Why be a Righteous Gentile?

What difference does it make what kind of a Gentile you are, and who cares? After all, look at all the chaos in the world today. And look at all the people there are in the world. Does it make a difference to them?

A great leader of our generation said that it does make a difference whether you are a Righteous Gentile. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, told the world that we will soon see the coming of the righteous redeemer Moshiach (the Messiah son of David), as promised in the book of Deuteronomy and the books of the Hebrew Prophets. He urged people all over the world to prepare themselves by strengthening their observance of their Divine commandments. For Gentiles, he said that this means strengthening their understanding and observance of the Divine commandments from Mount Sinai which apply to them, namely the Seven Commandments which had been given to Noah after the Flood. For Jews, this means strengthening their understanding and observance of the Divine commandments which apply to them, as found in the Torah and its Oral Tradition.

With his prophetic insight, the Rebbe urgently called on all people to reconnect with G-d's desire for the observance of these two sets of commandments, because he saw and publicized that the promised Messianic redemption of the world is coming speedily to our generation! The Messiah will return the world to true Noahism and Judaism, which were both taught by G-d to Moses the “faithful servant” at Mount Sinai. With this call to action, Jews all over the world started examining their conduct and the way they were living their lives, motivated greatly by the dedicated hassidic emissaries which the Rebbe dispatched.

For Gentiles, the Rebbe spoke out beginning more than 40 years ago to reawaken the world to the Seven Noahide Commandments. The Divine rewards for observing these eternal precepts, learning their details, and encouraging their wider acceptance are there to be taken. The Rebbe said that this spiritual reconnection of the world will be accomplished by Jews and Gentiles joining together along their perspective assigned paths, in a spirit of kindness, goodness and charity. Please search your heart and take these words seriously! After all, you never know whose life you may be uplifting.

How to Become a Righteous Gentile

Considering all the spiritual gain that will be achieved by becoming a Righteous Gentile who follows the Seven Commandments, many people are anxious to embark on this path. But how would you get started? Here are some thoughts on how to best proceed.

Since there are two sets of Divine Commandments, you must first know the answer to the question, "What am I?" If you are a Gentile (i.e., born to a Gentile mother, and not converted to Judaism according to traditional Torah Law), you are ready to get started. If you have any difficulty or uncertainty in answering this question, you should consult with a traditionally observant Rabbi who is also well-versed in all aspects of the Seven Noahide Commandments.

Maybe you are asking, "What will I be getting into?" "Is this for real?" "Can I try it for a while before I make a full commitment?" If you are motivated to take the initiative and find out more about the faith of the Seven Commandments (or Noahism), you will need access to the most reliable information on this subject. We recommend that you start with the wealth of information on the Rabbinically approved outreach web site, www.AskNoah.org.

 The Seven Universal Commandments