{"id":7870,"date":"2023-04-10T05:21:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T04:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/?p=7870"},"modified":"2023-04-10T05:21:35","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T04:21:35","slug":"noahides-and-the-oral-torah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/he\/noahides-and-the-oral-torah\/","title":{"rendered":"\u05d1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05e0\u05d7 \u05d5\u05d4\u05ea\u05d5\u05e8\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d1\u05e2\u05dc \u05e4\u05d4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u05d1\u05e1”\u05d3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The<\/strong> Principel 8<\/a> of the 13 Principles for Rambam is: ” I fully believe that all of the Torah [the Written and the Oral Torah], as we possess it today, was given to Moses by G-d”.<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belief in the Torah<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jews and Noahides believe that G-d gave both the Written and Oral Torah to Moses. The “Written Torah” was transcribed by Moses “from the mouth of the Almighty” is contained within the Torah scroll wich includes the first five books of the Tenach, also known as the Chumash . Along with the Written Torah, the Oral Torah was also given by G-d to Moses at Mount Sinai<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commandments without details<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

However, most of the commandments in the Written Torah are not detailed. For example, Jews are commanded to pray with tefillin. Tefillin are special boxes and straps placed on the head and arm, as the Torah says in Deuteronomy 6:8<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8<\/strong> And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.<\/td>\u05d7  \u05d5\u05bc\u05e7\u05b0\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea, \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc-\u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b6\u05da\u05b8; \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5\u05bc \u05dc\u05b0\u05d8\u05b9\u05d8\u05b8\u05e4\u05b9\u05ea, \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05df \u05e2\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the text does not specify how the tefillin should look, how they should be made, or what texts they should contain. For this, we are dependent on the Oral Torah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example is found in Leviticus 23:3<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3<\/strong> Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye [the Jews] shall do no manner of work; it is a sabbath unto the L-RD in all your dwellings<\/td>\u05d2  \u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd, \u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05b6\u05c2\u05d4 \u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05ea \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05de\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0-\u05e7\u05b9\u05d3\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1, \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc-\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05ea\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05bc:  \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea \u05d4\u05b4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d3’, \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b6\u05dd<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although the text clearly states that Jews may not work on Shabbat, the Written Torah does not specify what constitutes \u2018work\u2019. To define this, we need to see what we can find about that in the Oral Torah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of the Oral Torah<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Exodus 24:12<\/a> lezen we:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12<\/strong> And the L-RD said unto Moses: ‘Come up to Me into the mount and be there; and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the law<\/strong> and the commandment<\/strong>, which I have written, that thou mayest teach them<\/td>\u05d9\u05d1  \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d3’ \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc-\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d4, \u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4–\u05d5\u05b6\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b5\u05d4-\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dd; \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05dc\u05bb\u05d7\u05b9\u05ea \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b6\u05d1\u05b6\u05df, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9, \u05dc\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05dd.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why did G-d add the word “commandment”? Are there commandments not included in the Torah? The Sage explains that “law” refers to the Written Torah and that “commandment” refers to the Oral Torah.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Leviticus 26:46<\/a> it is written:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

46<\/strong> These are the statutes and ordinances and laws, which the L-RD made between Him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.<\/td>\u05de\u05d5  \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05bb\u05e7\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b9\u05ea, \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05df \u05d3’, \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc–\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b7\u05d9, \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b7\u05d3-\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d4.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this verse, we see that the word “Torah” is written in the plural, “Torot.” Rashi<\/a> explains it as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe plural is used because there are two Torahs:) one in writing and one by word of mouth (the Oral Law). This verse therefore tells us that all (both) of them were given by G-d to Moses on Sinai.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These verses (among others) clearly indicate the existence of the Oral Torah. The \u201cOral Torah\u201d includes the traditions handed down from Sinai but not initially put in writing, as we read in Pirkei Avot 1:1,<\/a> and these traditions were passed on orally from Moses to Jozua, from Jozua to the elders[4]<\/a> , from the elders to the prophets, until  eventually, part of it was written down by Judah the Prince. (see: the Chain of Transmission of the Oral Torah<\/a>3<\/a><\/sup>) This was done out of fear that the Oral Torah would be lost during the Diaspora. This chain of transmission also includes the interpretations and rulings formulated by the sages of each generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Need for Oral Tradition in a practical example for Noahides<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What people sometimes forget, because their Tenach, translated into English or another language, includes both vowels and consonants, is that the Torah was originally written only with consonants. This means that a word with, for example, four consonants, depending on which vowels are added, can have different meanings. For instance, the Hebrew word \u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 (s-f-r), with different vowels, can have different meanings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n