Holy and Righteous

Many years ago, a Noachide couple were invited to speak to a group of students at Machon Meir. The couple were raised Christian, but abandoned their previous faith in order to observe the Seven Noachide Laws.

They told the students how fortunate they were to be Jews and be able to live such a special spiritual lifestyle.

They summed up their talk by saying that their job as Noachides was to be righteous. Their job as Jews, was to be holy.

This really does sum up the difference between a Jew and a righteous Gentile. In the best scenario, he will achieve righteousness by doing acts of kindness, and living a life of high moral character.

The 613 laws of the Torah, are the vehicle towards achieving holiness. Aside from Shabbat, Kashrut, and the laws of Family Purity, a Jew was expected to conduct himself on a higher level.

There were numerous laws of purity and impurity, that sometimes demanded a quarantine from that individual, until that state of impurity had passed.
Even today, when many of these laws are not applicable, it is accepted that Jews wash their hands upon leaving a cemetery. Similarly, the hands are washed upon awaking, after using the restroom, and before eating bread.

There is a different standard expected of the Jew. Men wear Tzitzit and put on Tefillin. Women are expected to dress modestly and conduct themselves in a gentle, humble way.

It is understandable what this Noachide couple meant when they spoke of their obligation to be righteous and the Jew’s job was to be righteous.

It is also interesting to note that one of the students asked the couple why they didn’t convert to Judaism. The husband answered that he couldn’t do it because it would kill his mother, who was a devout Christian. Rav Chaim Richman told me that the couple actually converted to Judaism after the man’s mother died. (He said he liked them better when they were Noachides!)