Text 628, 191 rader
Skriven 2006-01-12 02:22:40 av Steve Asher (3:800/432.0)
Ärende: (2 of 2) "Laws of Noah"
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"Rabbi Yoel Schwartz" apparently believes that there will be
world peace when the citizens of the globe agree on certain
principles of faith (contained in the "Noahide Laws"). The
Bible warns that the time is coming when they will say "peace
and safety", then sudden destruction will come upon them, and
they will not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

                            -=<*>=-

[Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, who received the blessing of leading hareidi-
religious Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv to engage in the project of creating 
a court and infrastructure for B'nai Noah, addressed the conference 
as well. Rabbi Schwartz is the Deputy Av Beit HaDin [literally, Court
Elder] of the Sanhedrin and the Av Beit HaDin for the B'nai Noah
court. He spoke on the topic of "B'nai Noah and World Peace."

"The Islamic Jihad against the world has restored religion to the
center of the world's consciousness," Schwartz said. "Over 30 years
ago, someone by the name of Eisenberg sent a proposal to the United
Nations saying that there will never be world peace unless the
citizens of the globe agree on certain principles of faith.]

====================================================================

/CONT/

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 the assembly, 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... I remember reading that a new Sanhedrin
was created in Jerusalem [and] 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'Yishuah 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.

Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, who received the blessing of leading hareidi-
religious Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv to engage in the project of creating 
a court and infrastructure for B'nai Noah, addressed the conference 
as well. Rabbi Schwartz is the Deputy Av Beit HaDin [literally, Court
Elder] of the Sanhedrin and the Av Beit HaDin for the B'nai Noah
court. He spoke on the topic of "B'nai Noah and World Peace."

"The Islamic Jihad against the world has restored religion to the
center of the world's consciousness," Schwartz said. "Over 30 years
ago, someone by the name of Eisenberg sent a proposal to the United
Nations saying that there will never be world peace unless the
citizens of the globe agree on certain principles of faith. It was
adopted by the UN as one of its official documents but was not
followed up upon and has since been forgotten. We are here today to
follow up on that document and remind the UN why it exists. There 
will be world peace when the whole world agrees that there is one G-d.
There are people who do not think what I am about to say is
worthwhile, but I suggested years ago that we begin to translate our
books, which are meant for the nations of the world, into Arabic as
well [Schwartz has authored many books on practical observance for
Noahides ued.]. It is not by coincidence that we have this nation
alongside us, surrounding and living inside the land upon our return
to it, who also preserves the heritage of Abraham our father."

Schwartz has indeed translated his books to Arabic, with the help of
an Arab man he met at a bus stop who asked him a Mishanaic question,
telling him he had already translated the Mishna, a codification of
Jewish oral law. He said the entire printing has been sold out.
"Muslim parents have thanked me for teaching their child that there is
a different way to heaven than becoming a shahid, a martyr," he said.

Rabbi Schwartz explained that although one of the purposes of the
Jewish people's exile was to disseminate belief in the Torah's truths
around the world, their return to Israel has brought with it the
technology to redouble our efforts from here:

"The moment we came to Israel, communication technology flourished.
The telephone and radio spread rapidly, and computers and internet
came soon after, changing the entire concept of communication and
education. When we were in the exile, we were there to teach the
world, and now that we have returned to the Land of Israel, G-d has
given us the tools to do the work from here."

Rabbi David Zilbershlag, Director of Meir Panim and Koach Latet, both
innovative charity associations, spoke about rectifying the misdeeds
of Noah's generation, the generation of the Flood. Zilbershlag said
that the new Council of Noahides must focus on kindness and charity,
as that was the basis of G-d's covenant with Noah (the lack of which
resulted in the destruction of Noah's entire generation) and His later
covenant with Abraham.

"It is hard to distribute and spread an idea that is negative, as the
laws of Noah are phrased," Zilbershlag said. "We must make a great
effort to find and distribute the relevant positive commandments in
our tradition throughout the world as well, and the most basic of
these is that of following in the footsteps of Abraham our father."

Rabbi Eliyahu Essas, a former refusenik and founder of the Teshuva
(return to Judaism) movement in the USSR, spoke about establishing
outreach within Israel to help gentiles who moved from the former
Soviet Union to Israel become aware of the Noahide laws:

"There are at least 400,000 out of the million people who came to
Israel who are not Jewish according to Jewish law. There are many who
think they are Jews, but do not have a Jewish mother and are therefore
not Jewish according to Jewish law. 150,000 have no blood connection
to the nation of Israel u spouses of Jews and relatives who came under
the Law of Return. Then there are 30,000 who have nothing to do with
the Jewish people, coming with forged documents. Over there, Jews
wanted to be Russians; here, Russians want to be Jews.

"Should we harass such a person to convert, should we leave him alone,
or should we try to get him to become a Ben Noah?" Essas asked,
refraining from offering answers and saying that such complicated
matters must be dealt with by both the Noahide Council and the
Sanhedrin's B'nai Noah Beit Din. He added that the problem of
intermarriage was not discussed by previous generations because it did
not exist in such numbers. "We are dealing with 50% of families in the
former Soviet Union and even more in North America. So if one spouse
is a Jew and one is a Ben Noah, what will be their status? I want to
raise these issues and offer a prayer to the Almighty to help us find
wise solutions."

Council Looking Forward

Spokesman Jim Long outlined the Council's goals:
"Education is a vital part of our effort and we need you to help us
with this. We need to make sure that developing Noahide groups do not
split into denominations. As we move into the public eye, we will be
viewed as heretics by many. We each come from other religions and must
develop ways to approach them in a manner in which they listen without
closing their ears. The Noahide movement is a Torah-based template for
an ethical way of life. The Creator requires humanity to uphold these
laws as per His covenant with Noah.

"Anyone who reads the Bible can see that your Torah is your
constitution, your Bill of Rights and your deed to the Land of Israel.
We have plans to publish Noahide prayer books, children's books and
documentaries on science and the world through the lens of the Torah."

"We have heard that G-d is with you," Long concluded.

For more information, the Council secretary can be contacted at:
dbtc@actcom.co.il

The Seven Laws of Noah are:

Shefichat damim - Do not murder or commit suicide.

Avodah zarah - Pray and offer sacrifices only to G-d. Do not worship
false gods/idols.

Gilui arayot - Do not be sexually immoral (no incest, sodomy,
bestiality, castration and adultery), crossbreed animals or perform
castration.

Ever Min HaChai - Do not eat a part of a live animal or consume blood.

Birkat Hashem - Do not utter G-d's name in vain, curse G-d or pursue
the occult. Honor your parents.

Gezel - Do not steal or kidnap.

Dinim - Set up righteous and honest courts and apply fair justice in
judging offenders and uphold the principles of the last five. 

                             -=<*>=-

Source: "Arutz Sheva" - Israel National News
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=96347


Cheers, Steve..

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 * Origin: Xaragmata / Adelaide SA telnet://xaragmata.thebbs.org (3:800/432)