Rav Aaron Dovid Poston: What Reward Awaits the Righteous Gentile? And Why?

Heat. Heat. Shalom everybody. Welcome home to Torah. A warm welcome home to Torah where welcome to the Iban Midash. And uh we're in for a a big very deep shar. We always base the discussions on the clear. This is the original clear and um you can find the original Hebrew sheets in the link below. You just have to find the right title, the right year, but there's a link to our web page yen.com. And I suggest or highly encourage you to use the Hebrew sheets. So the there are actually three verses I want to use to introduce this idea. First of all, the first verse of our portion which is Deuteronomy 7:12. What we're going to do is we're going to jump back to verse 11. And then we're going to jump forward. If I'm not mistaken, it's chapter 8 19 and 20. You should really become familiar with these three verses. So if we actually start with our verse, it says it's on source number three and and it will be we're not going to exactly know what Av is until a few minutes in. But Akev could be because of it could mean reward for. Okay. Now what it literally means is to follow like a heel. A heel means to follow like that's what you know when you walk heal bey beyond heal that's one idea but it also means heal like as in the lowest part of your body Yakov is right Jacob has a name Yakov because he held on to the heel of Asaf so they called him he so Isaac called him Yakov because he held on to the heel so there's no question the wordin kuet is referring to a heel as we'll see in Yako in Rashi. But it says and it will be because of or as a reward for keeping these ordinances. You see all these blessings, the reward. So it makes total sense that the word Av means reward or because of and you keep them and you perform them that the Lord your God will keep for you the covenant. So you keep his ordinances. Hashem will pay in kind and the kindness that he swore to your forefathers. So in Hebrew again, notice that it only mentions the word. Now you wouldn't know that until we go back into verse 11. But this our part begins with verse 12. And then at the end of the verse, right, you're going to observe them or guard to do them. God will keep for you the covenant and the kindness. Now Rashi says right away that the word means heal. And what does it really mean? What so what it means heal. What does that mean? That if you heed, you listen, right? Now the word even to listen does not just mean to absorb this the uh the sound waves into your brain between your two ears. It means to understand. Like when we say Israel, listen, O Israel, what we're really saying is understand, O Israel, that the Lord your God is, your Lord is one, to really truly understand that. But Rashi says if you listen or heed the minor commandments. Now in Hebrew it says mitzvot. What does it mean? A light mitzvah. That's how I would have translated mitzvot. So either light mitzvah mean you know there's not a lot of effort you didn't spend a lot of money that's one way and then there's mitzvah that are a great effort or spend a lot of money or effort but it could also mean right when you look at the consequences there aren't major consequences to the light mitzvah that could be an interpretation he's going to go a step further and divide between two types of mitzvah there are mitzvah is called mishpatim which our verse mentions specifically. These are called mitzvah that are logical and ethical and that you could have made them up on your own. Let's say for example Geller's Island, Gilligans Island, Gilligans Island. So let's say for example you're on a shipwreck and you have a bunch of people and you need to create a new society which by the way amongst the seven laws you have one of them which is to create dim. So de would be all logical and healthy rules for society to follow and I will just add my own words which he he'll say later that the society and perhaps even you will benefit from you you you notice that this is beneficial for society and for the individual as opposed to another type of commandments which are called kukim are I'm going to say metaphysical physical um not necessarily based on ration that's not rational uh maybe religious types of commandments that's what kukim are like for example shotness or eating matzo and pesak wearing to fill in things that are outside of the norm you would never have sat down on Gilligan's island and made these rules about wearing these boxes on your head or not mixing wool and linen in perhaps not like not eating pork right the laws of kash maybe you would not have uh made those rules those are called why am I mentioning this because if we go back to verse 11 that's number two on the source sheet the second part it says you shall therefore observe the commandments and the statutes and the ordinances which I command you to do this day so the very verse prior to this idea of echv is right and it says the reward for keeping the is great but this verse actually says in Hebrew right you're going to keep the mitzvah which is the command that's the general statement and then there's a division so in verse 11 you have a clear delineation or a statement saying there are these two types of mitzvah there's which we already mentioned and then there's which we discussed which I command you today to do them and then right away it says that there's going to be this reward if you keep the mitzvah well mishim but noticing that the wordim is not mentioned at all in our in our verse what the kakar will do is take the word av and he'll understand it very similar to rashi that these are mitzvah that people will trample on. That's what it means. That this is something people take lightly because it says mitzvah light mitzvah. Then therefore people take them lightly. They're not scrupulous. They're not zahir. We're going to see that word zahir. They're not um careful. They're not concerned as much. And we'll see what King David has to say about this as well. We go into, for example, I mentioned in chapter eight, look at number six on the sorhee. The word aches once again in this verse. There's a whole chapter later, chapter and a half later. Now there's chapter 19 which seems to be talking about Jewish people doing idol worship. It will be if you forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship them, prostrate yourself before them. I bear witness against you this day that you shall surely perish. Okay. Now in Hebrew it actually says a double language of perish. So there's some kind of severe perishing by a Jew involved in idol worship. Now it in verse 20 it seems to also be referring to the Jew because it's continuation but it says so all of a sudden we're bringing the non-Jews into this equation. In other words, you're going to be like the non-Jews in this case. Hashem is going to cause to perish before you. See the word. The reason they're perishing because even though we said it can mean because it can mean reward. But what can it mean here? Again the clear card is going to superimpose the idea of the on the word av and it will help us understand in the very beginning of our verse that if you listen to the that's what av means the the mitzvah that you take lightly why do you take them lightly because there's no reason if you have right again G guliver's island you're sitting on this island you're trying to come up with with laws that make sense okay they're going to be beneficial for society. Okay? So, you take them seriously. You know, there's a benefit and maybe even an immediate benefit and that's why you're taking those seriously. Well, the the ones that make no sense are not not based on rational thinking. People in general perhaps take them much lighter. They're they're not as concerned. They're not as zeus. they're not as passionate and enthusiastic about doing them. So the latter part of the verse 20 said like the nations that are going to be destroyed you they're going to be perished. It's because they don't listen to the voice of Hashem. See if we go back to source number two on verse 11. So what is this idea that God is going to pay? He's going to like basically punish. He's going to um Michale to those who hate him. So who hates him? It certainly seems in our verse in chapter 8 verses 19 that these are people who worshiping other gods. If you're worshiping other gods, you don't have that that relationship with Hashem. Those are maybe perhaps who hate Hashem. He's going to he's going to pay them to their face to cause them to perish. this idea that remember God is trustworthy. He says you do a mitzvah, you're going to get a reward. So even these evil people who do idol worship, they must have done some nice things in their life. Therefore, they will get paid good reward for the mitzvah they do. But God will make sure to call he's going to pay them to their face, meaning in this world. And he's still going to cause them to perish, meaning not to have the the world to come. He will not delay the one who hates him, meaning he'll pay him right away. He'll repay him to his face. And then it says, therefore, you should observe both the the the mitzvot that are rational as well as the mitzvah that are irrational, right? The statutes and the ordinances, the mishbatim. Okay, with that background in mind, I want to go right into the clear. And it starts like this. Right? And it will be that it the reward because you listen to these rashi explains even that if it's referring it is referring to those mitzvah that are considered light. Why? Because people will crush them. They will trample on them with their heels. Those are the ones you should listen to though like okay Jewish people out there they are not all rational. There are a lot of rational mitzvah. There are mishbatim that if you want a deserted island you would have made up but there's plenty of mitzvah that are I I call above ration right they're super rational. I don't know if that's the word but maybe I'm making a mistake in the usage of the word but it's above ration rational the lord of the kar saying you know rashi did not want to explain the word av strictly as reward or because like it says in Genesis 26:5 you can see that on the source sheet as well where God says because Abraham listened to my voice which is obviously he'll receive a reward but he's standing He has good standing in God's eyes because Achv is used because he listened to my voice. That's very important because the the if we're using Avand a hint to the nonrational mitzvah well the only reason to do these mitzvah because God said so. Lisha Kashal the clear the last line on the first page says you know it was difficult for Rashi didn't the previous verse if you just write one verse the last verse of last week's para which we read right it was chapter 7 11 it says right you're going to guard both the and the right away Our verse totally leaves out the wordim. So the cleare askedim why is the word missing only is used and this is his whole thesis with absolute certainty. When you use the word av which again we understand it as the heel in which people would trample on because they take these mitzvah lightly that's referring to the or it includes theim the word av includes these super rational mitzvah. Now it's hinted at in the word itself of because the and theos. So we actually see this when we discussed the mitzvah of the paradum. Look at source number four in chapter 19 of numbers verse two right where it says this is the hookah of the Torah. the very fact it's it's a law of the Torah, but it's called a in Hebrew. And Rashi says because the Satan and the nations of the world were going to taunt Israel. They say, "What is this weird ritual of taking a perfectly red hepher and burning it and putting the ashes into the water and then sprinkling and then hocus pocus someone is considered tame impure. Now they couldn't go up to the to the temple. Now they can after the sprinkling right seven days later and interestingly enough Rashi says therefore the term the Torah uses the word as a it's like something that God has decreed and you have no right to challenge it. You always ask questions and it's a mitzvah to think deeply about why perhaps this mitzvah was given. What do we gain um spiritually from it? Right? How does it improve our character? How does it improve our standing in society? But you may not come to an answer because ultimately it's a gazer from Hashem. It's a decree from Hashem and therefore you have to follow it because God said so. So those words are reminiscent to what we just saw. They're going to make fun of, they're going to mock, they're going to challenge the Jewish people because the reason is unknown. It's not revealed the real reasons and that's the reason why people accustom themselves to take them lightly and that's why people trample on them with their heels and that's why our verse says or that's why Rashi says regarding mitzvah kalos he's translating understanding mitzvahos light mitzvah as mitzvah that are called that the reason people take them lightly is because their reason is not known his his therefore it specifically mentions this language or the expression of av it's a very strange language right it can mean because it can mean because reward for but to really use that it's the heal The Torah itself did not use the word the language of why what's it telling you and remember this is verse 12 that the were mentioned in verse 11 above for the very reason that people will tread on them with their heels. That's why people take them lightly. They're they're trampling on them with their heels. They will not be visible and enthusiastic about doing them. They won't be as enth enthusiastic mishbatim like the mishbatim which by the way we've mentioned before already that that's one of the seven noai laws to develop laws in society they're called mishbatim that's interpersonal right civil civil laws whose benefit is actually known and revealed it's it's otherwise it wouldn't be a mishpot Therefore, the clear card is saying I'm going to tell you something that if you think about also the that are already, you know, embedded and and and alluded to by the word which is heal. Even though people are likely to trod upon them, tread upon them with their heels. Nevertheless, the Torah is telling you, right, that you should be careful with them. Um, just like the Mishatim, and that's going to be a big part of his thesis here, that there's going to be an equation, and he'll explain why he equates the two that one should behave, let's say, with the Mishim just like he does with the meaning theim were given by God and you have no right to question it. It's because God said the mishpatim are logical mitzvah that make sense. Okay? So there's a certain enthusiasm when they make sense. So God wants you to have just as much enthusiasm and carefulness um when you do the hookim that don't have necessary obvious reasons. And he's going to do it vice versa. Just like you have the mishbatim which makes sense and you do it with enthusiasm. Guess what? You also have to do it like the m like the hookim that since God commanded having that in mind I'm doing it because God commanded as well as my enthusiasm. So it works both way. Now if you look at the verse our very first verse that we talked about in chapter 7:12. So it says right it will be the again we're thinking and it means the mitzvah that are like but it wouldn't make sense because if it if it if it was true that you were supposed to equate them then the word should have had a v right you shall surely listen to both the theim and the mishpatim but without the VV in front of the word at you may think it's it's not talking about him at all. It's just a description of the mishbatim. In other words, a continued one thought that because you listen to only the mishbatim but we're going on the premise that avrim. So the word now what is at? It's al could be translated as specifically theim right. If you carefully listen to the mishbatim, that's how at could be translated. It can also mean the word and you do them and and perhaps maybe I'm exaggerating to him, but he says it means and you look it up in the dictionary, the word at can also mean with im. And maybe that's what and means, but it's with. Means with. So this is even more proof that it's talking about both. You should do the mish theim with the mishbatim meaning the same the same ideas in mind and vice versa. So let's see how the clear car explains this. The word asim. So we're halfway down the second paragraph. It says the very word is really synonymous with the expression with like is very simply put in many many places that the language of isoim he doesn't even have to give any proofs simply you look in the dictionary of clear clear the word is and can be translated as with as if it's saying this is the lesson God wants you to know that you should listen, you should understand, you should perform the with the same intent as these two types of mitzvah which we call they should be equal in your eyes. You should equate them with the same heaviness, right? as you would Mishbatim, you would take them seriously and with enthusiasm because the benefit is known and felt perceived. So too even the which the the benefit is not perceived at all or let's say it's not immediately perceived you should have you should equate them just as you are careful scrupulous in the we call so too you should be extremely careful and scrupulous with the with those super rational mitzvah is a and we're going to show you how it works in the other direction as well. Interestingly enough, if you look at the Rambam, I don't have the Rambam I'm quoting in front of me right now. Um, but it speaks about that when it comes to Shabas and learning Torah, these are mitzvah that might be an exception for a non-Jew. So in other words, he says that any mitzvah that a non-Jew wants to do, he can do. When it comes to Shabas and learning Torah, they're going to be let's say um we're going to tweak it a little bit that he shouldn't be meaning is his whole livelihood depends on it and that he's going to teach rather there's no problem with him learning. That's a big right and only if he's not there to undermine Judaism. He's in the process of converting now. Converting to what? Either to be a full-fledged Jew or to be a Ben Noah to be a righteous Noah. the mi which we're not exactly Pascin like but the miri says that and he he he makes it the Rambam seems to make it clear because when you read that about being careful not to be involved and with keeping Shabas the clear the the Rambam says clearly that the real important point is they should not make their own religion. So if the mere says if they learn on their own they're likely to make their own religion but when they come to a Jew to learn the Torah because the Jews have the tradition from harinoi when they're able to come to a Jew and say teach me Torah as we know in the prophets it speaks about this right with the titus with the 70 10 men from different 70 different languages come and grab the corners and say we heard God is with you please teach us the way it's very difficult to say that a a sincere dear Noahide cannot learn Torah. But I think if we tweak it and say he should only learn through authentic sources, number one, he's not there to undermine the the Torah, uh the Jewish mission. And we're going to see another caveat, and that is that he believes that these mitzvah came from God. As long as he believes these mitzvah came from God Almighty, then he's really in a good position. in such a good position that he will experience what we call eternal bliss in the world to come. As opposed to somebody who uses their mind to think about the benefits of society like we spoke about Gull Gilligan's Island, you're thinking about what could be benefit society and you come up with these laws all on your own without involving God so to speak. So that person will be blessed in this world but not in the next world. We're going to see the Rambam on that. Let's continue where we left off. Well, the rio there's actually proof to our words. The clear card says because there is a yimony and it's it quotes our verse which remember it will be it will be when you listen right av again listen to the himr it says in psalms 496 lama this is king David why should I fear what does it mean days of evil Why? He's basically saying, I have no fear of these days called rah. Days of evil, we're going to say are when you're close to death or involved in heavenly judgment. What is he not afraid of during this time? The aon. So actually what actually what is David saying? He's saying that I really have nothing to fear except for the smallest the lightest of sins. Those mitzvah callos right au that these are these are those sins that my my heels would have trampled on. They're surrounding me. That's my accusation. I'm not afraid of murder. I didn't murder anybody. I'm not afraid of adultery. I didn't commit adultery. I I didn't commit idolatry. And that's the truth. We can learn that another time. The King David was guilty of something, but not adultery as seems to be in the in the in the Tanakh. The Jewish men before they went into the army, when they were conscripted, they wrote a a a document of divorce. He was technically divorced. But anyway, King David was such a big sadik that even the smallest infractions were blown up. And yes, he should not have had the um the husband of Bachva killed by the enemy, the non-Jewish enemy on the front lines, but rather brought back and um executed by the Sanhedrin. So he had every right as the king to to kill to u to have put to death executed anybody who was murided the malus who rebelled against the king but so the clear says what was king David saying that I don't fear against these big sins these severe sins because they're severe right people are careful not to do you know felonies but misdemeanors Maybe they don't care so much. What is King David saying? I fear more against those light mitzvah. Maybe I transgress them. Now, this is interesting because within this medish, it's claiming that David said these following words to God. Imagine King David saying to God, you you said mitzvah that King David is telling God, you said that one should be careful in the light mitzvah just as in the strict mitzvah. Now there is a there is a mission in peravote which are exactly these words. Where do we see it? Number 10 on the source sheet is perod chapter 2 Mishna 1 which says that one should be careful with a minor mitzvah just as with a major one because you don't really know the ultimate rewards for each mitzvah only Hashem knows each person consider the cost of the mitzvah against its rewards and the rewards of the transgression against its caused. So we see these. So there is a concept what we call an oral Torah that it was obviously if it's peravote it's transmiss it's transmitted from God to Moses at Sinai these are the principles of ethics that are handed down and this is obviously part of the Torah. So when David says you said what we're really looking for is where did you say it in the written Torah right we're we have to be a little bit critical. Okay. So, very nice that you said it in the oral Torah, but what about the written Torah? Is it at all in the written Torah and that's where we're at. That's why it says in our parish even you have to listen to King David actually says in chapter 19:12 of Psalms that that even your servant God is saying to God your servant that's me is very careful and scrupulous even in them in the avim and the av it's great reward again the word ava ra avra it's great reward god is going to guard such a great reward now there's another verse and we're going to go through it deeper a little bit later in chapter 31 of psalms verse only three words he brings down for the moment. How great is your goodness. This is referring the great reward. We'll see later how it is. But in the meantime, this is referring to the great reward for not trampling on these notrational mitzvah. anything that people would normally take lightly that is as far as the midrash. So the clear has a lot of questions. He starts off by saying, you know, I searched the entire Tanakh. Okay, listen. The clear knows the whole Tanakh. But anyway, he did a double check, right? Make sure he didn't miss anything. He checked through the whole mikra. He didn't find anywhere that actually uses these words that you should be just as scrupulous in the light mitzvah as you are in the most strict ones. So he asked me, "So how is David able to say these words?" God, you commanded the ama. Great question. And not only that, what was bothering the Balamedish, the author of the Medishame, what exactly was the author of the med using this as a reliance on? He was relying on our verse and it shall be well again. What stands out about the word av why was that the verse used to express this exact um lesson and what exactly is understood when it says how great is the reward the goodness that's going to come to you if you keep these these mitzvah. How do we know that that is referring to what we call theim the these light mitzvah that people would trample on the card says it was absolutely difficult for this medish that's why he wrote the medish in the way he did because he was bothered by our verse which we translated as and it will be a great reward for you if you listen to the again Why were the hooki met left out of the verse seemingly allegedly avich which means heal could mean reward is ti if that's true that that word is referring to is alluding to hinting to these light mitzvah then it should have had that v before the word theishi remember we spoke about the word and we said it means with. See the word at does not necessarily connect to what was said previously if it's not and we have to say that the word is referring to the and what are they they're mitzvos those are the mitzvah that are taken lightly by the masses and the word is definitely right we're going to make sure that Everything is consistent that the word is like as if you're saying with you keep the with the that's why it says that's why we learn out that one should be just as scrupulous in the mitzvah that are that are without reason that are taken lightly and tread with the heel. You should take them seriously like the strict ones. And therefore we're actually hanging or making dependent theim with the mishbim or on the mishbim as if mishbatim we said there is rationale to it and therefore you take it seriously and you take you do with passion. So too make sure to be passionate and take seriously those that don't have necessarily reasoning attached to them. and and that's how we're reading the verse that you should listen to the with the make sure that you equate them and they're similar enough in in this lesson. Now, we did use this P that said, right? How great is that reward? That was in chapter 31:20. But look at the whole verse. How great is your goodness and your kindness basically your your reward the which you have hidden away you have stashed away for those who fear you that you activate for those who take refuge in you and very importantly negadan mean so we're going to translate understand it. Even though it could mean in front of, it could mean in the presence of, but we're going to translate it as we will know. A wife is called a aerdo. She's a aer, she's a helpmate opposing him, meaning friction. There's going to be opposition. Okay? That's a healthy marriage. Believe it or not, there has to be some friction and some This is the way they're both going to grow. They're both going to grow because there is no growth in safe spaces, right? You go to safe space, there ain't no growth, right? So, you need something that's negative. But in this case, it could mean, like we said before, that the Satan and the am are going to mock. They're going to mock the Jews like the the the the red heer, right? The uh paradum. That was the ideal hook. That was the paradigm hook. But all the perhaps they mock about any one of the as it says when you fulfill these things which we call this is something that rubs people the wrong way. Why are you doing it? It's because it's religious reasons, right? This is something that is an opposition to people. It goes against society. It goes against what most people would have thought is logical because many people will mock them. Maybe that's why when these they want to keep additional laws besides what we call the seven. But by the way, they're only seven principles, not seven specific laws because denim is one of them. has many many laws, right? All the society laws, all the and the Ron says every mitzvah that is logical and um ethical that's included in the seven principles. I want to just add this idea that the Rambam had said that those were two exceptions. So the the ben Noak a really trous tr truly righteous gentile can keep additional mitzvah provided he does them correctly that's the words of the ramban okay provided he does them correctly which actually shows you that the only way they can do them correctly is if they learn with the Jews they learn the tr the tradition okay so it it may sound controversial because there are some rabbis out there who are very much against non nonJews, let's say Ben taking on many of the now I would agree with them in general that it's look there's enough to do with the seven why do you need to do additional stuff but if they want to they want to they make sure they're doing it right okay so that's my opinion it's not my opinion it's the way I read the Rambam as long as because the major thing is you don't create your own religion when you Say, let's say a non-Jew says, "I'm obligated to keep kosher." That's creating your own religion, right? Or, "I decide what's kosher and what's not kosher." That's creating your own religion. If you're going to keep kosher, in fact, I think there are many benefits for society, by the way. Meaning that certain cities have a very hard time keeping a Jewish a kosher restaurant in business unless they also bring in non-Jewish clientele. So if the if this non-Jew has in mind, I don't have an obligation to keep kosher, but I want to benefit the Jewish community somehow. I'll order out from this kosher restaurant or I'll dine at the kosher restaurant because it'll make also the price more reasonable. We already know kosher food is a little bit more expensive. Imagine if you have a restaurant, you only have 10 clients or if you have 100 clients, you know, in a day. Obviously, the food should be a little bit more reasonable if you're serving a wider community. Um, now there's another reason why it may be rational. Not everyone agrees with this or Mosha Feinstein did not agree with this. It's definitely called a hook, but is it only a ho? Is there any rationale to it? So, I believe the Ramban says you are what you eat. And many of these non-cooser animals like birds of prey for example or the scavengers of the sea, they are either disgusting. What they eat is disgusting or they have bad character. There's something about their character and you are what you eat. And since we know that working on your character is everybody's mission, not just the Jews and not just the non-Jews. We have to improve our character. Okay. So therefore, if I choose to I'm let's say a non-Jew chooses to eat kosher because he feels it's going to have a positive effect on his temperament. Why not? Why not? I think it's a great idea, right? As long as he doesn't say I am obligated. Otherwise, he's creating his own religion. Okay, so it says Malay. Most people will um will mock the Jews for this and those who fulfill it since we said they don't really benefit you in this world. The main benefit is not in this world. So certainly they're not anticipating any kind of reward reward in this in this world. It's only the reward that's going to come to them in the world to come. As we said in the this world, the benefit is not really obvious or known. Like when it comes to the benefit of keeping the civil laws or the logical laws, that benefit is obvious and known and maybe even immediate. and those who fulfill them, Hashem will basically, you know, keep and guard you in in refuge. And you're not going to lose your reward. Shalom. God is going to guard that reward forever. And that's why it says Hashem activates that refuge for the person. But it specifically says in the opposition of people, Hashem will guard and keep as refuge for you, especially when you do those things that are against the norm and that people will mock you for that. A and that's why the Pik also brings David says your servant meaning me I'm very scrupulous in them that God you guard the Av again the Avra the great reward what about the word Nisar Nisar we said means to be you know careful scrupulous like you know Zohar and I would like to say about those for sure about the Jews that keep the Torah, but for those non-Jews that are um of the Noahide persuasion, right, that the they learn with Jewish rabbis, they accept that the Torah is from heaven and that the seven mitzvah are from God. They're called enlightened. The word nishar even though it means like scrupulous but it means you're enlightened and you have clarity. You're enlightened and you have clarity. If you are basically warned, you know, just think about it. When you're warned, you know the truth. But it's through the keeping of what we call the again those are the irrational mitzvah that are hinted at in the word av which is the heel which is very important. We talking about the wise, the intelligent, the ones they're using their sea, the ones who are spiritually intelligent. They are Yazu kazor. They are like luminaries, lights that are shining in the sky forever in the world to come. And that's what it means here that God will guard for you the Brit. Okay? Um that God is going to Now again we are talking about the Torah. It was talking to the Jews but we have to and we know the are not they're not obligatory on the non-Jews. But I think there's an important lesson here for all of us Jew and non-Jew alike. So the Jew must consider has to consider that the hookim and the mishpatim are interchangeable in this way. When it comes to the non-Jew, I think he should be definitely aware he doesn't have an obligation. But he and I think it's important maybe to see this point. I'm going to bring a Rambam from the laws of their wars, their kings and their wars. It's in chapter it's number seven on the source sheet. It's chapter uh Mishna 11. It says this is by the laws of anyone who accepts upon themselves the fulfillment of these seven mitzvah and is precise in their observance is considered in Hebrew the that means righteous gentile. Okay. So if you are careful, you fulfill them. But there's a caveat. First of all, it says that type of person will merit a share in the world to come. Isn't that fantastic? Now, this has to be underlined and this has to be drilled home. It says this applies only when he accepts them and fulfills them because the holy one, blessed be he, commanded them in the Torah. He has to. Not that he has to. If he wants the world to come, he should certainly investigate. That's why it's not forbidden for him to investigate. God want Rambam says he should know that this is actually from God to Moses to Joshua to the elders on and on and on until the present day because he wants to do it right. He believes that the Torah was given the se the seven mitzvah actually came from God. They were informed to us through Moshe, our teacher, that Noah's descendants had been commanded to fill them precisely. So he knows that it's not just man-made rules. This is beyond this is God's rules. However, if he fulfills them throughout intellectual conviction, meaning strictly using his SEO, his brain, his thought process, what is beneficial for society, he's not a gertoshav, a gertoshave is, we don't have it today, but someone who wants to live amongst the Jewish people in Israel. They go before a bastin and they commit publicly to keeping the seven no laws. We don't have it until majority of Jews are living in the land of Israel which could happen any day now. But he's not considered the with the he gets eternal life. If he comes from an intellectual point, he's not considered amongst the he's not considered pious, but he is considered amongst the and he will be rewarded in this world. There won't be any reward. So God will pay him like we saw earlier so that um he doesn't get the world to come. He'll get his reward in this world. We have a lot to do. Let's just try to finish the next paragraph and maybe we'll end there. And this is what we said that there is a way to equate both the in two different ways backward and forward. Armanu one way we already mentioned right to be passionate about the mitzvah just as you are fervorous and passionate about doing the the civil laws and between man and man right you're just passionate about because you know there's a benefit because from the aspect that with your own eyes you're able to see the benefit So you are very careful. Guess what? You have to be so too you should be careful in these nonrational mitzvah that were hinted in the word heal. And then the other way goes also the from the other way. Just as the just as those nonrational mitzvah just as the benefit you don't sense it, you don't perceive it. You don't feel it. Certainly not right away. Then there's no question you're doing it only because for God's sake, not on the sake or for the sake of your own benefit or the benefit of society because the benefit is not experienced or perceived at the moment. So too when it comes to the rational laws the rational laws you're not fulfilling uh maybe until so too when it comes to the don't fulfill only on account of your pleasure but rather do it like the that Hashem commanded you like it actually says in Psalms 119 19 verses 111, I'm sorry, 101 and 102. Okay, let's look it up. From every evil way, I restrained my feet. Right? Why? So just imagine I'm gonna not go in the wrong direction. I'm going to restrain my feet so that I can keep your word. And then the verse, the next verse says, "And from your judgments, I didn't turn away." So that's because you guided me. You taught me. Okay, this is very interesting because we talk about the oral Torah is real. God taught us. He instructed us. That's what the word Torah means. Instructions. So, here we have it. Um, I lost my place. Here we are. Just as the Just as these nonrational mitzvah I fulfill obviously my intent is only to guard your statutes your your decrees. Now that's very interesting because it's basically the the word which we've been talking all along is a statute and the word it says the the tribe of Yehuda will be the right they're the lawgiver the legislature so the you legislated within me you maybe implanted or even the word etched uh the word is engraved God engraved within me that's what that's how deep it goes The P says even your I didn't I did not turn away from not on account of any benefit that I felt or perceived because you taught me because you instructed me like tell us in Torah kohanim aly that a person, imagine a Jew, okay? It could be to a non-Jew as well, says, "I'm not going to eat pork because it's disgusting." Right? It has either bad odor or I don't like the way the animals are treated. Whatever it is, I'm not going to eat pork because of something gross or disgusting on, you know, unappetizing. No, the truth is it does smell quite good. Okay. So people obviously like it so it must have a good taste. So a person should not say I'm not going to eat pork because of its taste or because of something negative about it but rather because Hashem commanded me not to eat it. That is a for sure. So at the end of thean which we said in chapter 7 10 and 11 right God says that he's going to pay to those who hate you to hate sorry that hate him to his face to cause them to perish. He's not going to delay the punishment to those who hate him uh but to their face he will surely pay them. And then right away the next verse chap uh again it's verses 10 and 11. So it's still the last two verses inan before our verse. and you will guard the mitzvah and they list them theim and the which I command you today to do them. Rashi says over there during that person's life God will pay that's considered his good reward. Why is he this evil person who hates God can being considered to get reward? He'll get his reward now and not later. Well, that's difficult because we saw in chapter 8 verse 19 it compared to a non-Jew. It says over there imo mitzvah have this idea that if a non-Jew fulfills a mitzvah. So why is he called so bishas why is he considered an enemy of God if he's doing a mitzvah? Look in Proverbs 14:23. It's number 14 on the source sheet. It says charity will elevate a nation. Sedaka to Roma Now the word here actually means Israel. Rashi says clarity will elevate. Charity will elevate a nation. That's referring to Israel. When Israel gives charity, we're elevated. But what's the next part? The mitzvah, the kindness of the non-Jews is a sin. That's what it says. What could it possibly mean? What could it possibly mean? So, this is a little difficult. Agree it's difficult. So, let's try to figure it out. He asked imit. This is very difficult. If the non-Jew is going to fulfill a mitzvah, why? And believe me, doing kindness is one of the seven noat within the structure of the seven principles. So why is that considered a sin or even worse someone who hates Hashem at the time they do it? At the time they fulfill the mitzvah. He says because this non-Jew Now this is his premise that the reason if the if the guy is doing it only out of intellectual conviction he thinks there's some benefit to it then he's not doing it because God said so if he understands that God also command maybe I'm not obligated but he did command he commanded the Jews it's got to be good for them maybe it's good for me too to dibble and dabble a little bit with these mitzvah right if he feels attached to them right but believe me there's plenty under the seven no laws they don't need to do anymore but if they do it Rambam says they better do it right okay so what does it say here he says with absolute certainty remember we're talking about the non-Jewish At the time, even at the time that he fulfills a mitzvah from intellectual conviction, he's only doing it because of his feeling of, you know, let's just say some pleasure, some benefit at the moment. It's like, and I'm going to translate it my way, as if he just invented his own religion. It literally says that he gave himself a verdict. He was playing judge, jury. He made up his own religion. He decided that's the for himself, which is obviously it's very nice in terms of the seven laws, right? But if he's of the of the he's just amongst the the wise of the nations, well, he'll get his he'll be blessed in this world. That's not a little thing. But he won't see the world to come. And he will receive the reward in this world. But you the Jewish people, you don't do such a thing, right, to Hashem. But rather what's going to happen? Hashem is going to guard for you because he commanded you today, right? The verse said, right? I think it was 7:1 meaning to say, because I commanded you. That's why you're going to get a reward not on account of your not because you're deriving any pleasure from it. Okay? Now, it doesn't mean you cannot derive pleasure. Believe me, there there are ways we're going to talk about it. Um I think we mentioned before that the Rabbi Daniel Gladstein mentions how one can derive the perroahhem the fruits the kerin the prime of the reward is waiting for you in the world to come but there are I call like you know the the cherry on top the the whipped cream the fruits where you can benefit from the mitzvah in this world. Hashem will bless you men if you do them right. And I think going back to this whole thing with how does a non-Jew do them right? First of all, he has to learn the and he has to do it knowing he's not commanded. That's the key. When you say you're commanded when you're not, then you develop your own religion. That's a different religion. But when you do it because you want to feel close to the Jewish people, you want to feel close to the God of Israel. You're a gertoshav. A gertoshav is one who lives amongst Jews in the land of Israel. He may do a lot of mitzvah that a non-Jew outside the land of Israel would never have the opportunity to do. Okay. And then automatically both theim the rational mitzvah and the non nonrational mitzvah are going to be equal in your eye. And um and that's how we made this connection when it says right you're going to do the right away the with the then for sure the prime reward will be waiting for you in the world to come as it says Hashem will guard for you the covenant. Last piece, last paragraph if we can do it just a few lines actually at the end of the para chapter 8 verse 20 right we saw that just like the who will be perished caused to be perished before you so too they will surely perish because they did not listen to the voice of God the the sound of The clear says this verse is unnecessary. It's superfluous. We already said in verse 19, right? That if you forget about God and you worship idols, you surely perish. Double language. Furthermore, another question. Why is even though 19's talking about the Jews then verse 20 is talking about the goyam why are we somehow why is king David connecting connecting this idea actually sorry this is not king David this is the the chap this is the kish itself why is the pik equating forgetting about god and id worshiping to a punishment on goyam like the goyam referring referring to their behavioral that that verse 20 is not really connected to verse 19 because verse 19 is talking about idol worship as it says if you will surely forget the Lord your God which means you're worshiping other gods that's what it says you shall surely perish with the double lang language. It's a double language of perishing because the perishing for the Jew when he does idol worship is a loss of this world and the world to come. And then afterwards there's a different type of loss. That type of loss is a loss of only the world to come. And that is referring to the who aren't doing this properly. Let's let's see in a second. This is talking about someone who's not fulfilling the we said that their benefit is not felt or known or perceived or you know known in this world at the moment that you do the Therefore, most likely what happens when you fulfill the these mitzvah meaning you're only doing it because you want to get some kind of benefit or pleasure from this world. And that's what it means when it says by the non-Jew which Hashem will cause to perish. That's referring to what we said earlier about the son of God's going to pay to those who hate him to his face to cause him to perish. That's from the world to come. He's going to lose his world to come. And he's going to be given and there actually is a reason for this. The whole idea is these you're not listening to because you're not listening to those mitzvah that were hinted at in the word which are the mash the one who is not fulfilling those mitzvah that were hinted in the word. Okay. He is it's the one who does fulfill one who is fulfilling those he's going to he will benefit from the fruits in this world and the main prime reward is guarded for him in the world to come and that's why it says here in our verse that God will guard for you the bris and the kindness and he ends by saying zerakar Okay. So I want to just make sure that we're clear on this one idea that a non-Jew if he wants the world to come he needs to right according to the Rambam he needs to understand that the Torah is the where the source is for the seven no they're not man-made they come from God they were given to Moses at Sai again okay let's start again that six of them were given given over to Adam the seventh one was given to Noah now we have a very kind and loving God. And yet he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. He destroyed the world with a flood, right? He dispersed the Tower of Babel. God will never take out a punishment if there was never a warning. So the warning was already there. Mankind from the time of Adam and the time of Noah knew of these things. They knew of the But it was reiterated again in Hari and every soul, right? Even the Torah says everyone here, everyone that is here and all those who are not here today, meaning that their souls are here but the physical bodies are not are understanding and hearing the revelation. Everyone knows on the deepest level of what is right and what is wrong. Okay? So there is a internal what do we call it a compass a moral compass. Everyone knows what's really right or wrong. And uh the non-Jew who realizes this that there is a purpose, right? That the Jews were chosen that they could assist in helping that mission. Number one, by not being anti-semitic, by supporting the Jewish community because you're supporting God, right? It says if someone raises a hand to hit a Jew, he's a Russia. It's like he's putting his hand against God. Okay. It doesn't mean the human being, the Jew, is God. It's the what we represent. Now, we don't we we're not all great representatives. So, any Jew who says to another, I'm sorry, any non-Jew says to a Jew, "Hey, I heard fantastic news. I heard the good news. You guys are the witnesses. I just wish that you could uh keep Shabas. Maybe I'll help you, right? I'll help you. Keep Shabas. How? I don't know. But, uh, oh, I'll work in your factory on on Saturday so you don't have to. Whatever it is, some kind of, uh, some kind of assistance in in maybe teaching the Jew, right? If you're a Benoff and you really know that and believe that God gave the Torah to the Jews and you see Jews that aren't really keeping it, okay, don't make such a judgment. But and if you could strike up a relationship, there are actually plenty of Jews who did chuva because of non-Jews who encouraged them to get back on the right path. And I believe that's a great a great thing that many Ben are doing. Um whether they're doing it actively or just passively uh helping the Jewish nation get back on the right path which is to keep the Torah and the mitzvah and bizm. we should see the in gathered in the exiles where we can have real gto shaveim real non-Jews living in the land of Israel living amongst the Jews. Of course, at the moment it is not um haka because we don't have the majority Jews living in Israel. But I think the the non-Jews, not the righteous ones, but the non-Jews are doing a pretty good job of making sure the Jews come home, right? Many Jews are waking up to the anti-semitism. They're buying homes in Israel. If you need a good real estate agent, please give me a call. I know some personally and we'll see you on the other side. Everyone have a great week, great chabas and uh we're like just a few days away, right? A month and a half from rash shana. So here we go and we'll see you next week. Have a great life. You see my My shing.