SHAVUOT AND NOAHIDES

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00][music] [music] [music] Today we're going to learn a class with some I assume known facts, known sources, but hopefully some other sources that are not so known.

[00:00:29]And the objective of the class today is to understand the relationship between between non-Jews and the ten commandments. That's really the the thing under under the hood so to speak that some people think erroneously wrongly that the ten commandments are for every single person in the world or humankind and you know Christianity wrote it out to the whole world and so on. But the truth is that that's wrong. And I'll show you why it's wrong. It's very simple to understand why it's wrong. And instead of that, we have to understand what's the message of Judaism for non-Jews, which is actually pretty simple. The seven commandments and the ramifications and so on. But the main point is to understand that the ten commandments are not the general message of Judaism for non-Jews. Having said that, that doesn't mean that every single thing that appears in the ten commandments, it's not for non-Jews.

[00:01:28]What I mean is like this.

[00:01:31]Some ideas are for non-Jews also, but not because they are in the ten commandments. Rather, because we learned them from somewhere else. Whatever the case is, we're not going to go into the whole list of the ten commandments and see each one and how do you learn each one and so on. That's not the point of this class.

[00:01:49]rather to understand that some ideas do apply to non-Jews and some ideas don't apply to non-Jews and together with that the idea is to bring some information regarding the holiday of Shabois which is coming this particular week and what non-Jews could do could not do what to recommend and so on that's the point of this class so let's go no more introductions let's start first of all what is this holiday of Shabuat Shabu my Ashkanazic pronunciation and so on makes it a little bit different but whatever it's the same same idea what is it point number one when you look at the source the the there are a few sources but the toas says very clearly that we're going to count 49 days after the holiday of Pesak and the 50th day that's going to be sh that's all basically the Torah says about it we don't know exactly what happened in that day, what's the meaning of the day, what's the mysticism of the day, nothing doesn't say anything.

[00:02:59]Doesn't say anything to the point that our sages call it in the Talmud ates means like don't do work for Jews. This is talking about Jews. Don't do work.

[00:03:08]So, we know we don't have to work on Shabo, but the same thing applies to Pesak. The same thing applies to sukois and roshosana and yungipur whatever holiday in the Jewish tradition is exactly the same don't work whatever work means we're not going to discuss this so we don't see any anything special in shavo in pesak we see that we have matzah and we have to be careful with this and with that whatever the the different laws are and in suko we know we have to build a hut whatever that is so many things in yum kipur we fast in roashana we blow the shower whatever it is we don't do anything.

[00:03:48]When you continue reading this particular source paraso where the toya it's one of the places where the toy talks about the holidays it says basically that in the temple in the temple near that we don't have today it should be rebuilt speedily in our days but today we don't have it in the temple there used to happen a few things in shar what different than other holidays besides the things that used to happen every single day that every single day there used to be a corban an offering in the morning and in the afternoon and other things happening for every single Yv holiday. In addition to that, there used to be two loaves of wheat bread, specifically wheat bread, and it had to be leavened bread. I didn't write it down, but it had to be leaven bread.

[00:04:34]Interestingly, 49 days before in Pesa, leavened bread is completely forbidden.

[00:04:41]It's a terrible transgression of the Torah for Jews.

[00:04:45]40 days n 49 days later it is a mitzvah yes you have to bring leaven bread from wheat interesting to to know we're not going to discuss why and so on but such a thing happened in the temple two loaves of bread and a whole bunch of animals I'm not going to read it you can know you you know how to read English so a whole bunch of animals that had to be brought together with this bread and even though shaboo is usually called kagaburim the holiday of the first fruits.

[00:05:18]The truth is that at that moment in the year started the season so to speak to bring the first fruits and it ended up in Kanuka towards the summer end towards the winter I'm sorry towards the winter end in in Kanuka but there was a whole period of time that you could bring to the temple the first fruits of your fields and the crop and so on which I'm not going to explain why what and so on because it's not the point of this class but basically this is What shabu means when you read the text in the Torah nothing else.

[00:05:53]Then our sages explain that after the 49 days that means in the 50th day basically could be learned in in deeper understanding but I'm not going to do it. I'm only saying the things that I'm not going to do whatever for different classes. So what are we going to do?

[00:06:13]We'll see. You'll see. So the the our sages explain that in that particular 50th day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. So it's called shabra saying or whatever the holiday of the giving of the tora that's another subject that happened in shab but when you look at the source in the tora that means paras is where it talks about the giving of the tora it doesn't really say this is what happened in shabu two points blah blah blah blah god gave the toyra no it doesn't say that it just says you know we came to this mountain in the beginning of the month. It doesn't even say which month.

[00:06:57]In the beginning of the month. So we our sages have a whole learned a whole teaching lesson how to know which month it was which day it was what happened each day. It's a whole bunch of back and forth back and forth. Mosha Rabenu going up to the mountain Mount Si going down up and down up and down a few times with different messages from God. All all all kinds of things happen over there but it doesn't really say which day happened what. It's not so clear and our sages actually argue which day happened what which day the was given in which day of the week the TA was given it's a whole argument in the Talmud in Shabz but at the end of the day in a general way that's what happened in Shabu activities in the temple and there's a one one point in history which actually this is the basics and the most fundamental fact in history in the whole humankind for Judaism for non Jews also as we're going to learn later but the point is that again in the Tory a whole bunch of activities in the temple and also where you say yeah you know what the giving of the wasn't sh that's all then there are I didn't even write it down there are customs that people do based on different sources and so on customs like for instance eating dairy dairy foods in the day of shabu voice staying up all night learning in the night of shu and some people have the custom of reading roots the the book of roots some people have the custom of putting flowers in the temple in the synagogue I mean not in the temple in the synagogue so all kinds of different interesting customs for shabuis but if you look again in the tora nothing it doesn't say a word of what you should do in shabu except for what what whatever you have to do in the temple So this is what Shabu is basically is all about.

[00:08:54]Now having said that it is the is the day the holiday of the giving of the Torah, we have to understand who did the the God give the Tory to. And a very simple answer is God gave the Tory to the Jewish people.

[00:09:12]They were those who were standing in the in the base of the mountain down there and God appeared in the mountain and he gave the toyra. He pronounced the ten commandments all at once like all kinds of midrashim explanations of our sages of actually what happened over there and what the people felt over there in the talmud the midrashim. Okay, very nice. You can actually find it. You google what happened in the given of the toyra and you will see all kinds of interesting stories about it. But the main point that I want to bring down is that the toy was given for the Jews. 600,000 men between 20 and 60 years old.

[00:09:52]Approximately more than 3 million people were actually standing over there in the mount si that means down down the mountain and hearing God seeing whatever they saw, listening to whatever they listened and point.

[00:10:09]What about the non-Jews? Nothing. What about the non Jews? Nothing. Who's talking about non-Jews? Nobody's talking about non-Jews. The whole process of the giving of the tora was just for Jews. To the point I brought I I wrote down an interesting midrash that it gets more complicated. I cut out a few parts to make it simpler, but you can actually look it up. The sources are over there.

[00:10:32]Talmud 116A. You can look it up. It's interesting. Our sages say that when God was giving the to the Jewish people, his voice, God's voice traveled all around the world. Everybody knew that something was happening.

[00:10:50]Something was happening. They didn't know exactly what, but something was happening. So they came, the kings came to the the kings of the nations came to the to Bam. Bam was a prophet, a non-Jew prophet. There's a whole para called Balac that text talks about the story of Bam and Balac and so on. Bam was a very special kind of prophet not so good so to speak but people knew that he understood higher things and he actually understood higher things. The Talmud says even that Bam was the only one that knew the exact moment that God gets angry and he tried to curse the Jews when he when God was angry but for whatever reason God knows why he would he didn't get angry. So Bam couldn't curse the Jews but the point is that he knew hidden things let's call it that way. So they asked God they asked Bam what is this tumultuous sound? What what is this sound that we're listening to?

[00:11:43]Is God bring another flood to destroy the world? That's what people asked Bum.

[00:11:48]And he answered, "No, no, no, no. He has a good and precious item in his treasury," said Bam. He knew what the Tory was that was hidden away for with him for 9674 generations before the world was created. And he seeks to give it to his children, the Jewish people. It says the Lord will give strength to his to his people.

[00:12:14]And the this some ends up saying God is going to give strength to his people. Strength is and he's going to bless his children with his his nation with peace. That's what the the psalm says. So from here we see clearly that even the non-Jews understood that something was happening and Bam clearly explained to them yeah God is giving the to Jews. In other words, even the non-Jews understood that God is giving tora to Jews, not the non-Jews.

[00:12:47]That's is that's point number one. And when we say to that God has given the Tory, what we mean is God has given the ten commandments together with the rest of the Tory. And that was given only to Jews. Like it fine. Don't like it? I'm so sorry. That's what our sages say.

[00:13:04]That's what the text of the Torah actually clearly says. Having said all of this, that doesn't mean that when that a non-Jew is left out, so to speak, of this whole thing of toyra, of Judaism, of morality, of ethics and so on. No, no, no, not at all. To the point that our sages say in the Talmud, that means the same Talmud that brings this story of Bam. It's a different part of the Talmud but but it means it's the same book that brings the story of Bam talking to the non-Jews brings the story of of this or this idea of Rabime and this is a known idea a known source Rabime used to say that a non-Jew you can read the English yourself I'm not going to read the whole thing a non-Jew learning to has the same spiritual level as a high priest that goes a Jewish high priest priest of course that goes into the most inner more innermost part of the temple kakotashin s the most saint of saints whatever you call it in English doesn't matter the most sacred part of the temple of the whole world actually so a non-Jew evidently has some relationship with the why would a person that is not a high priest is not even a priest and between parenthesis I'm also not a priest I'm not a ken whatever I'm a regular Jew So I'm not I'm not talking bad about anybody else, but why would a non-Jew that is not a high priest? He's not a priest. He's not even a Jew. Why would be would he be like a high priest when he learns to actually the Reb explains in this particular s the we have classes on this if I'm not mistaken that it is the power so to speak of the tora itself that elevates a person when a person learns to the power of toyra itself elevates elevates a person to the level of a high priest at least like a high priest that's what the the talmud says that's what Ra says Now, does this apply to the whole as we're going to see in a few minutes? No.

[00:15:15]The truth is no. The Talmud himself itself says, I didn't copy, but it does say in the same page that this applies when a non-Jew is learning the seven commandments. Don't kill, don't steal, don't commit immorality with relationships, I don't do idolatry, and so on.

[00:15:35]But the ten commandments are not the seven commandments, I'm sorry, are not just seven quote quote unquote simple ideas and simple rules that anyone could keep and most of people actually keep today at least in the the in this part of the western world. No, the seven commandments are just like general rules that include inside of them or together with them so many so many without number ramifications and nuances and complexity and and so on that makes it a whole life of learning and besides the learning itself a whole life of applying it and living really living with it with this message so to speak of Seven general rules that look at least in the surface very simple but they're not so simple. I wish everybody would [clears throat] live like this.

[00:16:31]The world would be definitely different.

[00:16:34]Definitely different. Just to give one simple example the doesn't say that non-Jews should actually talking about the ten commandments honor parents.

[00:16:45]Doesn't say that one of the seven commandments is not to honor your parents. However, it is an obligation for non-Jews to honor the parents. The Rev says this so clearly in one. It's it's a long learning long lesson. But the point is yes, it is an obligation.

[00:17:00]Why? Because our sages say and there are a few sources that say this. The Ramban says this. Raen Goen says this in his introduction to the Talmud that every single rational idea that every human being would understand with with his mind that is a correct thing to do like for instance honoring parents not lying and so on it is an obligation that the toy imposes in on the non-Jews also so don't come to say ah Don't lie. It's not one of the seven. I can lie. No, you can't. I'm sorry. Hey, but it's not one of the seven. Doesn't make any difference. You can't because everybody knows that it is a rational thing that a society that everybody lies. You can't live like this. It's impossible. Okay. So having said all of this, we do see from this source that a person learning to it is like a high priest. Okay. On one hand we say the toy is not for the for the non-Jews. Then we say but wait a second the toy has the power to elevate a person into the level of a high priest when he's learning what he's supposed to be learning and so on.

[00:18:17]And then furthermore not just being like a high priest. There's much more to that. There's something called keser tora in Hebrew over here. Keser tora means the crown of the toyra.

[00:18:30]And there are a few sources. I just copied one of them. Actually in Hebrew you have one of them. And then there's there's another one. There's two sources over here. And there are others that basically say the same thing. But the idea is that our sages do say that the crown of is in Hebrew.

[00:18:49]It's there seating so to speak for every single human being. That's the precise language of our sages. And in another source that you have, you can see it over here. You can read it by yourself.

[00:19:01]Our sages discuss why was the ter given in the desert. Like wouldn't it be nicer that the Jewish people enter the land of Israel, holy land, a nice land and so on. And God gives the tra to them over there. Yeah. But he didn't do it. He gave it in the desert in a place that belongs to no one. Why? One of the explanations is so anyone who asks like wants to make come and take it just as the desert belongs to nobody. You could go and whatever do you whatever you want whatever you want. You could build your house over there. Okay, you're not going to do it because you don't have water, electricity, and the and the weather is terrible, but whatever. You could do it.

[00:19:40]It doesn't belong to anyone. Go to the to Africa to the Sahara desert and nobody's going to say anything. Do whatever you want. So in the same way by the Tory every single human being can claim so to speak and go learn the Torah. Why? Because it was given in a place that doesn't belong to anyone.

[00:20:03]Wilderness, desert and so on. So we do see from here it's not just tora and being like a high priest. The crown of tora our sages explained that there are other crowns also crown of malus kingship. the crown of priesthood. Okay, very nice. I personally don't have any of those crowns because I'm not a king.

[00:20:24]I'm not a priest and so on. Okay, so at least go and learn to a person learning tora gets so to speak this crown of Tory and this applies to non-Jews also because the the language of our sages is very precise. It says non-Jews also called by every single person in the world. So again we see you're like a high priest we see you can have the crown of toy then another source the raam myis it's very precise when he explains the laws here's the source laws of kings when he explains the laws of non-Jews towards the end of his book Mishna brings all the laws of the whole Judaism all around the year all around the ages and so on and at the end of the book the very and is the loss of Mashiach. Before that, those two chapters talking about Mashiach, the Rambam talks about the non-Jews which the Reb mentioned many times that the fact that the Rambam brought these two laws together, the laws of the non-Jews, that means the message of Judaism for non-Jews and then the laws of Moshiach and furthermore towards the end of the book, you could have brought it in like the beginning, in the middle, whatever else. Okay, the non Jews have to teach the I'm sorry, the two the Jews have to teach the non-Jews blah blah blah whatever you have to teach. No, Rambam brought it at the end and together with Mashiach that means that this is this action that we're doing actually right now learning the laws of Judaism and Jews and so on.

[00:21:54]That's an act of bringing Mashiach.

[00:21:56]That's an act of preparation for the of the world for the bringing of Mashiach for the whole objective of the whole creation. That's why Damb brought it together and by the end of the book like this is the end of the work. This is the only quote unquote the only missing thing. It's not really 100% correct what I'm saying, but let's call it this way.

[00:22:18]It's one of the definitely one of the missing things that we still have to do in order to bring Mashiach.

[00:22:25]Okay. But by expressing this, Dam says something very clear and interesting.

[00:22:31]This is also a it's a known source.

[00:22:35]The toyra was given to mitzvah was given were given to to to the Jews to Israel says as the says tora is the inheritance of the congregation of says the by the end the end the end of the is the inheritance of the congregation of that means Jews and doesn't mean non-Jews and the same thing happened when by the giving of the That's the connection that I want to make with Shabu as we're going to see in a minute. Moshe was commanded by the Almighty to compel all the inhabitants of the world to accept the commandments given to Noak's descendants. That means that in the moment of the giving of the Tory, God was not only thinking about the Jews, he was also thinking about the non-Jews and he included in his message to Mosher Rabenu these seven commandments and the ramifications and so on.

[00:23:34]Now the rest I'm not going to read it.

[00:23:36]But what basically says you can read it of course. I don't want to be boring.

[00:23:44]Whatever. Let's move on. The rest says basically you have to keep these seven commandments because God gave them to Mosher at Mount Si. That's basically what the Rambam brings. And if you do it because of that, okay, so you're a pious among the nation. And if you're not doing it these commandments because of that, you're not one of the pious among the nations and you're not even a smart person. That's what Raman brings. Which is interesting in itself. Why wouldn't it be a smart person if he's behaving like the Torah wants you to behave, but not because of the Torah. I'm just doing it because of my mind. My mind says so.

[00:24:21]Dama doesn't call you a smart person, a wise person.

[00:24:25]The reason is pretty simple. Because a real wise person realizes realizes understands that there's something higher than intellect. If you just live your life through or by your intellect, you're bound to mistakes. Because intellects also make mistakes. Why?

[00:24:43]Because after all, a man, a person, a human being is accustomed to think about himself, herself. So you're always going to put yourself first.

[00:24:54]Definitely at one point or another point you're going to end up making mistakes if you just base yourself in your intellect. So intellect itself understands that there's something beyond intellect which is an a subject in itself that has to be explained. That's that's not the idea today. If you later have questions I can explain that. But the point is that why is a person not fulfilling the commandments because of the tora rather fulfilling the commandments because of his intellect. He's not called a wise person because he's only limited to his own to his own intellect. He doesn't go beyond his own intellect recognizing that there's a higher power, a superpower used to call it the superpower, God Almighty. Okay. So, let's go back just a second and let's see how we go back and forth and back and forth. Wait a second. The toyra was given to the Jews. The toy was not given to the nonju. But a nonju learning to is like a high priest. And then he could even have the crown of Torah. He really if he really dedicates and or she dedicates and so on. But then we said now wait a second the Torah was given again just for Jews as the Rambam like a law. This is the law is the inheritance of the congregation of Yakov is not for non-Jews. Forget it. So wait a second.

[00:26:09]Is is it for Jews and non-Jews or just for Jews? I don't understand.

[00:26:14]So the idea is like this pretty simple.

[00:26:16]The Talmud says this. It's not my invention. Talmud says this in San 59.

[00:26:21]Talmud says when a person is the non-Jew is learning the seven commandments and ramifications. Yes, is for all and you're like a high priest and you have the crown of toy. Yeah, definitely. When the Jew when the person when the non-Jew is learning other parts of Tyra that don't belong to them, wait a second, no, you're wrong. Tory was given to Jews and the Rambam says clearly non-Jews are forbidden to learn Tyra and he doesn't even get get into details what's for what's permitted when it's not permitted he doesn't go into that so a person has to focus a non-Jew has to focus his learning to that which applies to his her life okay if you have questions exactly what to learn that's a good question you can ask a rabbi of course and the rabbi has to be able to tell you exactly which parts he has and which parts no and why. If he knows and if he doesn't know, he can ask and so on. But that's basically the solution of this back and forth thing. Yes, when you learn your part, you're like a high priest. Okay, having said all of this, let's go to the ten commandments.

[00:27:29]Why do I say that the ten commandments were not for or are not for non-Jews?

[00:27:37]This part of the class is based on this commentary which is actually also in English. You can look it up. Cleakar he lived in Prague 1600s. Ephra Malunit was his name. His commentary is very interesting in many many places. He comments of course not just this. It's pretty long and interesting because he always always bring brings something precious. Cle means like a vessel. Yakar means like a precious thing like a precious stone.

[00:28:05]And sometimes, not always, but sometimes he finishes his commentary saying, "Yeah, what I just told you is like a clear yakar. It's like a precious stone, a precious vessel, something really nice, right?" Like supporting his own com his own commentary on this particular para para's in chapter 20. He brings a pretty long commentary. I recommend to read it all.

[00:28:30]It's interesting. I'm not going to do that with you, but it's interesting to read it all. You can find it in Safaria and he brings a commentary on the ten commandments. We know that the ten commandments actually appear twice in the once when the story actually happened parasy that's chapter 20 and then parasan would be chapter 5 repeating the to the Jews before they enter the land of Israel and so on. So, we have two times, so to speak, in the Torah, the Ten Commandments. But the point is, the problem, quote unquote, is that they're they're not exactly the same words, the original story and the repetition of the story. And if we're going to say that Mosher Rabenu forgot certain words or certain expressions of God from from one time to the other like around 38 years years between the first time that Moshin actually heard the Ten Commandments to the point that he repeated the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people. If you're going to say that he forgot or he changed something, we're in big trouble. Big trouble. Why?

[00:29:42]Because why can't you say the same thing on the rest of the Torah? Forget it.

[00:29:46]Moenu heard whatever he heard. He made mistakes. He forgot. He changed.

[00:29:52]Anybody, you know, I forgot. I didn't say it or I changed it. And that's it.

[00:29:56]The Toyota is completely completely irrelevant, not important because maybe Mosher made a mistake. So whatever you say that he said, who cares what he said? Maybe made a mistake. So we can't say that. Therefore, we have to say that Mosher Rabenu made these changes on purpose. for some reason and we have to understand why. And if you look at the commentaries, some of them in English, some of them are not in English, there are really literally, I would say, tens and tens of commentaries on what are the differences between the first story of the ten commandments and the second story of ten commandments. Why the differences or what they represent and so on. So the clear this rabbi of fry malunits he is one of those commentaries that he brings one explanation of the differences and this explanation is based on a very like revolutionary idea.

[00:30:54]Nobody says this at least that I know I don't know everything but nobody says this. He says you know what the first version of the ten commandments was for the non-Jews.

[00:31:06]God had the intention to give the toy to non-Jews and it is a known story that before giving the toya to the Jews God offered the tyra to other nations for instance the nation of Asop as represents Rome and all of that and they asked what does it say in the Tory one of the commandments of the Tory says you can't murder and Asaf said no wait a second we live on this we can't I don't care I don't care I don't want this. And then he went to the children of Ishmo, the son of Abraham, Ishmael, and he also asked, "What does it say in the Tyra?"

[00:31:46]Or they also asked, "What does it say in the Tyra? Don't steal.

[00:31:50]Don't steal." And they said, "No, we live on this. We live stealing. We can't accept this Tyra. We don't want it." And then he went to the children of Ammon and Moya, the daughters of Lit. Ammon and Moya. What does it say in the Tyra? Don't do adultery. And they and they said, "Wait a second. We were born out of incest or the daughters of Lloyd had relationship with Lloyd." And that's a whole story para. So no, we live on this. No, no, no. Forget it. We don't want your to the point that he went to every single nation in the world. Nobody wanted the toy. He went to the Jews and the Jews didn't ask. Some say there's a joke, stupid joke actually. just said give me how much does it cost? Zero. So give me two. That's why two tablets.

[00:32:39]It's a stupid joke. But the point is that the Jews didn't ask what it says over there. They said nishma. Yeah, we will do everything that it says over there and we will try to understand it, learn whatever, listen and so on. And this is such a again revolutionary idea that the Talmud itself brings a story of a sage discussing with a with a non-Jew.

[00:33:02]And then told the sage, you're amaziza.

[00:33:05]That's what he says to him. Like your your nation, the Jews, your nation is a nation of people that rush to the things. You're stupid. You rush. You go everything fast, fast, fast. Come on.

[00:33:18]You see, before even knowing what the data says, you already said, "Give it to me." You don't even know what you're com what you're actually committing to.

[00:33:26]Stupid people. Oh, whatever. That's a story. So that means that it's something interesting. So the let's go back the clear malunit says the first version of the ten commandments was given actually to the non-Jews. That's what God offered the non-Jew when they rejected it. So God said okay I'll change the version and I'll give it to my people. And he offered to the Jews and the Jews accept it. And throughout the commentary, we're going we're going to see a few details of this whole commentary, which is a long one, just a few details. But and all along all along the commentary, he brings clearly how the version offered to the Jews is much more harder to keep than the version offered to the non-Jews. Like he made a cheap deal, so to speak, for the non-Jews. Take this one. What do you say? Of course, they said no. Okay, forget it. So I'm going to go with everything for the Jews which is much more difficult than the what he offered to the non-Jews. So let's see first one which is a very controversial controversial point which is very interesting. The TA says one of the commandments is you should remember that's what it says in the first version. You should remember the day of Shabas. In the second version when Mosha repeated the Torah, it says you should keep guard observe the day of Shabas. Again the first version says you should remember the second version says you should actually observe it. And our sages bring an explanation very interesting that both words zak and sham were said were said at the same time by God. something which is impossible for us to pronounce two words at the same time exactly not one after the other like two words at the same time it's impossible but that's what God said they were said together but according to this commentary he brings a very interesting difference he says like this look the Talmud says clearly that a non-Jew keeping Shabb the Rambam brings it down also as a law non-Jew keeping chabas has death penalty But he should remember Chabz. What does it mean to remember Chabz? It means to be conscious that God created the world in six days and the seventh day he rested. He did not command the non-Jews to rest. Not at all. Like you want to rest, go sleep the whole day if you want. I don't care. But there's no commandment of resting in the in a particular day of the week.

[00:36:06]Interestingly, it's not the it's not the law. The rashi of Islam is hack in France has a very strict opinion.

[00:36:15]Non-Jews cannot rest. That's what he says basically. But whatever that's not the law. The point is that the kakar this commentary that we're learning says very simple. If God would have told the non-Jews to rest in Shabas like the Jews do, it would have been so difficult. They would have said, "No, of course. It's just forget it. I have to work. I have to make money. I have to whatever. So that's why he didn't bring that in the first version of the commandments. He just God just said zak you should remember this. And he brings anal obligation even today so to speak for not just to remember the day of shab. What does that mean? Again the main point is to know to be conscious that the world is not an eternal thing like some philosophers used to think and some people even think it today. Some scientists also think this today, but whatever. In Judaism, we say no, the world is a quote quote unquote a new thing, something that God created. And this is reminded to us by the day of Shabas. God created six the world in six days and the seventh he rested. And just to add, interesting, this is also connected. The Reb says this, and we actually learned this in other classes, but the Reb connects connects this idea to prayer also.

[00:37:36]Since there's the existence of God, which is part of the idea of an entity, let's call it God, whatever, an entity creating the world. The world is not an eternal thing. The physical world is not an eternal thing. Is something created.

[00:37:49]So there's a creator which is a superpower almighty and so on that also brings together prayer, praises to him and trust. Re is very interesting. Trust and trust in God. That's part of the whole story, so to speak, of not doing idolatry and tithe, so to speak, together with the idea of Shabas. But in the second version of the commandments, God said, "No, but that's not really what I want. What I want is my people, Jewish people, to keep Shabas. That means don't do the works and don't do this and don't do that and blah blah blah. We're not going to learn the laws of Shabas." And that's why in the second tablets, I'm sorry, in the second version, it does say that. Yeah, the second tablet is also it does say that sham you should guard the shabas not just remember it just in case so nobody misunderstands I'm not saying clearly not saying that a non-Jew should do what is called kush take a cup of wine and recite a blessing because God gave the tyra or whatever that created the world in six days and the no no that's not what I'm saying no religious ceremonies in Shabas for non-Jews. It's wrong. You would be creating a religion.

[00:39:05]You would you would you would be doing something. I'm sorry. That is completely wrong. And even if you read the text of the kush, you will see that it's talking about the Jews. So it doesn't make any sense. You're saying lies. Whatever doesn't make any sense. What I'm saying is be conscious. You want to sayim, you want to re read Psalms, it's okay. You want to rest, it's okay.

[00:39:28]You want to even make a meal together with your family and say today we're going to make a meal because we're together and God created to save the world in six days and the seventh he rest it. That's okay. You could do that but not religious ideas that the Jews do copy them and do it in Shab. That's wrong. But whatever that's difference number one again the first time it says Zakar because that's an easier one. just remember it and that's what God offered the non Jews and they didn't accept that. So okay so he offered the whole package so to speak for the Jews. Let's move on to another idea.

[00:40:09]When we continue reading the ten commandments, it says, "As God has commanded you, commanded you."

[00:40:18]In the second version of the of the ten commandments, you will see that it appears like two, three times. Do this like I commanded you. Shabz regarding Shabas, it says like I commanded you regarding horing parents. It says like I commanded you. But in the vers first version of the of the ten commandments, it doesn't say that doesn't say no commanded you. Why did Mosha Rabenu added these words? Why did he add these words? And what the commentary we're learning explains is very simple because the first version was for the non-Jews.

[00:40:52]And God never told the non Jews to keep Shabas or to or whatever to even to remember Shabas. He just said it in that particular time or to honor the parents and so on. But for the Jews, even before the giving of the toyra in a place called Mara, that's what it's called in parasal. That's the story. God gave commandments to the Jews. One of them was Shabas. Another way another of them was honoring parents. And then that there were others also for instance dinim laws like commercial laws and also the idea of para aduma the red hater whatever. But these two particular commandments that appear actually in the ten commandments, shabes and honoring parents, God gave to the Jews before even the ten commandments. He just repeated them in the ten commandments.

[00:41:41]So in the first version that was for the non-Jews, it doesn't say like I commanded you because he never commanded them. In the second version, God is sell is saying basically, hey, do you remember I already told you this to keep chabas? I already told you to honor your parents. That's why there's an addition over there in the second commandments.

[00:42:02]The second version of the commandment.

[00:42:06]The same thing happens when you see in the second version of the commandments.

[00:42:10]It does say that you should honor for instance your father and your mother that you may long like you you will have a long life. You will have a long life if you do this. Honor your parents. You will have a long life. And in the first version it doesn't say that. It doesn't say that. Why not? Because the truth is this is what the commentary brings that this idea of the long life is not talking about this particular word. Not at all. Actually, there's a midrash. I don't remember all the details of the midash, but it's a very hard one, tough one. I mean, it says the ideas that I remember that the sometimes says you will have long life if you do certain commandments. For instance, honoring parents. This midrash is really talking about shiluakan when you see the details don't really matter but when you see a bird and you want the the the small children of the birds you have to keep send away the mother and then you keep the children and so on and the ta says you will have long life if you do this and the midrash brings a hard story a person puts a ladder and goes up the ladder to take the these babies whatever they called I don't know the small birds and you kick out the mother and you take your births and you fall from the ladder and you die. The person died. Where where's the long line?

[00:43:32]Where's the long line? What do you mean?

[00:43:34]I just did something that the says I'm going to have a long life and now I just died. So based on this idea, our sages say the long life is talking about the world to come. It's not talking about this world. Don't think you're going to have more years of physical material life because you do this mitzvah or that mitzvah. forget it.

[00:43:55]That's not what you're talking about.

[00:43:56]The same same thing happens with honoring father and mother in the ten commandments in the second version. You will have a long life says the Torah that it's not talking about this world is talking about the world to come. But in the first version of the ten commandments, the Torah doesn't even say a long life. Why? Because when God offered this first version of the ten commandments to the non-Jews, you can't just say you will have a long life in the world to come. What? How do you eat this? It's going to fill my pockets with dollars or not. Then I don't want it. I don't care. Give me something I can actually understand. If you're going to reward me, give me a reward in this world, not the world to come. That's why it doesn't say in the first version of the ten commandments, honor your father and mother that you will have a long life, long endured or whatever. No, God didn't want to talk about that to the non-Jews. Doesn't make any sense. They would not accept it at all. So, he made it easier for them, so to speak.

[00:44:59]Just two more ideas on this.

[00:45:03]When it says in the second version, you have to be like very precise. And with this you can see how far so to speak our sages go into explaining even a letter.

[00:45:16]In the first version of the ten commandments you will see the second five so to speak.

[00:45:25]It says a whole list of don'ts. Don't don't do adultery. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. Don't kill and so on. The second version says basically the same thing but with one change.

[00:45:38]There's that one more letter.

[00:45:40]Don't commit adultery and don't do this and don't do that in Hebrew. And it's just one letter. Bob, there's an additional letter over there. So why an addition? Why an additional letter?

[00:45:54]We're again we're saying that the first version was for the non-Jews and the second version was for the Jews. Why in the version for the Jews, God decided to add one letter before one of these domes? each one of these domes. So the commentary explains like this.

[00:46:11]This added letter alludes to the prohibition of promiscuity with an unmarried woman. When the TA says in the Ten Commandments, don't commit adultery.

[00:46:23]There's a very specific definition of what adultery means.

[00:46:27]And actually between parenthesis the Christians took this this particular commandment and they explained whatever they wanted to explain. It's completely wrong. Completely wrong. It doesn't mean don't have relationships whenever you want to say it in a simple way. It means specifically adultery.

[00:46:50]What's the definition of adultery in Judaism?

[00:46:54]The whole definition is comp complex for many reasons. I'm going to say it and if somebody has a question you can ask. But the definition of adultery is a married woman cannot be with another man. Point that's what it means adultery in Judaism. But wait a second. What happen if what happen if he is married and he wants to be with another woman? Is that called adultery? Okay. for modern society. Yes.

[00:47:24]For to no. Why? What's the What's the difference? We're all the same and so on. Yeah. For point number one, we're not we're not all the same. Point number two, a man could technically practically no. But technically be married to more than one woman.

[00:47:42]So it's not adultery if he's with another woman. Maybe he married another woman. What's the problem? I have three wives. Five wives. Five wives. Today that's forbidden for many reasons.

[00:47:52]There's a whole story. If a person wants to know more details to this, I invite you to look up the story of Raenu Gersona.

[00:47:59]That's what it was called. Year 900s Germany. He is the one that actually invited all the Western world Jews not to marry more than one woman. He suffered so much. He married two and he suffered so much. He said that's it. I don't want anymore anyone else to suffer the what whatever I suffered that's it only one woman and and that's how we all live and besides the fact that in most of western countries it's forbidden to marry more than one so going back just to the plain Toyota law a man could marry more than one woman now having said that who told you you cannot have relationship with with an unmarried woman. Unmarried woman. If she's married, oops, that's adultery.

[00:48:52]Don't do that. But if she's not married, yeah, but you're married to your wife.

[00:48:57]Yeah, but who's forbidding me? Who's not allowing me to be with another woman? What's the problem? So for the Jews, God gave a version very strict with another additional letter. The additional letter is telling us, hey, with an unmarried woman, you cannot do whatever you want. No, go marry. You want to marry? Okay, go marry 10 women if you want. Okay, David married six. Schleame married 1,000 and that's how he ended up. But the problem is that for the non-Jew, I'm sorry, for the Jew, God is saying don't do whatever you want with an unmarried woman. Even though it's not forbidden, technically speaking, don't do that. For the Jew, for the non-Jew, it didn't add the the word the letter above. Just another word, just another letter. I'm sorry. This letter is not there because the non-Jews would have said, "No, forget it. If she's not married, what's the problem? If she's married, okay, that's adultery. I don't want that. But if she's not married, what's the problem?" Okay, so God didn't have this letter. Same thing happens with another of these last commandments that also has in the second version another letter that the explanation is basically the same. More strict for the Jew and not so strict for the nonJew in this particular case. Don't bear false witness. It's not just false witness. It's just deception in general. Don't de don't deceive people. Don't lie. Don't go around the world saying one thing and doing another thing. Don't do that. In the second version, there's another letter saying not just false w false witness, don't deceive people. But in the first version, it doesn't say that. That doesn't mean, don't misunderstand that non-Jews could deceive people and lie and so on. No, no, no, no, no.

[00:50:48]Definitely not. But what I'm saying is when God offered the ten commandments for the non-Jews originally before the Jews, it it allowed so to speak more leniencies. It was an easier ten commandments. They did not accept not even that first version. Forget it. None of this is for you. You rejected it.

[00:51:09]Okay, this is for the Jews. Of course.

[00:51:13]Of course. I think I didn't see this written anywhere but I think it has to be said anyway. A person might ask, particularly a non-Jew that wants to follow the message and the and the Noyak and blah blah blah, all of this that we all know about, might say, "But wait a second. I was not asked. I wasn't there.

[00:51:34]It's not my fault. Some stupid guy 3,000 years ago said no, and that's why I don't have the Ten Commandments." What's the problem? It's not my fault. I want this. Okay. The truth is, we're not talking about a person over here. God did not offer the tora to to a physical person saying this or that doesn't make any sense. Gather all the non-jews from every single corner of the world. Okay, God can do anything he wants. But still doesn't make much sense.

[00:52:05]The idea is that he offered to the angels that manage each one of the 70 nations. And the angels, they decided they didn't want this. And again, the question is the same. It's not my fault.

[00:52:16]And the answer is pretty simple.

[00:52:19]Most I would say really most of the ideas of the ten commandments do apply to non-Jews but not because they are they are stated in the ten commandments.

[00:52:30]No for different reasons from different places either as a rational commandment either as a moral thing moral obligation or because it's learned from other like a ramification a derivative from other mitzvah and so on.

[00:52:46]So most of the ideas actually do apply but just the say the idea of saying I want the ten commandments it's a problem because it says shabas over there and the talmud says clearly shabas is not for non-Jews. So you can't accept so to speak upon yourself the ten commandments and say this is also for me I want it some again some stupid angel said no 3,000 years ago I want it anyway for me.

[00:53:11]No, I'm sorry. It's a wrong path, so to speak. And a person always has to ask himself, herself, do I want to do what I like or do I want to do what God likes?

[00:53:25]That's the main question a person has to ask himself. if you really want to do what God likes, what his will so to speak. So go find out, ask, investigate, ask a rabbi and so on and he will tell you and this is what God wants for the Jews and for the non-Jews and so on. Are you don't like it? So you have to ask yourself what are you seeking? What are you looking for again yourself or God?

[00:53:51]That's a general question a person has to ask. So the com the the commentary of the cleakar brings much more explanations but they are basically the same spirit so to speak. The first version of the ten commandments was like a lighter version much easier version permissible version and the second version is much harder because the first one was for the non-Jews they rejected it and the second one is for the juice and we accepted it. Now, interestingly, I'm just going back a second and then we'll finish the class with shues.

[00:54:27]Interestingly, this particular source of the Rambam, okay, you don't have to read the whole thing. Don't worry. The Rambam is saying that God gave the tora for the Jews and together with the G of there's a message for the non Jews. It's an important source besides the fact that Rambam says don't non-Jews should not learn to should not keep Shabas. Okay, that's what the Talmud says and the Rama just copies it into law. But it's an important source because again within the message given for Jews, there's a me message for the Jews to share certain parts of the message for the non-Jews with the non-Jews.

[00:55:05]So it's a it's literally an obligation and actually to the point that Rambam says that God asked to compel Jews to compel all the inhabitants of the world and so on. So it's part of the part of Judaism, so to speak. A person can't come and say, "Where do you got these seven commandments from?" No, no, no.

[00:55:22]It's part of our tradition. Having said all of this, okay, Shau comes and we already explained ten commandments are not for the non-Jews. They rejected it.

[00:55:34]And even though they have a message, okay, but the message is hidden so to speak in different parts of the Tory has to be clarified with authorities and rabbis and so on. Okay, what can a nonjud do in shave? Point number one, Jews don't do much in shave. They just pray and that's it. As I explained before, there's not like really much to do. We don't eat matzah and we don't have a suka and whatever. We don't have any. We don't fast. We don't have any of these things we have in different holidays. As I said before, there are customs.

[00:56:09]So if a non-Jew wants to eat cheesecake the day of Shabo, be happy. Eat the cheesecake. Is this a religious practice?

[00:56:22]What's religious about eating cheesecake? I don't think any religious thing in eating cheesecake. But if it happens that you don't like cheesecake, but you heard that the Jews are eating cheesecake, don't eat cheesecake. Yeah, but the Jews eat cheesecake. But if you don't like it, what are you doing? Like, are you crazy? Where's the mitzvah of eating something you don't like? And cheesecake is just an example, of course. Just one example. Whatever. You don't like dairy or dairy it's dangerous for you. There's some certain people that are allergic to dairy, so don't eat it. Yeah. for the juicy in the in it.

[00:57:01]Don't eat it.

[00:57:04]So, it's not about food exactly what to eat or where not to eat. That's not the point in sharen commandments in the synagogue. Okay, let's see if the synagogue is going to allow you to go in. I don't know. So in each place of the world where you live, you're going to have to ask the rabbi whether you can actually go and hear them. Are you obligated to do that? No, not at all. Yeah, but I want to relieve the Wait a second. What do you want to relieve? What if you weren't there? It might sounds kind of hard, but the truth is I just explained through a whole class. You were not there. So you're not relieving anything and you're not leaving anything. It's not for you.

[00:57:46]So why should you go? You want to go be happy if they let you in. But if they don't let you in, don't feel bad. Don't feel left out. That has no relationship with you. Not at all. So what yes to do.

[00:58:03]It's a interesting moment to understand and to know this source that I just brought at the end again of the Rambam that that particular time is the time that God gave the seven commandments and the ramifications to the Jews to share with the non-Jews. So to be thankful to God that you actually have a a framework so to speak where to live within the will of God to call it in some place in some way I'm sorry in some way you have to know you can contemplate and think that that particular day is the day that God gave us a mission a very specific mission of revealing his his godliness in the So you can ask yourself and you can contemplate and then think about yourself. Am I fulfilling this mission?

[00:58:56]Am I living up to it like am I really doing my best effort to the to this and for this? Am I really learning to as much as I could? Am I really learning what I can learn?

[00:59:09]Of course, and this is something for every single day, not just for shavo.

[00:59:13]Think about how the world is constantly recreated by God. And of course you can read Psalms. Some people in the Jewish world read like in Kabat we don't do this but some people read the book of Ruth because Ruth actually is connected to Shabo through the crops of wheat. So she was there gathering crops gathering wheat and so on. So it's connected to Shabo and also another connection is that Roose was the great grandmother of David and David passed away in Shabu. Well, people read the book of Roose completely acceptable. And again, as I said before with the cheesecake, is this a religious act to read the book of Roose? I don't see the religious act. You could read it every day if you want. It's not a problem. You want to read it in Shabu, it's okay. Go read it in Shabu. Of course, you could read the the Torah where he talks about the Ten Commandments, the first version, the second version. You can read the commentary of of Kyakar. It's very interesting. You can look it up. It's it's available in English. Again, it's in Safaria.

[01:00:20]But religious observances, I don't think are correct. I don't think are correct.

[01:00:27]But again, I repeat this. Even for Jews, there are not many religious observances in in Shabu. You want to stay up all night learning. Okay? You want to stay up all night learning. You can stay up all learning. All night learning. What's the problem? There's no problem. But not because they're religious. No, because you want to stay up all night learning, which is okay. It's completely completely acceptable. So having said all of this, we have to be thankful to God that we do have a Tory because actually angels complain to God. Don't give the Tory to the human beings. Don't give the Tyra to the Jewish people. And there's a whole story about how how Mosher Rabenu actually argued with the angels and he brought down the Tory for us. We have to be thankful. Every single human being can be thankful that we do have the Tyra and that allows us and gives us as I mentioned before a framework to connect to godliness to connect to our own souls to our own essence. And basically that's why doesn't have anything you have matzah okay the matzah go with matzah you do the hot and so on and the and then you keep your past very nice in sh you don't do anything what does that mean it means that it's connection to god that's all it doesn't have a shape when you put a shape into something you limit that something in p in I'm sorry in suk is the hut So the connection has a limit a way a shape a form choice is just connection to god to his essence doesn't have any shape doesn't have any form it's just you and him that's all that's why it doesn't have a particular observance so to speak so let's hope that for this shabu is each one of us can actually contemplate on these ideas and I wish Jews would contemplate on these ideas also whatever we do all the observances and we don't contemplate anything. Okay, I finished.

[01:02:28]That's it. I'm going to sleep. I stayed up all night. I'm so tired. I'm going to sleep. So, you stand you spend the whole show sleeping. Okay, no much contemplation, but whatever. Let's hope for a meaningful shave.