Non-Jews and Torah
Question
I may not be from from the tribe itself but I do know that the words of Moses are holy, The history is flawless and the commandments are the foundation of peace and order for us all. My question is, How much of the jewish law of Moses applies to the Gentile and How much of the law is for a specific time, context and people? Of course I want to Walk in righteousness And all the words of God are holy. I need a little direction in terms of Parsing out The applicable.
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question!
It is wonderful that you believe in the One God of Israel...the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
There is no need for you to convert to Judaism. And there is no need for you to follow the laws of the Torah.
Judaism believes that God loves all mankind. One does not need to become Jewish to go to heaven. All that God wants from the Non-Jewish world is that they observe 7 precepts, or commandments. They are known as the “Noahide Laws.” They are called “Noahide Laws” because the requirement to observe these seven laws was given Noah, a righteous non-Jew (yes, the fellow from the story with the flood).
The 7 laws are:
1. Don’t murder.
2. Don’t steal.
3. Don’t worship false gods.
4. Don’t be sexually immoral.
5. Don’t eat a limb from an animal that is still alive.
6. Don’t curse God.
7. Establish a system of justice.
Any human being who observes these laws goes to heaven. There is no need to follow any other religion. You can pray to God in your own words and your own language.
Take a look at the website https://www.netivonline.org/ which specializes in helping non-Jews with religious beliefs. There is a wealth of information there that you will find useful and inspiring. It is also worth looking up the “Noahide” or "B'nai Noach" movement and consider joining them!