Torah and Non-Jews

(9) A non-Jew who busied himself with Torah is liable with his life. He must involve himself in their Seven Commandments only. Similarly, a non-Jew who “rested” as one would on Shabbos, even on a weekday, is liable with the death penalty. There is no reason to mention (that he is culpable) if he invented his own holiday. The principle here is that we do not permit them to make a new religion and create new commandments for themselves based on their own reasoning. They may only become Righteous Converts and accept upon themselves all the Commandments, or they must observe their own (Seven) Laws only, and not add or detract from them. If a non-Jew busied himself with Torah or made Shabbos or made up something new, we give him lashes and punish him and tell him that he is liable with the death penalty for doing this. But he is not executed.

(10) A non-Jew who wishes to perform another Torah Commandment (merely) in order to receive a reward is not prevented from so doing in the Halochically correct way...

(11) The Jewish Court must set up judges for the Resident Converts to judge them in accordance with these statutes. This is so that the world will not come to be destroyed. If the Court sees that it can appoint judges from among them, then it should do so. If the Court sees that it must appoint Jewish judges, then it may do so.

(1) Israel was enjoined with three Commandments upon entering the Land: to appoint a king, as it says, “you shall set a king over yourselves” (Deut. 17:15); to destroy the descendents of Amalek, as it says “erase the memory of Amalek” (Deut. 25:19); and build the Temple, as it says, “you shall seek His habitation, and there you will come” (Deut. 12:5).

(1) Adam, the first man, was commanded with six commandments: 1) idolatry, 2) “blessing” (euphemistically) the Name (of G-d), 3) murder, 4) illicit sexual relations, 5) thievery and, 6) establishing a system of justice. Even though all of these have been received as a Tradition from Moses our Teacher and we can understand the rationale for them, nevertheless, from (verses in) the Torah (we learn that) it was these that they were commanded. A seventh commandment forbidding the eating of a limb torn from a live animal was added for Noah, as it says, “Even flesh, life is in the blood, do not eat of it” (Genesis 9:4)...

(2) A non-Jew who worships idols is culpable...

And Reish Lakish says: A gentile who observed Shabbat is liable to receive the death penalty, as it is stated: “And day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:23), which literally means: And day and night they shall not rest. This is interpreted homiletically to mean that the descendants of Noah may not take a day of rest. And the Master said (57a) that their prohibition is their death penalty, i.e., the punishment for any prohibition with regard to descendants of Noah is execution....And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: A gentile who engages in Torah study is liable to receive the death penalty; as it is stated: “Moses commanded us a law [torah], an inheritance" it is an inheritance for us, and not for them. But let the tanna count this among the seven Noahide mitzvot?! According to the one who says that the verse is referring to the Torah as an inheritance, then the gentile robs the Jewish people of it. According to the one who says that the verse is referring to the Torah as betrothed, the punishment of is like that of one who engages in intercourse with a betrothed young woman, which is execution by stoning. An objection: Rabbi Meir would say: From where is it derived that even a gentile who engages in Torah study is like a High Priest? From that which is stated: "which if a man does he shall live by them”. If priests, Levites, and Israelites, is not stated, but rather: “A man,”. You have therefore learned that even a gentile who engages in Torah study is like a High Priest?! There, the reference is their seven mitzvot.

(1) (Devarim 33:4) "Torah was commanded lanu by Moses": This command is only "lanu," only for our sake.

The author employed the text as a beautiful poetical phrase, in teaching an excellent moral lesson, namely this: It is as bad to listen to bad language as it is to use it. This lesson is poetically connected with the above text. In the same sense you must understand the phrase, "Do not read so, but so," wherever it occurs in the Midrash.

Rabbi Ami said further: The words of Torah may not be transmitted to a gentile, as it is stated: “He has not dealt so with any nation, and as for His ordinances, they have not known them” (Psalms 147:20).

(2) And they inform him of the main principles of the religion, which is the unification of God's name, and the prohibition of idol worship, and they dwell at length on this matter. And they inform him of some of the lenient commandments, and some of the stringent commandments. And they do not dwell at length on this. And they let him know the sin of “gatherings” “forgotten sheaves” “corners of the field” and “second tithe.” And they tell him of the punishments for not keeping the commandments. How so? They say to him: Know that before this point, if you ate forbidden suet, you would not be punished with karet, if you broke Shabbat, you would not be punished by being stoned. But now, after you have converted, if you eat forbidden fat you will be punished with karet, if you break Shabbat, you will be punished by being stoned. And they do not dwell at length on this, nor do they go into detail, lest this causes him to be troubled and turn away from the good path to the evil path. For at the beginning we do not draw a person except with words of appeasement and gentleness. I drew them with human ties, with cords of love.

And we have already clarified that this commandment also includes that we call all people to His service, may He be exalted, and to believe in Him. And that is since when you love a person, you will recount his praises and magnify him, and call on other people to love him.

Variantly "ya'arof like rain My taking": R. Yehudah was wont to say: One should gather words of Torah as (general) principles; for if he gathers them as particulars, they weary him and he is at a loss. An analogy: One going to Caesarea and requiring one hundred or two hundred zuzim for expenses — If he takes them in perutoth (small coin), they weary him and he is at a loss; but if he melts them into selaim (large coin), he can change them wherever he wishes.