple to understand.Everyone knows that they are healthy moralprinciples upon which a society can build tobe strong and prosperous.Non-Jewish people, the nations, who followthe Laws because G-d asks them to, have aplace in the world to come (א ָּב ַה ם ָל ֹוע, OlamHaba)and are called righteous among the nations (ם ָל ֹוע ָה ת ֹו ּמ ֻא י ֵדי ִס ֲח, chasi d e i u m o t h a O l a m ) .(Hilchot Teshuvah 3:5 and Hilchot Melachim 8:11)All humans are descended from Noah and hisfamily. However after Awraham's covenant,the Jewish people came into existence andwere given the 613 mitzvot (divinecommandments) of the Torah. People whovoluntarily wanted to take on the yoke of the613 mitzvot could become part of the Jewishpeople through conversion.Who was Shem?ה"בSince the Seven Mitzvot Bnei Noach seem toconsist of fundamental ethical values, isn't itenough to keep them because we want to begood and ethical people?The underlying intent is of such greatimportance because a person should behavein accordance with these principles, becausethese principles appeal to a person's senseof right and wrong, to a person's intellect, orto a person's sense of justice, rather thanbecause the Almighty has commanded it. If aperson then does not fulfill the mitzvot, thecommandments of HaShem, in the right wayand with the right intentions, they are thennot considered a 'Ben/Bat Noah.' TheRambam explains that a Gentile must acceptthese mitzvot because they were specificallyrevealed by G-d through Moshe Rabbeinu tothe children of Israel on Mount Sinai.In other words, the Seven Mitzvot Bnei Noachare not just nice, ethical “things to do,” theyare Divine Laws, halachot. And, as theTalmud says, “Since the Temple wasdestroyed, G-d has left no place except thehalachot.” Therefore, the Seven Mitzvot BneiNoach must be properly performed, and thatmeans they must be observed in accordancewith halacha (Jewish law).If we study the Seven Laws separately, we seethat they are categories that can be brokendown to as many as 90 subcategories. Theyare explained in detail in “The Divine Code.”Noah8Did you kn ow?That the N oah ide movement is gro wingworldwide?The purpos e o f Torah is to uplif t a ndperfect al l m ank ind! That means tha t Torahis ultimat ely fo r everyone.

The ScripturesTorah (Meaning law,instruction, direction)The five books ofMoshe Rabbeinu(Moses)Nevi'imThe prophetsKetuvimThe Scriptures,Collection of literaturewhich consists of 11books.Bereshit (Genesis)Shemot (Exodus)Vayikra (Leviticus)Bamidbar (Numbers)Devarim (Deuteronomy)The Torah is also calledChumash from the wordchamesh, meaning five The written Torah; TorahShevichtavYehoshua - JoshuaShoftim - JudgesShmuel 1 - 1 SamuelShmuel 2 - 2 SamuelMelachim 1 - 1 KingsMelachim 2 - 2 KingsYeshayahu - IsaiahYirmiyahu - JeremiahYechezkel - EzekielHoshea - HoseaYoel - JoelAmos - AmosOvadiah - ObadiahYonah - JonahMicha - MichaNahum - NahumHabakkuk - HabakkukZephaniah - ZephaniahChaggai - HaggaiZechariah - ZachariaMal’achim - MalachiTehillim - PsalmsMishlei - ProverbsIyov - JobShir Hashirim - Song ofSongsRuth - RuthEikhah - LamentationsKohelet - EcclesiastesEsther - EstherDaniel - DanielEzra - EzraNehemiah - NehemiahDivrei Hayamim 1 - 1 ChroniclesDivrei Hayamim 2 - 2 ChroniclesAn ove rview of th e most impo rtant books within the Jewish fai th:Tanach ; is the na me for all 3 booksExplanation of the Jewish scripturesO r a l T o r a h a n d t h e M i s h n a hIn a ddi tion to the w rit ten T ora h, th ere is a n o ra l T ora h; To rah S heb e'al PehEach wo rk re qui res k now ledge an d und ers tandi ng of it 's co nte xt in or der t o u nders tan d it' scont ent and mor e imp ort antly , t hat i t i s int end ed to co nv ey all t he instr uct ions nec essar yfor eac h ind ivi dual, ea ch si tua tion and an e nti re Pe opl e. Or igi na lly , ora l T orah was notwrit ten down bu t pas sed on o ral ly by G- d to Mos he on Mo un t S ina i for fort y d ays a nd night sand the n pas sed on f rom gene rat ion t o g enera tio n, fr om fa the r t o son and fro m tea che r tostud ent .Abou t 1 800 y ear s ago , R abbi Yah udah HaN asi c onc lu ded th at be cau se of all the chal len gesof e xil e and th e imp end ing d emi se of or al tr adi ti on tha t thi s o ra l t eachi ng would beforg ott en if it was not writ ten down .He c oll ected al most all of t he trans mit ted t rad it ion s f ro m t he sc hol ars o f h is ge ner ation an dearl ier gene rat ions and toge the r the y c ompil ed th e M ish na , w hic h con sists of six ord ers.Some tr aditi ons were so metim es not w rit ten d own b ut lat er co lle ct ed in th e s o-cal ledbara ito t and to sefto t ( liter all y: om iss ions and a ddi tio ns ). The w hol e of the Mish na hasbeco me a con cis e col lec tion of all o ral teac hin gs . I t c on tai ns ex pla natio ns of th ecomm and ments an d pro hib ition s t o the Je wish peo pl e.ה"ב9

The ScripturesThe TalmudBetween the third and seventh centuries, the sages studied, analyzed and commented on the Mishna alongsideother rabbinic texts, creating a collection of writings that encompass the full range of Jewish law and tradition.Written in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, it contains the teachings and discussions of the great academies ofIsrael and Babylonia. The rabbis continued to learn about it and they expanded the knowledge of the traditionboth in Babylonia and in learning schools in Israel. Finally, their vast expansions and commentaries on the Mishnawere written down and the result was that a so-called Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud appeared as a kind ofcatalogue of oral tradition. The Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud are many times larger in volumethan the Mishna, yet they always begin section by section with a Mishna (a small paragraph from the Mishna) andthis is then discussed etc. The study of the Talmud is a lifelong activity because of the amount of pages andcommentaries.The Hebrew word Talmud means ''learning''.The Mishna (and thus the Talmud) is divided into six sections, also called sedarim (orders).Zera'im (“Seeds”): It deals mainly with agricultural laws, but also with the laws of blessings and prayers (contains 11 tractates).Mo'ed (“Feast”): Deals with the laws of Shabbat and holidays (contains 12 tractates).Nashim (“Women”): Deals with marriage and divorce (contains 7 tracts).Nezikin (“Compensation”): Covers civil and criminal law and ethics (contains 10 tracts).Kodashim (“Holy [things]”): Covers laws about sacrifices, the Holy Temple and the food laws (contains 11 tracts).Taharot (“Purity”): Deals with the laws of ritual purity (contains 12 tracts).The ZoharThe Zohar (meaning shine or shimmer of light) is the written down (and later commented on) text studied by RabbiShimon Bar Yochai and his son - who were locked in a cave for seven years, learning there in the cave from theprophet Elijah. The Zohar is the esoteric interpretation of the Torah and many explanations that are mystical innature and contain the secret mystical teachings (sod). The Zohar contains the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his disciples who lived in the land of Israel in thesecond century. It was carefully preserved all that time. Most Jews did not even know of the existence of the Zoharuntil, in the 13th century, Rabbi Moshe de Leon edited the Zohar and published the books of the Zohar. The Jewish mystical teachings (sod) are part of the explanations given on the Torah and were also transmitted withthe oral tradition (the later Mishnah) by Moshe Rabeinu from Mount Sinai to Joshua and then to the Prophets andthe Men of the Great Assembly until the time of the writers of the Talmud. The five books of Moshe Rabeinu andthe Prophets described numerous mystical visions and experiences without explaining them or explaining themethodology. Mishneh Torah The Mishneh Torah (meaning Torah overview) is the book of law written by the Rambam (Maimonides). He was aTalmudic scholar, philosopher and physician. He wrote this book in response to all the fast-growing discussions ofthe Talmud that left the average layman without access to practical guidance for daily life.It is a clearly organized encyclopedia with halachic rules of the rabbinic traditions existing up to that time. Thisbecame the standard and provided a platform for many important rabbinic works to follow.Shulchan AruchThe Shulchan Aruch (meaning set table) is the code of Jewish Law. Written by Rabbi Yosef Caro, a Sephardic sagewho lived in the city of Safed in northern Israel. The book offers clear instructions from Maimonides' Code of Lawand other commentaries. When Rabbi Yosef Caro completed his work, Rabbi Moshe Isserles, an Ashkenazi rabbifrom Poland, was working on a similar project.Seeing the work of the Sephardic scholar, Rabbi Moshe Isserles chose to stop his project and add pieces to RabbiYosef Caro's work. People also noticed the divergent traditions. Thus, in this way, the texts that are now usedthroughout the Jewish world were put together. The book consists of four parts. Each devoted to a different area of Jewish life:Orach Chaim (The way of life) covers prayer, Shabbat and holidays, and other issues encountered in daily life.Yoreh Deah (He will show understanding) includes the complicated laws of kosher, vows and other areas inwhich a rabbi is generally consulted.Even HaEzer (Stone of Assistance) contains laws on marriage, divorce, etc.Choshen Mishpat (Breastplate of Judgement) is devoted to monetary laws, torts and other matters relevant to arabbinical court.Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried wrote the Kitsur Shulchan Aruch (Abbreviated Code of Jewish Law) for Jews who are notscholars but who do want to learn practical halacha.Several law books for Noahides can be found. The best known are The Divine Code and Brit Shalom. Even thoughthere are differences in approach or explanation, both books are highly relevant for in-depth study.ה"ב10

The ScripturesThe SiddurThe Siddur is the Jewish prayer book, an indispensable and essential component for the law-abiding Jew. It was compiled by the Anshe Knesset Hagedolah (Men of the Great Assembly) Inaddition to the Amidah (silent prayer), it also contains portions of scriptures such as theShema and a selection of Psalms.During the time of Saadya Gaon (882-942), Jewish prayers were recorded in the Siddur andthere are now thousands of siddurim on the market. All with different traditions,translations, styles, etc. per Jewish community. Nowadays, even digital siddurim can befound.For Noahides, there exist prayer books as well. The Prayer book from AskNoah, the Brit Olamand the Order of Noahide nations are the most popular. They are easy to understand andgood for maintaining a conscious connection with G-d.The TanyaThe Tanya was written by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, also known as the Alter Rebbe.Rabbi Schneur Zalman's works cover a spectrum of Jewish thought - mysticism, philosophy,psychology, ethics and law, written primarily for the Jewish layman for everyday use. He wasthe founder of Lubavitch Chassidism, a movement that evolved into Chabad, now one of thestrongest and most dynamic branches of Chassidism and spread throughout the world. TheTanya contains Kabbalistic ideas and practical advice. It provides a doable roadmap for everyJew trying to serve G-d. The book consists of 5 parts:Sefer Shel Beinonim, “Book of the Common Man,” advice on how common people canserve G-d in their daily lives with their hearts and minds.Shaar Hayichud Veha'emunah, “Portal of Unity and Faith,” on the unity of G-d and it'scrucial place in Jewish faith.Iggeret Hateshuvah, “Letter on Repentance,” on the meaning of true repentance and howto achieve it.Iggeret Hakodesh, “Letter[s] of Holiness,” a collection of the author's letters, many ofwhich deal with the importance of charity and it's immense spiritual effects.Kuntres Acharon, “Appendix,” kabbalistic treatises that elaborate on themes covered inSefer Shel Beinonim.Noahides can study the second part; Shaar Hayich ud Veha'emunah, “Portal ofUnity and Faith,”.ה"ב11Did y o u k n o w ?That o u r p l a t form is open to everyone, whether y o uare b e g i n n e r or advanced, everyone is welcome! W eoffer s p a c e f or growth and collaboration in the q u e s tfor j u s t i c e , peace and harmony. We welcome you t ojoin o u r W h a t sapp and Facebook group for furtherinter a c t i o n a nd inspiration.www.d u t c h n o a h idecommunity.nl

The Seven LawsWhere do we find the seven Laws?ה"בThe laws are not written down directly andchronologically but 6 of the 7are described in Bereshit (Genesis) and 1 in Vayikra(Leviticus):1.Avoda Zara: Serve only G-d(Do not worship false gods)ןגה־ץע לכמ רמאל םדאה־לע םיהלא הוהי וציולכאת לכאAnd G-d commanded the Human, saying, “Ofevery tree of the garden you are free to eat;Bereshit (Genesis) 2:16“And G-d commanded the Human, saying.“ Wecan conclude from this that Adam was giventhe commandment to obey, honor and serveonly the One True G-d, and not to worshipfalse gods.2.Birkat HaShem: Use G-d'sname with respect(Prohibition of Blasphemy)In Vayikra (Leviticus) 24:10-17 there is apiece written about a man whose mother wasan Israelite and his father was an Egyptian.An argument broke out between the halfIsraelite and a full-blooded Israelite. TheIsraelite blasphemed the Name of G-d uponwhich he was brought before MosheRabbeinu (Moses). He was taken into custodyuntil G-d had revealed a decision to MosheRabbeinu.וכמסו הנחמל ץוחמ־לא ללקמה־תא אצוהותא ומגרו ושאר־לע םהידי־תא םיעמשה־לכהדעה־לכ“Take the blasphemer outside the camp; andlet all who were within hearing lay theirhands upon his head, and let the communityleadership stone him.”ללקי־יכ שיא שיא רמאל רבדת לארשי ינב־לאוואטח אשנו ויהלא“And to the Israelite people speak thus:Anyone who blasphemes G-d shall bear theguilt” Vayikra (Leviticus) 24:14-15שיא שיא “Ish Ish“ literally means “a man, aman“ and refers to every human being. So itis forbidden for all mankind, Jews andGentiles alike, to curse His name.3. Shefichut Damim: Respect life(Do not murder)ונשרדא היח־לכ דימ שרדא םכיתשפנל םכמד־תא ךאוםדאה שפנ־תא שרדא ויחא שיא דימ םדאה דימו“But for your own life-blood I will require areckoning: I will require it of every beast; ofhumankind, too, will I require a reckoning forhuman life, of everyone for each other!”םיהלא םלצב יכ ךפשי ומד םדאב םדאה םד ךפשםדאה־תא השע“Whoever sheds human blood,By human [hands] shall that one’s blood beshed; For in the image of G-dWas humankind made.”Bereshit (Genesis) 9:5-6G-d clearly lets us know that murder is notpermitted and that there is a punishment forbloodshed. Whoever sheds human blood, hisblood will be shed by human hands. In thisrespect, human life is invaluable. Therefore,to destroy a human life is like destroying thewhole world. For that person, the world hasceased to exist. It follows that by sustaining asingle human life, you sustain an entireuniverse.4. Arajot: Respect marriage(Preserve family integrity)ותשאב קבדו ומא־תאו ויבא־תא שיא־בזעי ןכ־לעדחא רשבל ויהוHence a man leaves his father and motherand clings to his wife, so that they becomeone flesh.Bereshit (Genesis) 2:24From this we read that when a man leaves hisparental home and takes a wife to himselfthat they are both bound to each other. Itforbids cheating with another person's wifebut from this above verse we can alsounderstand that the Torah forbids a man tohave a sexual relationship with his mother,his father's wife or ex-wife, with another manor with an animal. It is also forbidden to havea relationship with his sister on his mother'sside which is evident from:ימא־תב אל ךא אוה יבא־תב יתחא הנמא־םגוהשאל יל־יהתו“And besides, she is in truth my sister, myfather’s daughter though not my mother’s;and she became my wife.”Bereshit (Genesis) 20:1212

The Seven Lawsה"בושעת א ל ה ב ־ םתבשי רשא םירצמ־ץרא השעמכאל ה מ ש ם כ ת א איבמ ינא רשא ןענכ־ץרא השעמכווכלת א ל ם ה י תקחבו ושעת“You s h a l l not copy the practices of the lan dof E g y p t w here you dwelt, or of the land ofCana a n t o which I am taking you; nor shallyou f o l l o w their laws.”Vayi k r a ( L e viticus) 18:3The i m m o r a l sexual practices of theEgyp t i a n s and also of the Canaanites were anabom i n a t i o n to G-d.The f a m i l y dynamic is the foundation ofsoci e t y . S exuality is the source of life inwhic h a n e w life is created. If it is abusedthen i t b e comes degrading and destructive toman.5. G e z e l : Respect what belongs to another(Don ' t s t e al).ןגה־ ץ ע ל כ מ רמאל םדאה־לע םיהלא הוהי וציולכאת ל כ א“And G - d c ommanded the Human, saying, “Ofever y t r e e of the garden you are free to eat ; ”ךלכא ם ו י ב י כ ונממ לכאת אל ערו בוט תעדה ץעמותומת ת ו מ ו נ ממ“but a s f o r the tree of knowledge of good an dbad, y o u m ust not eat of it; for as soon asyou e a t o f it, you shall die.”Bere s h i t ( G enesis) 2:16-17G-d h a d f o rbidden Adam and Chava to eatfrom t h e t ree of ”knowledge of Good andEvil . ” I t was not their property and G-d didnot g i v e p ermission to eat from the fruit. I nthis w e l e arn that we must not appropriateanyt h i n g t hat does not belong to us and forwhic h w e a re not given permission.The p r o h i b ition of stealing includes muchmore t h a n just stealing an object such as, f o rexam p l e :That w e m a y not steal money (physical ordigi t a l ) , we may not cheat, we may notdish o n o r a nyone or entice anyone to commitadul t e r y , we may not kidnap or takehost a g e s , we may not physically orpsyc h o l o g i cally harm anyone, we may notrefu s e a c laim for money that we are owed,we m a y n o t misuse an employer's time, wemay n o t o v ercharge, we may not use orposs e s s f a lse weights and measures.If w e d i d steal something, even if notinte n t i o n a lly, we can return it or pay for i t .6. E v e r M i n Hachai: Respect G-d's creation(Do n o t e a t a limb of a living animal)בשע ק ר י כ ה ל כאל היהי םכל יח־אוה רשא שמר־לכלכ־ת א ם כ ל י תתנ“Eve r y c r e ature that lives shall be yours toeat; a s w i th the green grasses, I give you a l lthes e . ”ולכא ת א ל ו מ ד ושפנב רשב־ךא“You m u s t not, however, eat flesh with itslife - b l o o d in it.”Bere s j i e t ( Genesis) 9:3-4Adam a n d C hava (Eve) were not permitted tokill a n i m a ls for food.Nach m a n i d e s explains that the reason for theproh i b i t i o n of eating meat was that creature sthat p o s s e ss a moving soul have a certainsupe r i o r i t y.13 ‘’as regards their soul, resembling in a waythose who possess the rational soul: theyhave the power of choice affecting theirwelfare and their food, and they flee frompain and death.’’Ramban al HaTora 1:29Animals were not allowed to be killed simplyfor human pleasure. However, one wasallowed to kill animals as an offering to G-das Abel did in Bereshit (Genesis) 4:4. It usedto be thought that the animal was raised toa higher state by offering it to G-d.Maimonides thinks that in the Third Templethere will be no animal sacrifices.This remained valid until after Noah's flood.G-d gave permission to eat animals onlyafter Noah and his family left the Ark.Therefore, G-d gave the prohibition againsteating the limbs of a living animal even ifthe animal is stunned.Eating the flesh of a living animal is thecause of cruelty and selfishness. Even asmall amount of meat from a living animal,even if prepared, violates this prohibition.7. Diniem: Commit to law and order(Establish courts)םיהלא םלצב יכ ךפשי ומד םדאב םדאה םד ךפשםדאה־תא השע“Whoever sheds human blood,By human [hands] shall that one’s blood beshed; For in the image of G-dWas humankind made.”Bereshit (Genesis) 9:6Justice is a fundamental requirement forcivilization. If justice no longer existed thenthe world would fall into a complete chaos.Without a legal system, human beings wouldbecome criminals and then be given carteblanche to take over power with all it'sconsequences. Therefore, a legal systemshould be established. In the times we knowtoday, the legal system is not based on the 7laws and G-d's desire for a just civilization.We live under a system of laws establishedby the state. This legislation includes lawsthat go against the very Torah.G-d is just, He is our example to do good butalso we learn from Him that it is necessaryfor courts to exist. An important rule is thatwe must keep ourselves to the 7 Laws ofNoah and in addition we have to keepourselves to the laws of the land we live in.Strive to be a righteous person, acthonestly, do not use deceit and be the bestexample you can be to those around you.The more this teaching can be spread, themore the will of G-d can be made known inpolitics and the courts, among others, for ajust legal system as G-d desires.

Literature and TeachersRecommended teachers and literatureה"בThere are several rabbis who offer valuableinsights for Noahides. Here are somereputable names that are generallyrecommended. Within this wide range ofrecommendations, the views of the rabbis maydiffer in some respects when it comes to thepractical lifestyle of the Noahide. As iscustomary in Judaism, we certainly need notbe alarmed by this but rather these differentviewpoints are subject to discussion andstudy. It is important to realize that Noahidesdo not belong to a new religion but haveJudaism as their basis.1. Rabbi Yitzchok GinsburghAn expert in Kabbalah and Chassidic philosophywho is also concerned with the development andprogression of Noahides in historical and futureperspective.He also talks about universal values and how toconnect them to the Noahide commandments.2. Rabbi Manis FriedmanKnown for his accessible explanations ofprofound spiritual concepts.He emphasizes universal moral lessons consistentwith the Noahide tradition.3. Rabbi Moshe WeinerAuthor of The Divine Code, an important work onNoahide laws.He is an authority on halachic guidelines forNoahides.4. Rabbi Dr. Michael Shulman Director of Ask Noah.5. Rabbi Tovia SingerFocuses on clarifying the authenticity of Judaismand offers insights on the differences betweenJudaism and other religions. He helps Noahides tobetter understand the context of their faith.6. Rabbi Shimon CowenAuthor of The Theory and Practice of UniversalEthics.He explores the philosophical and ethicalsignificance of the Noahide commandments.7. Rabbi Michael Skobac Is director of Jews for Judaism, but is alsoengaged in providing information regarding thespiritual foundation for Noahides and is an expertin helping people who come from differentcultures.8. Rabbi Aaron Dovid PostonRabbi/teacher at Yiboneh who also teaches on theNoahide commandments.9. Rabbi Chaim RichmanHe teaches Noachides weekly but also has aPodcast (Jerusalem Lights Podcast) along withNoahide, Jim Long.Recommendations for further study and studychannels:If you are looking for more depth in this area,online platforms and organizations such as AskNoah, Noahide Academy of Jerusalem, NoahideNations, World Noahide Center, My NoahideFamily, Yiboneh and The ark online Torah learningprogram are also good study channels. You cannot only find lectures from the above-mentionedrabbis there, but also ask direct questions and getinvolved in a broader community.Rabbi BreitowitzRabanit Sarah CohenRabbi Mosche Chaim EadeRabbi Pinchas TaylorRabbi Lawrence KelemanRabbi Lazer BrodyRabbi Yaakov Asher SinclairRabbi Aaron L. RaskinRabbi Yehoshua ZitronRabbi DovBer PinsonRabbi Shalom ArushBasic books:Tenach: we recommend the Artscrolltranslation.Prayer Book for Noachides: contains briefly theprinciples of faith and some general dailyprayers and blessings.The Divine Code by Rabbi Weiner: Halacha(explaining the Seven Noahide Laws in detailwith sources and footnotes, we recommendusing the fourth edition)Brit Olam, by Rabbi CherkiMeaningful living, Rabbi Menachem MendelSchneersonThe universal garden of Emunah, Rabbi ShalomArushGo(o)d for You, Rabbi Moshe WeinerThe theory and practice of universal ethics,Shimon David CowenLet's get biblical, Rabbi Tovia SingerDisclaimerDutch Noahide Community provides an independent platformfor study and exchange on the Noahide commandments andrelated topics. However, we are neither responsible nor liablefor the content, interpretation or application of studymaterials, nor for the teachings, practices or opinions ofteachers, organizations and sources shared within thisplatform.Most Noahide channels are free, but there are channels thatrequire a paid subscription. Not wrong in itself, but a smallwarning is in order: there are sites and channels that are outfor excessive profit or persuade people to convert to Judaismfor high payments, or publicize ideas that are not supportedby reliable mainstream Orthodox rabbis and can thereforelead to great disappointment.We encourage everyone to do their own critical research,consult authentic sources and take responsibility for their ownlearning and spiritual development.14

Noachite MarriageMarriage for Noahidesה"בי֑ ִר ָׂש ְּב ִמ ר֖ ָׂש ָבּו י ַ֔מ ָצ ֲע ֵֽמ ם ֶצ֚ ֶע ם ַע֗ ַּפ ַה תאֹ֣ז ֒ם ָד ָאֽ ָה ֘ר ֶמאֹּ֘יַותאֹּֽז־ה ָח ֳק ֻֽל ׁשי ֖ ִא ֵמ י֥ ִּכ ה ָּׁ֔ש ִא א֣ ֵר ָּק ִי ֙ תאֹז ְל ֹו֑ ּמ ִא־ת ֶא ְו וי֖ ִב ָא־ת ֶא ׁשי ִ֔א־בָז ֲעַֽי ֙ ן ֵּכ־ל ַעדֽ ָח ֶא ר֥ ָׂש ָב ְל ּו֖י ָה ְו ֹו ּ֔ת ְ ׁש ִא ְּב ק֣ ַב ָד ְו:Then the Human (Adam) said,“This one at last is bone of my bonesAnd flesh of my flesh.This one shall be called Woman, For from a Human was she taken.”Hence a man leaves his father and mother andclings to his wife, so that they become oneflesh.Bereshit (Genesis) 2:23-24Marriage for NoahidesFor both Jews and non-Jews, marriage betweena man and a woman was given by G-d to forma family, as the basis for a stable society.Misjnee Tora Hilchot Ishut 1:1''Before the Torah was given, when a manwould meet a woman in the marketplace andhe and she decided to marry, he would bringher home, conduct relations in private andthus make her his wife.''Rambam explains in the Mishnah Torah that anon-Jewish man and woman, can establishmarriage when the man brings her into hishome and they have relations to ratify themarriage.Marriage and intimacy between husband andwife are sacred, as commanded to all peoplein the 7 Noahide Laws.It is recommended for Noahides to have amarriage ceremony so that it is clear to theoutside world that this man and this womanare married. The law also ensures that thecouple and any children, are protected withinthis marriage. However, this is not mandatoryand a man and woman who live together andshow themselves as a couple in public are alsoconsidered married. The laws of the countrywhere you live must be followed in thisregard.It is permissible for Noahides to have theirwedding ceremony performed under achuppah (wedding canopy) if it is consistentwith their cultural or personal values.The chuppah is not exclusively a Jewishreligious requirement but symbolizes thehome and marital union. In the case of aNoahide wedding, it does not have thespecific Jewish halachic implications, butcan be a meaningful ceremonial additionthat reflects devotion. However, it isimportant in this case that it does notfalsely convey a Jewish religious identity,such as through the use of a tallit. Rather,the chuppah is meant to make visible theNoahide couple's own faith and intentions.It is also permitted to draw up a ketubah(marriage contract) with a text specificallytailored to Noahides. An example of aketubah suitable for Noahides is shownbelow.The wedding ceremony ideally takes placeunder the direction of a rabbi, and can bedesigned in many different ways. Examplesof things that are permitted to be includedin this ceremony include: the reading ofpsalms or an appropriate portion from theTenach, the saying of free prayers, theexchange of rings and celebrations withjoyous music.Jewish traditions emphasize the universalvalues of marriage, rooted in holiness anddevotion, which apply to all humanity.Noahide laws encourage the establishmentof marriage, as the basis for a moral andjust society.15

Noachite MarriageBy t h e Grace of G - dOn t h e ___ day o f t he week, t h e ___ day o f the mont h _ ________ i n the year 2 0 ′ __ in t h e civil cal e n d ar, corre s p o nding to t h e ___ day o f the Hebr e w month __ _ _ _ _______ i nthe y e a r 57__ si n c e Creation a c cording t o the calen d a r of the p e o p le of Is r a e l, here i n t hecomm u n i ty of [ci t y : ] ______ _ _ _ ________ _ _ , [state / p r ovince:] _ _ _ ________ _ _ _ __, [cou n t r y:] _____ _ _ _ ____ the g r o om [full n a me:], ___ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ ______, said t o the brid e [ full name ] , ________ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _:"Be m y wife acco r d i ng to the l a ws of th e T orah of M o s e s as they p e rtain to B n ei Noah,the c h i ldren of N o a h. I prom i s e to resp e c t , honor a n d maintain y o u in a co n s c ientiousand h o n orable ma n n e r as ethi c a l and hon o r a ble peopl e , and to as s u m e all th eresp o n s ibilities t h at a lovi n g and fait h f u l husband h a s, to liv e w ith you a s husband a n dwife a c cording t o u niversal c u s tom and t o provide y o u with all t h e necessi t i e s of life . "Miss _ _ _________ _ _ _ _________ _ , the brid e , agreed to b e come his w i f e, promi s i n g to hono rand r e s pect her h u s band, and t o assume a l l the resp o n s ibilities o f a lovin g a nd faithf u lwife , t o live to g e t her with h i m as wife a n d husband a c cording t o u niversal c u stom, and t omain t a i n a harmo n i o us househ o l d .Mr. _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _________ , t he groom , m ade this s t a tement, " I a ccept up o n myself al lthe m o r al, emoti o n a l and fin a n c ial obli g a t ions of t h i s marriage c o ntract. I a lso accep tupon m y self to p r o v ide for a l l living n e e d s of all c h i ldren wit h w hom G-d w i l l bless u s , atleas t u ntil thei r a ge of sec u l a r majori t y or marria g e .I de c l a re and af f i r m that al l m y presen t a nd future p r operty an d p ossessio n s will besubj e c t to these o b ligations d u ring my l i f etime, an d a fter my l i f e time, fr o m this dayforw a r d and fore v e r .If t h e r e is any q u e stion reg a r d ing the p r a ctical fu l f i llment of t h ese obli g a t ions that I haveacce p t e d, it is m y intention t o follow t h e decision s o f a Jewis h O rthodox r a b binic cou r t ,whic h w ill judge a c cording t o t he Torah l a ws for Bn e i Noach."The o b l igations o f this marr i a g e contra c t were acce p t e d byMr. _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _________ , t he groom , a nd Miss. _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ ________ _ , the bride ,acco r d i ng to the s t rictest c u s t om of al l m arriage c o n t racts acc o r d ing to p r e v ailing ci v i llaws a n d social n o r ms.A bi n d i ng accept a n c e of this c o ntract b y M r. ______ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ ___, the g r oom, and M i s s____ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _____, hi s b ride, wi t h respect t o a ll that i s w ritten a n d stated ab o v e , ismade b y both by a f f ixing the i r signatur e s to this d o c u ment in t h e presence o f theconf i r m ing witne s s e s:Mr. _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ ___ Miss . _ _________ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _____ ( s ignature ) ( signatur e ) Conf i r m ed and si g n e d on the a b o ve date b y :____ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ (witnes s )____ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ (witnes s )ה"ב16This sample text for aketubah comes fromthe Divine Code. Youcan choose ahandmade versionhere from Israel,printed on specialpaper or made bysomeone who canpaint it on paper.However, it is notrequired, nor arethere any specificrequirements beyondthe text.It is advised,however, whenpreparing a ketubah,to ask a rabbi orNoahide withexperience in thismatter for advice.Sources:The Divine Code,Rabbi Moshe Weinerwww.asknoah.org/noahide_marriage

Joining JudaismJoi nin g Judaism - explanatio nIf you are lookin g for more, whether fr om a Christ ian perspec tive or ano therfaith or lifestyl e and you c ome across many intere sting answe rs in Judai sm,you ma y be motiva ted to join Judaism an d convert. However, th is is notnecess ary at all! Besides th e fact that it is a di fficult pro cess, peopl e often donot kn ow that the re are laws for non-Je ws and that this group also has a nimport ant task in the world!Theref ore, it is advisable t o study the 7 Laws of Noah first, beforeconsid ering conve rsion. This is quite a change and an extensi ve study initself . In this w ay you can learn to li ve righteou sly as a No ahide, as G -drequir es of all m ankind. Als o as a Noah ide, you ca n support t he Jewishpeople , you can e ducate thos e around yo u or be a g ood example of how G-dwould like people to behave.Howeve r, if you h ave been li ving as a N oahide for some time, but deep do wnyou fe el that you want more and would l ike to do m ore for HaS hem, then y oucan pr oceed in yo ur quest fo r conversio n. Good boo ks that can help with thisare: T he Gerus Gu ide by Rabb i Aryeh Mos hen and New ly born Jew by RabbiMoshe Steinerman. Keep in mi nd that it is quite a task and ma ny willeventu ally give u p on this p ath. Simply put: It is not an eas y path.If aft er seeking the informa tion you ar e still con vinced to c ontinue the n youcan co ntact a rab bi in a Jew ish congreg ation near you. Howeve r, do not b esurpri sed if they do not rec eive you wi th immediat e enthusias m and openarms. They will b e friendly and willing to answer your questi ons, but al so willdiscou rage rather than encou rage you. U nlike many other relig ions, Judai smhas no formal mis sion or eva ngelism. Th ere is no a ctive effor t to conver tothers to the fai th; instead , one focus es on stren gthening on e's owncommun ity. Nevert heless, it remains pos sible for s omeone who wishes toconver t to take t his step, b ut it is no t done with out careful and thorou ghconsid eration.The pe rson who wa nts to conv ert is ofte n rejected in the init ial stages. Thismay so und harsh, but it has a deeper me aning: the process is designed totest t he sincerit y of the pe rson's inte ntions. Usu ally a cand idate forconver sion is rej ected three times befo re proceedi ng with the process. T hisreject ion is not a rejection of the per son themsel f, but rath er a way of seeingif the person is truly persi stent and w illing to t ake on the responsibil ities andchalle nges of Jew ish life. T he essence of this is that conver sion should notcome f rom tempora ry or super ficial moti ves, someth ing that is unfortunat elyall to o common.The pr ocess is no t just a fo rmal proced ure but an inner trans formation t hatrequir es the cand idate to em bark on a n ew path in life. This includes no t onlythe ac ceptance of Jewish law (the Halac ha), but al so the desi re to be pa rt of acommun ity that ch erishes age -old tradit ions and be liefs. It i s thereforeimport ant for a c andidate fo r conversio n to ask hi mself or he rself, "Am Iwillin g to change my life, d eepen my be liefs and c onnect myse lf to the w orldaround me in a ne w way?" Onl y if the an swer to thi s question is yes, wil l it bea trul y spiritual rebirth.Giurה"ב17

ExperiencesA search for the right pathMy nam e is Judith . I have be en a Noahid e since 201 6. I was ra ised Christ ian, in aPentec ostal churc h, but my f amily has a more refor med, Calvin ist backgro und.Believ ing in G-d was always self-eviden t for me, a nd I have a lways been veryintere sted in Bib le study an d theology. In my adol escence, I started to look morecritic ally at the religious community I grew up in , and I dis covered I m issed a lot ofdepth. So I start ed searchin g more, ini tially in r eform circl es and late r I joined thePlymou th Brethren and after that a bapt ist church. Still, man y of my que stionsremain ed and in m y spare tim e I enjoyed reading bo oks on theo logical iss ues.If I c ould pinpoi nt a starti ng point fo r my break with Christ ianity, it would be th estudy of the theo logy of ete rnal hell. I could tal k about it for hours, but in shor t, Icame t o understan d that ther e is no Bib lical basis for the do ctrine of a n eternalstate of being cu t off from G-d, as tau ght in most Christian communities . Thetheolo gy of hell as I had le arned it as a child, I discovered , was in di rectcontra diction to what G-d re veals about Himself in the Bible.This d iscovery sh ocked my vi ew of the c hurch as an institutio n. I began readingbooks on church h istory and replacement theology. My confiden ce in the a uthorityof imp ortant theo logical dec isions made throughout church his tory comple telydisapp eared. This brought ne w questions , such as w hy are the books of th e Biblewhat t hey are and who came u p with the trinity.During this same period, my personal li fe was pret ty much tur ned upside down. Avery i mportant pe rson in my life passed away and I had to mov e from one side ofthe co untry to th e other. In an effort to stabiliz e myself ag ain, I went back to th echurch I grew up in. For a w hile this w as very war m and famil iar, but so on I foundthat I really did n't fit in anymore. I felt spirit ually homel ess.It was in that si tuation tha t I met my husband Boa z. We soon discovered that wewere b oth struggl ing with ro ughly the s ame questio ns and toge ther we con tinuedour se arch. At a birthday pa rty, my hus band ran in to an old f riend who w as intoJudais m. He advis ed us to ch eck out a g roup in Rot terdam. We followed th is adviceand th ere we had good conver sations and were intro duced to th e work of R abbiTovia Singer. Thr ough his le ctures, Q&A s and debat es on YouTu be, many of our“chris tian” quest ions were a nswered. Th e most impo rtant (and most painfu l) pointshere w ere the Chr istian aton ement doctr ine and the position o f Jesus. It is verydiffic ult to find out that y ou have put your trust in a man i n whom ther e is nosalvat ion.The br eak with Ch ristianity was thus fi nal. We cam e in contac t with DNC and havebeen a ctive on th e board the re for a fe w years. St ill I enjoy delving in to theologyand st ill there a re question s I don't h ave answers to, but I really feel we are in theright place now.The ch ange in per ception of who G-d is that we hav e been goin g through, is alsoaccomp anied by a change of m indset. Thi s is someti mes really difficult b ecause youdon't just leave behind the ideas you'v e adhered t o all your life. Yet i t is reallyworth it! Jewish tradition a nd history are full of inspiring stories, de epphilos ophical dis courses and motivation to grow in your walk with G-d. A sNoahid es, we get to immerse ourselves i n all this new materia l and learn from it.That's awesome!Experiences from a Noahide perspectiveה"ב18

Experiencesה"ב19F r o m G o t h t o G - dMy nam e is Sarah and my chil dhood was a nything but easy. I gr ew up in an unsafesituat ion, which left deep w ounds and r esulted in depression, PTSD and s ocialanxiet y. There were const ant conflic ts at home and I was b ullied at s chool and o nthe st reet. I fel t different from other s; it was a s if I didn 't really b elong anywh ere.My par ents did no t understan d my feelin gs and they also had m ajor proble ms oftheir own, such a s financial worries an d raising m y autistic brother. Hi s behaviouroften led to unsa fe situatio ns within t he family. From settin g birthday decorationson fir e to physic al violence . In additi on, there w as neglect and psychol ogical abus ewithin the family – it was a constant s ource of fe ar and tens ion which u ltimatelyresult ed in the d esire not t o live anym ore. I long ed to retur n to G-d. I n that darkperiod , I asked G -d for the truth, why things happ ened and wh o He was. When m y father le ft for Germ any to buil d a better financial l ife for the family, ou rfamily slowly fel l apart. Th e situation at home be came untena ble. I trie d to find away ou t in relati onships in order to fi nd a little love and a ppreciation somewhereand pe rhaps uncon sciously, s afety, but this turned out to be destructive in the end . I was abused and so I became increasing ly trapped in a downwa rd spiral. Just aftermy 18t h birthday, I had a hu ge argument at home, a fter which I fled from home andwent t o live with my boyfrie nd at the t ime. Althou gh his hear t was in th e right pla ce,this r elationship also turne d out to be unhealthy due to alco hol consump tion andbad fr iends. In 2 011, I met someone els e. This was also the y ear in whic h Icomple tely collap sed. I had to give up on my studi es and work and lived for a yearwithou t an income . I withdre w into isol ation and s truggled wi th anxiety anddepres sion for ye ars. I fill ed the void in my life with video games. The virtual wo rldgave m e a way out at that mo ment. Thera pies and me dication he lped little . I grewtired of counsell ors, even t hough they did their b est. I slip ped further and furthe rdown.Yet de ep down I s till felt a longing fo r something higher. I remained in terested inspirit uality and increasingl y wondered what the me aning of li fe was. Thr oughYouTub e I came in to contact with Christ ian concept s such as t he ‘rapture ’, and Ibegan to ask myse lf: why do I live? Wha t is truth? My search eventually led me todocume ntaries abo ut ancient civilisatio ns, includi ng the Egyp tians and t heirconnec tion to the Jewish peo ple. This w as my first introducti on to the T orah.Curiou s, I began to do my ow n research, which brou ght me ever closer to Judaism. Idiscov ered the le ctures of R abbi Yosef Mizrachi an d Rabbi Alo n Anava and becameincrea singly fasc inated by t he Torah an d the Jewis h way of li fe. When I subscribed toa YouT ube channel about Jewi sh teaching s, someone contacted m e and expla ined theNoahid e laws to m e – the gui delines tha t G-d gave to non-Jews . For the f irst time i nmy lif e, I felt t hat I had f ound answer s that made sense and that resona ted deeplywithin me. I lear ned that th e world is not only ph ysical, but that there is also adeeper spiritual dimension. This insigh t gave me, among other things, a newperspe ctive on my own strugg les and pai n, but also on the pai n of others and on alarge scale, the pain of the entire wor ld.Step b y step I be gan to chan ge my life. I changed my style of dress from gothic tomodest , from the complete op posite of d ark to colo urful, with beautiful floraldresse s, and I im mersed myse lf in the N oahide Laws and kabbal ah. Through lessonsabout the sefirot I began to understand myself and others bet ter. For th e first tim e Iexperi enced inner peace and a sense of direction. G-d guided me to the T orah, whichgave m e the stren gth to come to terms w ith my past , to experi ence diffic ulties asgrowth and to tra nsform dark ness into l ight. Where as I used t o be trappe d in painand de spair, I no w have a pu rpose and a spiritual journey tha t fulfils m e. Judaismhas he lped me to heal slowly and find a deeper con nection wit h HaShem. E very day Iam gra teful (Baru ch HaShem) for this pa th and the growth I am allowed toexperi ence. I am now married to Dawied, a man with a heart of gold. We w orktogeth er for DNC and for a J ewish organ isation, an d together with HaShem we willlearn and achieve much more, Bezrath Ha Shem!

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