Re: Sanhedrin to Hold Session With Worldwide Noahides Monday
Sanhedrin Establishes Council to Teach Humanity ´Laws of Noah´
A group of non-Jewish delegates have come to Jerusalem to pledge their loyalty to the Laws of Noah before the nascent Sanhedrin, establishing a High Council for B'nai Noach.
The ten delegates appeared before a special session of the Jewish High Court of 71 Rabbis led by its Nassi (President) Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. B'nai Noach, literally "Children of Noah," also known as Noahides, are non-Jews who take upon themselves the Torah's obligations for all members of the human race - consisting of seven laws passed on via Noah following the flood, as documented in Genesis (see below).
The gathering took place under a banner quoting the Biblical passage: "For then I will change the nations to speak a pure language so that they all will proclaim the name of the Lord, to serve him with united resolve (Tzefania 3:9)"
The Noahide delegates stood before the nascent Sanhedrin, which was reestablished over a year ago in Tiberias and has met regularly since then. "Each one comes with a name he has made in the world, as a teacher and example in his community of observance of the seven laws of Noah," said Rabbi Michael Bar-Ron, introducing the delegates. "At great physical and financial expense they have come to Jerusalem, the holy city, from far and wide, to pledge their allegiance, for the first time in history, before the Sanhedrin, to the laws of the Creator."
Each of the Noahide representatives stood before the Sanhedrin and pledged:
"I pledge my allegiance to HaShem, the God of Israel, Creator and King of the Universe, to His Torah and representatives. I pledge to uphold the Seven Laws of Noah in all their details, according to Oral Law of Moses under the guidance of the developing Sanhedrin. May HaShem bless and aid me, my fellow council members and all B'nai Noach in all our endeavors for the sake of His name. Blessed are you, G-d of the universe who has caused me to live, sustained me, and brought me to this day."
Roger Grattan, a delegate who lives in Maine, told Arutz-7 prior to the ceremony, "I am sure that this will be a paragraph in the history of civilization, although one could also write books on it. It is also the fulfillment of prophecy." The other members of the council are Bud Gil, Billy Jack Dal, Andrew Overall, Adam Penrod, Jacob Scharf, Chairman Larry Borntrager; Honorary Noahide Council Elder Vendyl Jones, Jack Saunders and Council Speaker Jim Long.
Long addressed the rabbis of the court, requesting formal recognition of the Noahide Council. "Your honor, esteemed rabbis of the developing Sanhedrin. We are here because of your Torah. Rabbis before you elevated the Torah and it drew us in - before that we stumbled in darkness. Everyone here today can tell you that in the past we have experienced the need to consolidate our efforts to make the world aware of the truth."
Rabbi Even-Israel Steinsaltz, on behalf of the Sanhedrin, replied: "We hereby recognize these men as the first high council of B'nai Noach in accordance with the conditions they have accepted upon themselves."
Rabbi Steinsaltz spoke about the role of the Jewish people in bringing the Laws of Noah to the world. "I am part of this Jewish family and I have nothing bad to say about that family, but you don't go up to a man on the street and ask him to join your family. Instead you talk to him about joining the true belief in the Creator and about implementing divine justice toward his fellow man. We are setting up a global mission here – not to recruit people, but to bring them to the realization that there is one G-d." The Nassi explained that this aspect of Judaism lay dormant for years as the Jewish people dealt with staying alive and keeping the Torah in the exile.
Rabbi Steinsaltz called for an extensive project to be undertaken to help B'nai Noah in the nitty-gritty details of the observance of the religion. "A Shulhan Aruch for B'nai Noah must be written so that the individual can have guidance as to what to do," Steinzaltz said, referring to the compendium of practical Jewish law written by Rabbi Yosef Karo of Tzfat in the 1560's that is still used today.
He then addressed the ten B'nai Noah representatives, who had endured hours of Hebrew speeches throughout the day, in English:
"There are those people, so far only a small number, who say 'We are bound by the covenant of Adam and the covenant of Noah and we know we have to perform and fulfill our obligations.' We, as Jews, have the same religion as you.
"Within the nation of Israel there is one tribe that deals with the Temple – the priests. We Jews are a specific tribe in the world that was chosen to be a tribe of priests – hereditary priests. Because of this we have special duties. Being a priest does not mean we are cut off from the other people. While the people of the world are all different units in the armies of the Lord, we are a special commando unit that maybe doesn't get paid more, but has special assignments that may be more dangerous."
Rabbi Even-Israel spoke about the difficulties that would confront the B'nai Noah movement as it grows. "When we are speaking in general, almost every human being can more or less accept the laws of Noah, but when we get to particulars we will come to serious points, at which we disagree with Christianity and Islam," he said.
"It is one thing when a religion is small, but as it gets bigger there will be huge pressures. We will be there beside you. We are members of the same religion that was given by the Almighty to humanity. Part of it was given to the Jews and part of it was given to humanity as a whole."
The Nassi added that while there are those who doubt the ability of the Sanhedrin to be more than an idea leading up to the true reestablished court, the Noahide Council is not able to be doubted or criticized due to its pure motives and unprecedented mission.
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel of the Temple Institute said that although Tuesday is the Fast of the Tenth of Teveth, which commemorates the beginning of the destruction, "Our sitting in Jerusalem now, alongside B'nai Noach, demonstrates the revival and the fulfillment of the words of the prophets." Rabbi Ariel told those gathered that he had seen a rainbow that morning, "the closest thing to seeing Noah himself - the symbol of the covenant between G-d and humanity as witnessed by Noah," he said.
Famed archaeologist and Noahide leader Vendyl Jones addressed a festive banquet held for the Council members, speaking about the Seven Laws of Noah. He explained, in detail, the verses in the first eleven chapters of Genesis from which the seven laws are elucidated, saying that he always understood the first six, but never understood the law proscribing the eating of a limb of a living animal, until he remembered his cattle-branding days in Texas. "We would brand and castrate the cattle when I was young, and that night we would all sit around the campfire and eat what they called 'mountain oysters' " – the testicles of the still-living animals.
Rabbi Nachman Kahane, Av Beit HaDin, spoke in English. "G-d created a primitive world," he said. "We don't grow loaves of bread, but grain that must be harvested, ground up and baked. We were meant to be partners with G-d. Unfortunately, throughout history, perversions of this idea grew. How can you be G-d's partner if you are damned and born with original sin? How can you be a partner of G-d if your religion tells you to send your children to shopping malls to blow people up? What we are creating today is a reconnection between the people and G-d. G-d is saying to humanity – everyone has a job. I happen to be a priest - I have a particular task for when the temple is built - but all of us have a specific task just the same - I am no better."
Jones told Kahane that his brother, slain Knesset member Rabbi Meir Kahane, together with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, had organized the first conference for B'nai Noah nearly 20 years ago.
Conference on Noahide Council
Earlier in the day, several speakers addressed issues surrounding the B'nai Noah movement as part of a conference on the establishment of the B'nai Noah Council.
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, a leader of the Italian Muslim Assembly, addressed those gathered, speaking about B'nai Noah in Islam. "Islamic law holds within it the seven laws of Noah and can be taught correctly to the Muslims of the world." Sheikh Palazzi also said, "I remember reading that a new Sanhedrin was created in Jerusalem," "my impression was very positive - I thought maybe something new had been created to allow the Jewish people to project moral and legal clarity to counterbalance the lack of it in our world." Palazzi added that the project of creating a council of Noahide teachers would hopefully counter the negative educational effect of the Gaza withdrawal, "which taught the opposite to my people - it convinced many that only terrorism works."
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zini, who heads Yeshiva Or V'Yishua and is the rabbi of Haifa's Technion, spoke about the intuitive natural truths of the laws of Noah. "We must create a formal connection between the nation of Israel and the B'nai Noah to show the world that we are a nation of holy priests, as is dictated in our Torah," he said, speaking partly in French as well, as the conference will be available on the Sanhedrin's web site for viewing by prospective B'nai Noah worldwide.
continued
Sanhedrin Establishes Council to Teach Humanity ´Laws of Noah´
A group of non-Jewish delegates have come to Jerusalem to pledge their loyalty to the Laws of Noah before the nascent Sanhedrin, establishing a High Council for B'nai Noach.
The ten delegates appeared before a special session of the Jewish High Court of 71 Rabbis led by its Nassi (President) Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. B'nai Noach, literally "Children of Noah," also known as Noahides, are non-Jews who take upon themselves the Torah's obligations for all members of the human race - consisting of seven laws passed on via Noah following the flood, as documented in Genesis (see below).
The gathering took place under a banner quoting the Biblical passage: "For then I will change the nations to speak a pure language so that they all will proclaim the name of the Lord, to serve him with united resolve (Tzefania 3:9)"
The Noahide delegates stood before the nascent Sanhedrin, which was reestablished over a year ago in Tiberias and has met regularly since then. "Each one comes with a name he has made in the world, as a teacher and example in his community of observance of the seven laws of Noah," said Rabbi Michael Bar-Ron, introducing the delegates. "At great physical and financial expense they have come to Jerusalem, the holy city, from far and wide, to pledge their allegiance, for the first time in history, before the Sanhedrin, to the laws of the Creator."
Each of the Noahide representatives stood before the Sanhedrin and pledged:
"I pledge my allegiance to HaShem, the God of Israel, Creator and King of the Universe, to His Torah and representatives. I pledge to uphold the Seven Laws of Noah in all their details, according to Oral Law of Moses under the guidance of the developing Sanhedrin. May HaShem bless and aid me, my fellow council members and all B'nai Noach in all our endeavors for the sake of His name. Blessed are you, G-d of the universe who has caused me to live, sustained me, and brought me to this day."
Roger Grattan, a delegate who lives in Maine, told Arutz-7 prior to the ceremony, "I am sure that this will be a paragraph in the history of civilization, although one could also write books on it. It is also the fulfillment of prophecy." The other members of the council are Bud Gil, Billy Jack Dal, Andrew Overall, Adam Penrod, Jacob Scharf, Chairman Larry Borntrager; Honorary Noahide Council Elder Vendyl Jones, Jack Saunders and Council Speaker Jim Long.
Long addressed the rabbis of the court, requesting formal recognition of the Noahide Council. "Your honor, esteemed rabbis of the developing Sanhedrin. We are here because of your Torah. Rabbis before you elevated the Torah and it drew us in - before that we stumbled in darkness. Everyone here today can tell you that in the past we have experienced the need to consolidate our efforts to make the world aware of the truth."
Rabbi Even-Israel Steinsaltz, on behalf of the Sanhedrin, replied: "We hereby recognize these men as the first high council of B'nai Noach in accordance with the conditions they have accepted upon themselves."
Rabbi Steinsaltz spoke about the role of the Jewish people in bringing the Laws of Noah to the world. "I am part of this Jewish family and I have nothing bad to say about that family, but you don't go up to a man on the street and ask him to join your family. Instead you talk to him about joining the true belief in the Creator and about implementing divine justice toward his fellow man. We are setting up a global mission here – not to recruit people, but to bring them to the realization that there is one G-d." The Nassi explained that this aspect of Judaism lay dormant for years as the Jewish people dealt with staying alive and keeping the Torah in the exile.
Rabbi Steinsaltz called for an extensive project to be undertaken to help B'nai Noah in the nitty-gritty details of the observance of the religion. "A Shulhan Aruch for B'nai Noah must be written so that the individual can have guidance as to what to do," Steinzaltz said, referring to the compendium of practical Jewish law written by Rabbi Yosef Karo of Tzfat in the 1560's that is still used today.
He then addressed the ten B'nai Noah representatives, who had endured hours of Hebrew speeches throughout the day, in English:
"There are those people, so far only a small number, who say 'We are bound by the covenant of Adam and the covenant of Noah and we know we have to perform and fulfill our obligations.' We, as Jews, have the same religion as you.
"Within the nation of Israel there is one tribe that deals with the Temple – the priests. We Jews are a specific tribe in the world that was chosen to be a tribe of priests – hereditary priests. Because of this we have special duties. Being a priest does not mean we are cut off from the other people. While the people of the world are all different units in the armies of the Lord, we are a special commando unit that maybe doesn't get paid more, but has special assignments that may be more dangerous."
Rabbi Even-Israel spoke about the difficulties that would confront the B'nai Noah movement as it grows. "When we are speaking in general, almost every human being can more or less accept the laws of Noah, but when we get to particulars we will come to serious points, at which we disagree with Christianity and Islam," he said.
"It is one thing when a religion is small, but as it gets bigger there will be huge pressures. We will be there beside you. We are members of the same religion that was given by the Almighty to humanity. Part of it was given to the Jews and part of it was given to humanity as a whole."
The Nassi added that while there are those who doubt the ability of the Sanhedrin to be more than an idea leading up to the true reestablished court, the Noahide Council is not able to be doubted or criticized due to its pure motives and unprecedented mission.
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel of the Temple Institute said that although Tuesday is the Fast of the Tenth of Teveth, which commemorates the beginning of the destruction, "Our sitting in Jerusalem now, alongside B'nai Noach, demonstrates the revival and the fulfillment of the words of the prophets." Rabbi Ariel told those gathered that he had seen a rainbow that morning, "the closest thing to seeing Noah himself - the symbol of the covenant between G-d and humanity as witnessed by Noah," he said.
Famed archaeologist and Noahide leader Vendyl Jones addressed a festive banquet held for the Council members, speaking about the Seven Laws of Noah. He explained, in detail, the verses in the first eleven chapters of Genesis from which the seven laws are elucidated, saying that he always understood the first six, but never understood the law proscribing the eating of a limb of a living animal, until he remembered his cattle-branding days in Texas. "We would brand and castrate the cattle when I was young, and that night we would all sit around the campfire and eat what they called 'mountain oysters' " – the testicles of the still-living animals.
Rabbi Nachman Kahane, Av Beit HaDin, spoke in English. "G-d created a primitive world," he said. "We don't grow loaves of bread, but grain that must be harvested, ground up and baked. We were meant to be partners with G-d. Unfortunately, throughout history, perversions of this idea grew. How can you be G-d's partner if you are damned and born with original sin? How can you be a partner of G-d if your religion tells you to send your children to shopping malls to blow people up? What we are creating today is a reconnection between the people and G-d. G-d is saying to humanity – everyone has a job. I happen to be a priest - I have a particular task for when the temple is built - but all of us have a specific task just the same - I am no better."
Jones told Kahane that his brother, slain Knesset member Rabbi Meir Kahane, together with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, had organized the first conference for B'nai Noah nearly 20 years ago.
Conference on Noahide Council
Earlier in the day, several speakers addressed issues surrounding the B'nai Noah movement as part of a conference on the establishment of the B'nai Noah Council.
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, a leader of the Italian Muslim Assembly, addressed those gathered, speaking about B'nai Noah in Islam. "Islamic law holds within it the seven laws of Noah and can be taught correctly to the Muslims of the world." Sheikh Palazzi also said, "I remember reading that a new Sanhedrin was created in Jerusalem," "my impression was very positive - I thought maybe something new had been created to allow the Jewish people to project moral and legal clarity to counterbalance the lack of it in our world." Palazzi added that the project of creating a council of Noahide teachers would hopefully counter the negative educational effect of the Gaza withdrawal, "which taught the opposite to my people - it convinced many that only terrorism works."
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zini, who heads Yeshiva Or V'Yishua and is the rabbi of Haifa's Technion, spoke about the intuitive natural truths of the laws of Noah. "We must create a formal connection between the nation of Israel and the B'nai Noah to show the world that we are a nation of holy priests, as is dictated in our Torah," he said, speaking partly in French as well, as the conference will be available on the Sanhedrin's web site for viewing by prospective B'nai Noah worldwide.
continued
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