What is Even HaEzer?
By Rabbi Moshe Perets
The origin of the name “Even HaEzer” is in Parashat Tetzaveh, which describes the garments of the “Kohen Gadol,” the High Priest, which included a breastplate on which there were set columns [“Turim”] of precious stones, and the word for “stone” or “precious stone” in Hebrew is “Even.”
The first woman, Chava, is described in Parashat Bereshit as “Eizer K’negdo,” a “Helper appropriate for Him.” The word for “Helper” is “Eizer.” Combining the two gives “Even HaEzer,” “The Precious Stone of Helping,” describing the beneficial role a wife plays for her husband, and indicating clearly that marriage is the most desirable state for a human being.
“Even HaEzer” for Noahides contains 105 Laws dealt within 7 chapters. They include, among others, the Mitzvah of Marriage, forbidden partners and acts, How a Man acquires a Wife, Mutual Obligations between Husband and Wife, and a discussion of the Laws of Divorce, the way to dissolve a Marriage if that becomes necessary.
“The Precious Stone of Helping” is the third part of the Online Noahide Yeshiva Study Cycles on the Code of Law for Noahides, the compendium of Torah Law for Gentiles applicable today, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner in 2012 (5573).
The basic Marital Laws Ordination, determines that the Noahide has in his Marriage and family life as well as in his community the knowledge on how to apply these Torah laws (if needed in communication with a Rabbi).
The mastery of this Section of the “Noahide Code,” makes the person: “Kosher for Noahide Dating, Noahide Marriage Kosher Optimization, Dating and Marriage Counseling and eventual Ordination for the performance of Noahide weddings.”
More advanced Dayan Ordination requires mastery of “Choshen HaMishpat” there the formulation is “Yadin, Yadin” – “He is qualified to judge.”
By Rabbi Moshe Perets
Noahide Academy