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The Davao Noahide Community Group Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The holy Zohar explains that the purpose of G-d’s creation of the physical universe is for the eternal future World to Come, when His unlimited Essence will be openly revealed in this physical world, dwelling together with human beings, both Gentiles and Jews. Many Biblical prophecies focus on the Righteous Gentiles in the Messianic Era. For example: Zechariah 14:9 – “G-d will be King over the entire world [including the Gentiles], and in that day G-d will be One and His Name One.” ​ The purpose of Gentiles, who are created in the “image of G-d” (Genesis 1:27) is that through them accepting upon themselves that G-d is their King and following the Seven Commandments which He gave them, that will be the main revelation of G-d’s Kingship in the creation. As the Zohar says, because G-d desired to do kindness, it arose in His thought, “I will reign,” and there is no king without subjects. Even if a king has many children (Exodus 4:22), and many ministers for the administration of his kingdom (Isaiah 6:2-3), he is not a king with out a nation of subjects who will accept him as their king and accept his decrees. ​ This purpose for the physical creation will mainly be accomplished through the Gentiles, more so than through the Jews. This is what the Jewish prophets prophesied about the eternal Messianic Era. All the Books of the Hebrew Prophets are full of these prophecies, and here are just a few examples: ​ - Psalm 67: “The nations will extol You O G-d; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations upon the earth forever.” ​ - Psalm 72: “Blessed is His glorious Name forever, and may the whole earth [of whom the majority are Gentiles] be filled with His glory.” ​ - Psalm 100: “Let all the earth [of whom the majority are Gentiles] sing in jubilation to the L-rd.” ​ - Isaiah 11:9 – “The earth [which is mainly populated by Gentiles] will be as filled with knowledge of G-d as water covering the sea bed.” ​ - Isaiah 56:7 – “For My house [the eternal Third Temple] shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” ​ - Zephaniah 3:9 – “For then I [G-d] will turn the nations to pure language, so that all will call upon the Name of G-d to serve Him with one purpose.” ​ - Rosh HaShanah prayer for the Messianic Era, composed by the Talmudic Sages: “All [of whom the majority are Gentiles] will form a single band to carry out the will of G-d, blessed be He.” As a precondition to achieve all of this in actual reality, the world first needs to be perfected, meaning that it is necessary for people to follow the path of righteousness and peace in the simple practical sense of those terms. Since the vast majority of the people in the world are Gentiles (there are about 7 billion Gentiles living in the world at this time), this depends on them, and that is the goal and the purpose that they are assigned by G-d to accomplish. ​ Although when Moshiach comes his task will be to motivate all the Gentiles to reach this level in true perfection (as explained by Ramban in Laws of Kings, ch. 11), the Gentiles first have to be ready, willing and desirous on their own to reach that level of perfection. That readiness that the Gentiles need to have means getting ready in practical terms – when they have done everything they can in their power to actually accomplish it to the greatest extent that’s possible for them to achieve on their own, before the true Messiah comes. Namely, fulfilling the unified purpose of Gentiles all over the world to follow the path of righteousness and peace with acceptance of the one true G-d as their King, which can only be accomplished through the Seven Noahide Commandments. That is the goal of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Noahide Campaign. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Here is the translation of Jeremiah 31:30-33 that is printed in the Artscroll Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. [Tanakh is an abbreviation with the Hebrew Letters T – N – Kh, which stand for T(orah) = 5 Books of Moses, N(evi’im) = Prophets, Kh(esuvim) = Holy Writings.] 30. Behold, days are coming, says the L-rd, when I will seal a new covenant with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and with the HOUSE OF JUDAH: ​ 31. not like the covenant that I sealed with their forefathers on the day that I took hold of their hand to take them out of the land of Egypt, for they abrogated My covenant, although I became their Master, says the L-rd. ​ 32. For this is the covenant that I shall seal with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL after those days, says the L-rd; I will place my Torah within them and I will write it onto their heart; I will be their G-d and they will be a people for Me. ​ 33. They will no longer teach – each man his fellow, each man his brother – saying, “Know the L-rd,” For all of them will know Me, from their smallest to their greatest, says the L-rd, when I will forgive their iniquity and will no longer recall their sin. ​ A fine traditional explanation of the “New Covenant” verses in Jeremiah has been published in chapter 10 of the book “Their Hollow Inheritance,” by Michoel Drazin. Here is an excerpt of the main points from that chapter: ​ CHAPTER 10: THE ETERNAL TORAH Jeremiah 31:30-33 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the L-rd, “when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Not like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt – My covenant that they broke, although I was their Master,” says the L-rd. “But this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel after those days, ” says the L-rd: “I will place My Torah within them and write it upon their hearts; and I will be their G-d and they shall be My people, and no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying: ‘Know the L-rd,’ for they shall all know, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” says the L-rd; “for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” ​ This vision of the Messianic Era is not referring to any change in the contents of the Torah, for it does not say, “I will make a new Law with the House of Israel.” It is rather speaking about the covenant G-d made with the Jews at Mount Sinai. A Biblical covenant always denotes an agreement between two or more parties… ​ In the Messianic Era, the covenant will be “new” and different in that it will be unbreakable, owing to the tremendous Godly revelations the Jewish people will experience: ​ Ezekiel 36:26-27 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will place within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will place My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to observe My ordinances. ​ Joel 3:1-2 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Even upon the manservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out My spirit. ​ Through these revelations, the Jews will attain unsurpassed knowledge of G-d and His Torah, making it impossible for them to disobey either one. As the passage under discussion states: “I will place My Torah within them and write it upon their hearts….” It will be so ingrained in the Jew that, “no longer shall each man [need to] teach his neighbor and each his brother…” Similarly: ​ Zechariah 8:23 Thus says the L-rd of hosts: “On those days ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold and seize the robe of a Jew, saying: `Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.’” ​ Isaiah 11:9 They shall never hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the L-rd as the waters cover the sea. Hence, the Torah itself is eternal, as are each of its precepts [Ask Noah notes: i.e., its 613 Mosaic precepts for the Jews, and its 7 Noahide precepts for the Gentiles]: ​ Genesis 17:9-10 And G-d said to Abraham: “And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.” ​ Exodus 12:17 And you shall observe the [commandment of] unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an ordinance forever. ​ Exodus 31:16 Therefore, the children of Israel keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ​ Missionaries mistakenly contend that it was necessary to replace the Torah because its commandments are too difficult to observe. They try to convince the nations of the world of this by claiming that G-d’s Torah covenant with the Jews implies that the only way for any person to be righteous in G-d’s eyes and earn a place in the eternal reward of the World to Come was through strict observance of all the 613 Jewish commandments. They hide (or do not know) the truth that there is a separate Torah covenant for Gentiles, which is that for a Gentile to be righteous in G-d’s eyes and earn a place in the eternal reward of the World to Come, he or she should observe the letter and spirit of the Seven Noahide commandments. This universal covenant includes G-d’s promise of the acceptance of personal repentance, which is implicit in the Covenant of the Rainbow. ​ Here are some additional classic commentaries on these verses as they relate to the future Messianic Era, quoted from The Book of Jeremiah, Volume Two, p. 254-255, by Judaica Press: verse 30: “a new covenant” – Ibn Nachmiash explains that the Torah must always seem new and fresh. The only reason it may seem old and boring is that the evil inclination makes it seem so. In the future, however, when the evil inclination will be destroyed, it will indeed [always] be a “new Torah”. ​ verse 32: “I will inscribe it upon their hearts” – It will not be forgotten from their hearts. It will be as though it had been inscribed there. -[Mezudas David] ​ verse 33: “no longer shall one teach his neighbor” – Scripture does not say that they will all be equal in wisdom, for that is impossible. It is surely impossible that the smallest should be as wise as the greatest. The intention is that in “knowing the L-rd,” i.e. in fearing Him and in walking in His ways all will be equal. -[Redak] ​ verse 33: “for I will forgive their iniquity” – that they committed in exile, and I will give them a new heart to know Me. -[Redak] Since they will be pure of sin, they will be able to perceive that the L-rd is G-d. -[Mezudas David ] ​ While on this subject, we have taken the opportunity to provide some of our own additional insights into another meaning of the “New Covenant.” This explanation was presented to our rabbinical advisor, who certified it as a novel but completely acceptable Torah insight. Here is this explanation of the above quoted verses, Jeremiah 31:30-33: ​ 30. Here it is clear from the plain words of the verse that G-d is speaking about a new covenant He will make specifically with all the Tribes of the Jewish People, both with the House of Judah (the 2 Tribes in the Kingdom of Judah, which were Judah and Benjamin, and also including Levi), and with the House of Israel (the remaining 10 Tribes in the north of the Holy Land, which split off from the Kingdom of Judah after King Solomon’s son Rekhavam became king). ​ 31. The covenant that is being described here can also be viewed as the covenant of Redemption of the Jewish People from exile, since it is being compared to the covenant that was made “on the day that I took hold of their hand to take them out of the land of Egypt.” That was the day that the Covenant of Redemption was actualized. It was first promised to the enslaved Israelites at the burning bush, when G-d told Moses to tell the Israelites that His Name is “I-Shall-Be-As-I-Shall-Be,” meaning “I shall be their Redeemer from this exile in Egypt, as I shall be their Redeemer from their future exiles.” The new covenant in the future will be different in that, unlike the original redemption led by Moses, the final redemption led by the Messiah will never be followed by any further national exiles. ​ 32. “After those days” refers to after the days of the future Final Redemption, which will include the Messiah’s ingathering of all the Jews to the Land of Israel. In that time of the Messianic Era, G-d will open the mind and heart of every Jew to know and understand the entire Written and Oral Torah and all of their commandments, in a way of an “instinctive” knowledge that they will know automatically and completely, as part of their essential being. From then on, their eternal occupation will be only to learn about the hidden spiritual secrets of the Torah and the Essence of G-d. The Hebrew translated as “I will be a G-d (Elo-kim) for them” means that the unlimited and utterly transcendent Divine Essence (referred to as “I”) will be the normal and natural life force (which is presently the function “Elo-kim”) for every Jew. Furthermore, the promise “they will be a people for Me” will fulfill G-d’s original motivation to bring about the creation of a physical realm, so that His transcendent Essence will eventually be revealed there to the Jewish People, and through them to the Righteous Gentiles who have earned a share in that eternal revelation. ​ 33. Because G-d will open the mind and heart of every Jew to know and understand the entire Written and Oral Torah and all of their commandments, in a way of an “instinctive” knowledge that they will know automatically and completely, as part of their essential being, there will be no need or use for one Jew to teach another Jew these laws and texts (as today a parent teaches a child or a teacher teaches a student). Rather, G-d will teach His secrets to the entire people through His Righteous Messiah. And the Messiah will have a special knowledge of G-d’s secrets which will always surpass the growing capacity of knowledge of all other human beings. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

We prayed with Rabbi Schulman, Kinche, Teodor and James by the Western Wall in Jerusalem... Well I think we can get our 10 points, each one of us! Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The foundation of Kabbalah is the study and application of a Master blueprint of all Creation known as the Tree of Life. The Tree is comprised of 10 Sefirot or Divine Emanations, which flow directly from the Source of Life. It is said that the Holy One created these Sefirot to make Himself known in the world, and these are the primal Lights that emanate from the Ain Sof (Endlessness) in the ongoing dynamic of Creation. The Sefirot are thus the building blocks of Life, through which the Holy One Creates all existence anew each moment. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan taught that the Sefirot serve as a memory bank in the Divine domain, and a permanent record of everything that has ever taken place in all Creation is made on the Sefirot. In this mode, every event and action is measured and weighed by the Sefirot, and the appropriate response is conceived and calculated. The Sefirot are the means through which God communicates with His Creation; they are also the means through which man communicates with God. If not for the Sefirot, God, the Infinite Being, would be absolutely unknowable and unreachable. It is only through the Sefirot that He can be approached. In a mystical sense, the Sefirot are a channel, ladder or tree through which one can "climb" and approach the Infinite. The earliest known revelations of the Kabbalah include a mystical introduction to the Sefirot, and originate in the teachings of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. A 2nd century mystic, he lived 13 years in deep meditation within a cave near Pekien, northern Israel, enabling him to "bring down the revelation of Elijah the Prophet that would be needed until the coming of the Messiah" (Ramchal, Adir BaMarom). Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

In the beginning…G-d split the waters, the light, the time frame (more about that later), even Man, but before all that He needed to split the alphabet.  The kabbalists tell us that the Red Sea (Endless Sea) was split from the very beginning, which they explain is the only reason why it could be physically split 2448 years later. They also tell us that on Moses’ staff were written the 72 Names and the 42-Letter Name, which were used to split the waters. But before even those essential Names existed there was the Hebrew Alef-bet, and like an egg, it needed to be cracked open. So, what if we could show you that there is a single way to split the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alef-bet in two that would give rise to the 42-Letter Name, the 72 Names, the Torah, the concept of Israel, the primordial mathematical constant phi, the 13 attributes, and much more? First, we need to ask how many ways the 22 letters of the alef-bet can be split into 2 separate groups? Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The Talmud asks in Tractate Shabbat, “What is Hanukkah?” As Rashi explains, the Talmud is inquiring as to what miracle brought about the establishment of the festival of Hanukkah. The Gemara answers: “When the Hellenists entered the Temple, they defiled all of its oil. Then, when the royal Hasmonean family overpowered and was victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of pure oil … sufficient to light the menorah for a single day. A miracle occurred and they lit the menorah with this oil for eight days.” This raises an obvious question. The paramount miracle of Hanukkah was that the Jews were victorious in battle over the Hellenic forces: that G-d delivered “the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few.” Why, then, was Hanukkah established not for this preeminent miracle, but for the miracle of the cruse of oil? How did the subordinate miracle metamorphose into the consummate and primary miracle? The primary peril the Jews faced during this period was not the threat to their physical lives, but to their spiritual lives. Demanded the Hellenists: “Inscribe upon the horn of an ox that you have no part in the G-d of Israel.” (The physical battles resulted from the Jewish people ignoring the decrees against their religion.) Precedence was therefore given not to the miracle of vanquishing the enemy in battle (safeguarding the body), but to the miracle of rescuing the soul of the people. This was the miracle of the oil – the miracle that related to performing a mitzvah with the lights in the Holy Temple, lights that are symbolic of Torah and mitzvos in general, as the verse states, “For a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light.” But why does the Gemara give such scant and passing mention to the actual victory in battle and moreover, make no mention at all about its miraculous nature? Granted, the main aspect of Hanukkah is the spiritual victory and miracle, but there was a truly miraculous physical victory as well. Moreover, the spiritual triumph came only through the physical triumph. Shouldn’t the Gemara have mentioned – at least in a subordinate manner – the miracle of the victory in battle? The battle of the Hellenists was not a simple spiritual struggle against the Jewish religion per se, but against specific aspects of it. In the words of the VeAl HaNissim prayer: they sought “to make them forget Your Torah and make them violate the decrees of Your will.” It was not the Torah per se that the Hellenic regime wished to uproot from the Jewish people, but “Your Torah” – i.e., that Torah is of Divine origin and as such transcends human intellect. Nor were they against the Jews’ practice of the Torah’s mitzvos as a moral and ethical code. It was specifically the “the decrees of Your will” – the suprarational commands that defy all logic and reason and are performed only out of acceptance of the Divine yoke – that they wished to outlaw. That is to say, the war waged by the Hellenists was against the Jewish notion that G-dliness utterly transcends all aspects and elements of creation and nature, and as such cannot be grasped with human intellect. We can now understand why, when the Gemara asks as to what miracle brought about the Hanukkah holiday, it only mentions the miracle of the oil and makes no mention of the victory in battle. For when speaking of the essence of Hanukkah – “What is Hanukkah?” – it is solely the miracle of the Hanukkah lights that symbolize the spiritual illumination – “A mitzvah is a candle” – that resulted from the spiritual victory. And although the military miracles anteceded and made possible the lighting of the menorah in the Holy Temple, the spiritual aspect and content of this festival so predominates that it completely eclipses its physical aspect of victory in battle. This is to the extent that the physical aspect is completely ignored when we speak of the miracle that defines the essence of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, with its spiritual dimension entirely overshadowing its physical dimension, empowers us to attain a level of spirituality where the supremacy of the soul over the body is so absolute that the body is virtually invisible – the body’s needs become of no particular import. For although the soul is vested within the body, and the soul in this world can only serve G-d through the medium of the body, nevertheless the bodily needs are completely eclipsed by his spiritual being and essence. So that when one looks at the “Hanukkah” individual, one sees not a material creature, but a spiritual one; the entire physical dimension of the person serves but as a vehicle to the successful fulfillment of the spiritual service of the soul. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The power behind the Seven Universal Laws is that none of us made them up. You could say they’re from “outside the system.” That’s important. Because, as everyone knows, no system can support itself, but these are very different because G-d gave these originally to Noah. We need a set of principles based not on human reason, but on the essential sanctity of life and justice. So here are seven laws that are not relative truths that can change as society changes. They are absolutes; solid ground upon which the world can firmly stand. Can humankind determine how to live together in peace and harmony for all time? No. Because we didn’t put ourselves here. We need to tap into something beyond us, infinitely higher than us, to do that. These are the Seven Commandments of Noah, the Divine Wisdom from our Creator! (more to come soon). Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

What are 233.000.000 people looking for on Facebook every day? Why is Facebook so successful? Would you like to know more about the book-of-faces? And perhaps even about your specific face? ​And why did G-d created you in that unique way? Essentially people are looking for other people right? People are looking for what was once the original human experience in the Garden of Eden – the perfect face-to face resonance, the perfect balanced interface with reality. Face in Hebrew is said Panim from the word : Pnimiut – which means inner-dimension. So what is our inner-dimension? It is not our body. It is our Soul. ​ The Soul is reflected by the Hebrew term  - Zeeir Anpin or the Small Face. The Small Face is referring to the 7 emotional attributes of the Soul. So what are the 7 emotional attributes of the soul? They are: Kindness, Discipline, Compassion, Perseverance, Humility, Connection and Nobleness. So now we have our full understanding of what a Face really is: It is the place where the emotions of man are revealed. Book in Hebrew is "Sefer". In Hebrew we can permutate letters in a word to make new words. So the same letters used to write book-sefer are also used to write "Sipur" - a story,  "saphir" - a dimant and "Messaper" - the Story Teller (or the Author). So the Ultimate Book, written by the Ultimate Story Teller is written the Ultimate Story, the Story of Life. Not only the Story of the life of humanity.  But also our each Personal Story. ​ And this is the story we want to help you explore in order for you to become the writer of your own story!! Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The soul of life is HaShem. Here on Soullbook we will explore on a daily basis the soul: The human soul, and the soul of the soul, HaShem, and the soul of everything in the material world. There are many layers to reality. The material world experience as we know it is just the surface level, within which exist many dimensions of spiritual energy waiting to be released. By understanding these inner layers, we can learn to make order out of disorder, to gain insight into the "unknown" forces which influence all aspects of our life Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

All over the world we want to feel that we are all one. One big family! The human family. Lets go beyond superficial connections and live deeper relationships with people. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Menachem Mendel, my son and me at the Kotel last Summer! Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

I am officially coining this term for the first time in this post and on this website! So, what does it mean to be "Soully" ? It refers to the lofty level that is possible for every person to achieve. Now understand that most people use the word "holy" loosely, without really understanding the requirements for people and things to reach a true status of being "holy". The fact is that the real status of becoming holy is unattainable for most people based on how G-d structured His laws in creation. Without getting into details about this now; what is possible for all people to achieve, is to be "Soully". Before I define this term, I want to ask you all a question. How do you view yourself? Are you a body with a soul inside it, or are you a soul that is inside a body? When you view yourself as the 2nd choice, then you are on the right track to becoming a "soully person". "Soully" means: a person who prioritizes his or her soul's needs over their body's desires and continues in a disciplinary way to develop themselves until this becomes second nature. When a person does this, they refine their soul and allow to shine through the illumination of G-d which is the expression of His will, which is the real you! Please share your thoughts about this. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

We are a single organism, a tenuous membrane stretched over a vast but delicate globe, every cell sharing every breath of air, every sip of water, every microbe—even every byte of knowledge. Vast webs of communication and trade have forged us together, much as proteins bond the elements of life. We are humankind. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Life is journey and it all depends on what choices you make, your actions, the people you spend your time with, the books you read. This cocktail becomes your life. Every time I meet somebody, I first see the face. Deepening the connection will result in a kind of "tasting" of what kind of personality is hidden beneath the surface. So from Facebook to Soulbook is a proces of discovering the inner dimensions of yourself, leading to the roots of your soul. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The world exists for the sake of kindness. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The soul is created in the image of G-d. That means that she is endowed with intellect and emotions: Kindness, Discipline, Compassion, Perseverance, Splendor, Bonding and Nobleness. In order to optimize fully our experience of life we will get familiar here on our Soul-Seeking Social Network website how to refine those aspects of kindness which requires discipline, how to refine that aspect of kindness that requires compassion, and so forth... We can do it during one week when we decide to refine beauty, we spend one day refining that aspect of beauty that requires dignity, and another day on that aspect of beauty that requires humility, until we have refined all seven aspects of beauty. Ultimately, all character traits derive from combinations of these seven basic ones. Each quality continually interacts with the others, and in so doing has the capacity to modify its expression and effect. To be whole, a character trait must incorporate all seven; a lack or overabundance of even one of the seven renders it corrupt and, in some cases, damaging. Discipline, for example, can easily become cruelty with but a slight exaggeration. These concepts may became for you the foundation of a new language, the Language of the Soul. This language will provide a vocabulary that allows us to name and identify, and to interact with reality, with qualities that are non-tangible—that cannot be touched nor seen—but can be expressed in action. If we learn to talk and use these terms in a clear, specific, and concrete ways, we have the possibility of penetrating the heart and mind of G-d and His Creation, and opening a new channel to communicate with us from a deeper part of Himself. Using the seven attributes as a guide, we can speak to our children and interact with the reality of others not only about what something is, but how it is that way. We cannot only define kindness, we can also describe what it looks like in action. Does it always look the same? Can the same act be kind in one situation and cruel in another? Can an act appear cruel and yet still be kind? How and why? The expression of any of these seven attributes requires modification depending on circumstances, and results in a variety of ways in which a particular quality might be expressed differently to meet a specific situation. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Scripture tells us that Noah, a ninth-generation descendant of Adam and Eve, was a righteous and upright man. G‑d informed Noah of his plans to eradicate mankind due to their evil ways, and instructed him to build an ark, in which he and his family were to take refuge. Joining them in the ark would be a select few creatures of every species (other than fish, that survived the Flood unscathed): two from every non-kosher animal, and seven (or fourteen4) of every kosher animal. G‑d gave exact instructions how the ark was to be built. It was to be crafted of gopher wood5 and sealed from both within and without with pitch. It was to comprise three stories: the top for Noah and his family; the middle for the animals; and the bottom for refuse. It was to measure 300 cubits in length, 50 cubits in width, and 30 in height. The ark was illuminated by a tzohar, which waseither a window through which light shone from the outside, or a radiant precious stone. The ark took Noah no less than 120 years to build, allowing plenty of time for onlookers to query his actions, be told of the impending calamity, and change their ways. Unfortunately, such repentance never came to pass. Finally, in the year 1656 (2105 BCE), the day arrived when everything would change. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The Great Flood (known as the mabul in Hebrew) was sent by G‑d in the year 1656 of Creation (2105 BCE), to cleanse the earth of mankind’s corrupt ways. The only survivors were Noah, his family, and representatives of every living species, who found refuge in a specially designed ark. The story is told in detail in Genesis 6-11, which form the Parshah of Noah. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

“These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan in the desert, in the Aravah, opposite Suf, between Parran, Tofel, Lavan, Chatzeros and Di Zahav” (Deuteronomy 1:1). The fifth book of the Torah relates Moses’ parting words to the nation during the last five weeks of his life. According to Rashi’s commentary, we’re not just getting a boring travelogue here. The names of these places are subtle reminders to the people about some of their most serious sins after the exodus. For example, Di Zahav, which literally means ‘enough gold’, hints at the debacle of the Golden Calf. Rashi explains that Moses used these indirect references out of sensitivity for their feelings. A full-throated direct rebuke would not have been received well and would probably produce a defensive reaction. However, if Moses had to tread so carefully because the fragility of the feelings of the nation, why do we find non-ambiguous and explicit harsh rebukes by Moses in subsequent passages for the very same sins? Why does Moses stop pulling his punches? People are generally very resistant to having their faults pointed out. They will be resentful of those who chastise them and will not really consider their input. That’s why Moses initially took a very subtle and indirect way of alluding to Israel’s sins. Not being confronted, the people had the emotional space to think about the names of these places. On their own, they will make the connections and contemplate what happened there. Later, when Moses brought up these failures directly, they would be less defensive and resistant. (Rabbi Dr. Michael Bernstein) By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy.

By the Prophet Isaiah (2:4) The headlines of the last days of January, 19’92, informed the world that the President of the U.S.A. — and, a few days later, attendees of a meeting of major world leaders — announced the intention to significantly reduce military arms budgets in favor of the more peaceful needs of agriculture. The following is based on a public address by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, which reveals the inner meaning of this event. Presented with permission from Sichos In English.* Background information: In public addresses soon after, the Rebbe declared that this news signified a tangible foretaste of [the prophecy from Isaiah 2:4: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more”… Humanity learned its first lesson in the ideals of justice and peace when God revealed His Law to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. It is thus no mere coincidence that the recent portentous meeting of world leaders took place at the time that Jewish congregations around the world read the weekly Torah passage known as Mishpatim. This begins with the words [Exodus 21:1], “And these are the laws which you [Moses our teacher] shall set before them.” Analyzing the opening (Hebrew) words of this passage, the Sages explain: Even the laws regulating interpersonal conduct that mortal understanding grasps and moreover dictates, should be observed — by Jews and Gentiles alike — not by virtue of any transient social or intellectual imperative, but by virtue of their Divine origin. In the addresses outlined below, the Rebbe teaches us how to react to the headlines of our unique era. Living our daily lives in the harmonious and brotherly spirit of the imminent Redemption will not only grant us a foretaste of the Redemption, but will expedite its coming. From Armaments to Agriculture The Baal Shem Tov taught that everything a person sees or hears should provide him with a lesson in his service of God. Therefore, when trying to comprehend any event that takes place in the world at large, we should sensitize our perception — to look beyond that event’s overt socio-economic causes, and appreciate its spiritual message. In this context, the events of the past week [in January 19'92] take on unique significance. In his annual address to his people, the president of the most powerful nation in the world announced major cuts in military expenditure with the intent that the resources saved be devoted to agriculture and social improvements. Directly afterwards, he met with the leaders of other world powers — including the leader of the country which until recently had led an opposing bloc of nations[1] — and they joined in this thrust to disarmament, proclaiming their desire to establish [greater] justice and peace. These efforts are a foreglimpse of the fulfillment of the prophecy[2]: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares…. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war any more.” For from “swords”, representing armaments in general, these nations have agreed to make “plowshares”, implements which will cultivate the earth and feed the world’s hungry millions. A Long-Awaited Advance In their commentaries on the above verse, our Rabbis[3] emphasize that the nations’ progress towards peace will be motivated by the Mashiach. He will “judge among the nations and rebuke many peoples,” and this will provide them with the impetus to resolve their differences. In harmony with this motif, it can be explained that the above trend towards disarmament and unity that we are witnessing, results from the heightened desire for the coming of the Redemption that has been expressed in recent years.[4] Rabbis have issued halachic [Torah Law] decisions, ruling that Mashiach must come [immanently]. The attention of Jews — and of mankind in general — has focused on the imminence of the Redemption and the subject has been highlighted in reports in the news media.[5] This process has effected changes within the world at large, producing developments that anticipate the peace and harmony which will permeate the world in the Era of the Redemption.[6] Nevertheless, as we open our eyes and see so many signs of the Redemption, we cannot help but wonder: Why hasn’t the Redemption actually come? We are at the pinnacle of Jewish history, the time most appropriate for Mashiach’s coming — and yet he has not arrived. Ad Masai! [Until when?!] How much longer must we wait in exile? Creating the Optimum Spiritual Climate Not only does the pattern of events in the world at large give us a foretaste of the Redemption: it also demonstrates the nature of the activities necessary to hasten its coming. The unity, cooperation and sharing espoused by the world powers reflect thrusts that are fundamentally necessary in preparing the world for the Redemption. Our Sages[7] teach that God created the world so that He would have a dwelling place among human beings. This ideal will be realized in the Era of the Redemption. What is the essence of this concept? — Just as it is in a person’s home that his personality finds expression without restraint or inhibition, it will be in this world, God’s dwelling place, that Godliness will be revealed without restraint. To allow for this revelation, unity is necessary. We see a precedent for this in Jewish history. When the Jews approached Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, they camped “as one man, with one heart.”[8] This oneness created the spiritual climate necessary for the giving of the Torah. Similarly, to merit the revelations of the Redemption, a macrocosm of the revelations which accompanied the giving of the Torah, we must join together in unity.[9] Material and Spiritual Charity This unity must be expressed, not only on the level of feeling, but also through concrete acts within the context of our daily lives. This is implied by our Sages’ statement [20]: “Great indeed is tzedakah [charity], for it brings the Redemption near.” Sharing with our fellow men and seeking their material welfare reflects how the bonds of unity that we share permeate every dimension of our existence. These efforts should also be accompanied by “spiritual charity,” sharing knowledge.[11] This increase of knowledge will herald the coming of the era when “One man will no longer teach another,… for they will all know Me.”[12] This emphasis on deeds of kindness and tzedakah should be communicated to others, to Jews and gentiles alike.[13] And as evident from the decision of the world powers to “beat their swords into plowshares,” the climate in the world at large is ripe for these ideas to be accepted and implemented.[14] Anticipating Future Harmony In the Era of the Redemption, there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor competition, for good things will flow in abundance…. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know God.[15] In these days, which are moments before the advent of that era, we have the potential to anticipate this new and forthcoming world unity, and to currently live our lives in the spirit of the Redemption. We can reflect the interpersonal unity which will characterize that age in our present conduct. And these efforts will hasten the coming of that era, when God’s all-encompassing oneness will permeate the totality of existence. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets Footnotes: [1] The participation of this nation in these talks is an obvious indication of the transformation that its policies have undergone. In previous years, this nation had enforced its authority through oppression, ruthlessly trying to stamp out all other ideologies. Recently, that entire Communist hierarchy underwent a metamorphosis, giving way to a new regime which has announced its intention to foster the ideals of justice and peace. This reflects a similar process of transformation in this nation’s approach to Jewish practice. Previously, they undertook every effort possible to crush the observance of the Torah and its mitzvos. Now, they are allowing the spread of Jewish observance. In earlier years, the emissaries of the Previous Rebbe had to carry on their activities clandestinely, under the constant threat of danger. Today’s emissaries are free to conduct such activities openly, and, at times, they are even granted the assistance of the government. [2] Isaiah 2:4. [3] Radak on Isaiah, loc. cit. [4] This pattern can be seen as having deeper roots. The UN came into being during and after the Second World War, declaring its purpose to be the establishment of peace and harmony between nations. Significantly, it had the above verse from Isaiah engraved on its very wall. What was the underlying cause for this development? — The change in the spiritual climate of the world brought about by the calls the Previous Rebbe issued at this time, “Immediately to teshuvah [repentance]; immediately to redemption.” [5] Chassidim used to say, “When Mashiach comes it will be reported in the newspapers.” [6] See Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4: “He [Mashiach] will then perfect the entire world, [motivating all the nations] to serve God together, as it is written (Zephaniah 3:9), ‘I will make the peoples pure of speech, so that they will all call upon the Name of God and serve Him with one purpose.’ ” [7] Midrash Tanchuma, on the Torah section Bechukosai, sec. 3. [8] Mechilta and Rashi, explanations of Exodus 19:2. [9] Our Sages (Tractate Yoma 9b) teach that the cause for the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash [Holy Temple] and our people’s exile was unwarranted hatred. Accordingly, if this cause is nullified, its effect, the exile, will also cease. In the present age, however, our main task in this area is not to negate undesirable influences, but rather to prepare the world positively for the manifestation of God’s presence, and in this way, to anticipate the oneness of the Era of the Redemption. [10] Tractate Bava Basra 10a. [11] In this context, it is appropriate to mention current efforts to reprint Torah texts that were originally printed in Rashi script, using the more conventional Hebrew typeface, and similarly, the extensive projects to translate sacred Jewish texts into other languages. These efforts allow for the wealth contained in these texts to be shared with many additional readers. [12] Jeremiah 31:33. [13] Although tzedakah [charity] is not formally and explicitly one of the seven universal laws communicated to Noah and his descendants, it should be practiced by Gentiles. See Lamentations 4:6 and its explanations, and the gloss of Rabbeinu Nissim to Tractate Sanhedrin 56b. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. V, p. 157 and following, where this subject is summarized and documented. [14] This leads to another concept. On the surface, the importance of sharing among nations and the negation of weapons of destruction is a logical concept that is easily understandable. Nevertheless, throughout the annals of world history, it has never been applied. Why? — Because the spiritual climate of the world had not been refined, and thus the conduct of individuals and of nations was motivated by selfish interests which hampered their ethical development. At present, by contrast, the spiritual climate of the world has changed. All the divine service necessary to bring the Redemption has been completed. It is therefore far easier for people today to rise above these selfish concerns, and to conduct themselves according to the values and principles which logic dictates. [15] Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 12:5. Used Sources: "Good for You" from Ask Noah International * Copyright by Sichos In English; on-line at http://www.sie.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2468785/jewish/Swords-Into-Plowshares-Disarmament-as-in-Isaiah-5752-1992.htm Presented by AskNoah.org and NoahideAcademy.org with permission of Sichos In English. © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

August 3th 2022 Verse: 2 I know in my heart the persuasive talk of the evil inclination - which leads a person to transgression - to the wicked person; He claims that there is no need to place the fear of G-d before his eyes, because God doesn't concern Himself with the happenings of the world. The thought that G-d doesn't concern Himself with the happenings of the world is the beginning of every form of idolatry. The error of Enosh in his day was the thought that creation was an existence separate from G-d. G-d was too great and exalted to directly concern Himself with the world. G-d created stars, planets, angels, etc. to study the world. Although the generation of Enosh still had faith in G-d, in the fourth generation people had forgotten G-d's glorious and awesome Name and idolatry had become exclusive. In addition to worshipping the stars, their stupidity included worshipping homemade wooden idols. Idolatry is the opposite of the full recognition and acknowledgement that there is One Creator who sees all and hears all. When there is no more fear of G-d, and when the world descends to the point where it has become atheistic and people no longer fear that their behavior has consequences egoism increases and with it evil behavior. But more than that, when you no longer believe in consequences of your behavior, you also no longer see that G-d gives good and evil (as a warning) and returning to G-d has become incredibly difficult, if not almost impossible. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Sefaria The Seven Gates of Righteous Knowledge © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

“Moses spoke to the people saying: Arm men from among yourselves for the army…to bring Hashem’s revenge upon Midian” (Numbers 31:3). The Hebrew word here for ‘arm’ can also mean to remove (see Deuteronomy 25:9). R’ Simcha Bunim of P’shischa explained that Moses was hinting symbolically to the idea that when going out to battle, we must remove our ‘selves’. We must get past our own egos and personal agendas - all thoughts of honor and focus only on the glory of Hashem. This, of course, is not only about the fight against Midian in the days of Moses, but to all of our battles in life. By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy.

Numbers 35:14 “You shall designate three cities on the other side of the Jordan River, and you shall designate three cities in the land of Canaan; they shall serve as cities of refuge” (Numbers 35:14). If someone committed manslaughter and killed another unintentionally, these cities were places he could flee to in order to escape the vengeance of the victim’s relatives. Rashi’s commentary here refers to a very obvious question raised by the Talmud (Makkos 9b). It seems disproportionate for the nine and a half tribes on the west side of the Jordan River to have three cities of refuge and for the two and a half tribes on the east side to need three such cities. The answer the Talmud offers to this question is that murderers abounded on the east side of the Jordan, so that’s why they needed as many cities of refuge as the more numerous tribes in Canaan proper. However, numerous commentaries raise a serious problem with this answer. We know that only people who killed unintentionally were allowed to live in a city of refuge. Actual murderers who did so purposefully were tried and could be executed. So, why would a proliferation of actual murderers necessitate having additional cities of refuge which were only for people who killed unintentionally? The Maharal from Prague explained that in a place where murder is commonplace, people become desensitized to it and as a consequence, life will not be valued highly and people take it for granted. In such societies where life is cheap, insufficient caution is taken to protect people and ensure a safe environment. People in such places become lax and careless and this will lead to more incidents of accidental killing. By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy.

“Moses spoke to the tribal leaders of the Children of Israel saying: This is the word that Hashem has commanded: If a person makes a vow…” (Numbers 30:2-3). We need to understand why this chapter which deals with the laws of vows and oaths was specifically addressed to the tribal leaders rather than to the nation as a whole. Rabbi Moshe Sofer (known as the Chasam Sofer) offers a somewhat tongue-in-cheek possibility. It seems to be that from time immemorial, the most common violators of vows have been politicians and community leaders. They tend to promise everything, but rarely deliver. That’s why this passage warns in the continuation of verse three, “He may not profane his word, and must act in accordance with all that he has said.” By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy.

“You have enough. Circle the mountain and turn to the north” (Deuteronomy 2:3). Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, in his commentary Kli Yakar, spins this verse in a creative way. The Hebrew word for north is ‘tzafon’, which also has the meaning of to conceal. He was concerned with conspicuous and ostentatious displays of wealth, so he taught: You have enough – conceal it! Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, in his classic Michtav M’Eliyahu, explains that ayin hara (the evil eye) can only affect someone who provokes envy in others. It is critical to be sensitive to the feelings of others and not flaunt our blessings. By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy.

In Part 1 and the inaugural post, I argued that the Seven Divine Commandments constitute a universal and objective moral framework that guarantees a repaired and perfected world. The Commandments accomplish this by stipulating several important prohibitions: murder and injury, cruelty to animals, theft and deceit, illicit sexual relations, etc. In addition to such basic prohibitions, which are intellectually deducible and enforced by courts of law, the Noahide Code forbids idolatry and blasphemy against G-d, thus making the Code a superset of secular moral frameworks. Because the Commandments are often framed in the negative as prohibitions and come equipped with a variety of rules, the reader may immediately conclude that the Code is a deontological ethic stemming from Halakhic Judaism. Based on Torah Judaism (including the Written as well as the Oral Torah), the Noahide Laws were commanded by G-d to Adam as mankind's duty to live holy lives. G□d reiterated the Laws following the consequences of the actions the corrupt pre-Deluge society took, thus making the Code also a consequentialist ethic. To prevent such societal degradation (thus, consequentialism), it is the moral duty of each of us (thus, deontology) to guide our lives by the Noahide standards. These normative ethics give mankind an opportunity to repair and perfect the world by distinguishing what is morally right and wrong based on G□d's teachings through His Torah, our "tree of life." At first glance, it might seem that the Noahide Code subscribes to an absolutist position. Yet, the Code is pregnant with healthy exceptions to the many rules across its seven categories, a characteristic that in my view is uniquely well-positioned in moral theology. As Rabbi Weiner writes:(1) Even if one is being forced to serve idols, he is permitted to do so, and he is not obligated to give up his life to avoid this. This applies to the other Noahide commandments as well, except for the prohibition against murder, for which a Gentile must submit even to being killed in order to avoid being forced to commit the transgression. In this Talmudic interpretation, we notice an overall exception to each of the seven categories, with an absolutist position on the prohibition of murder, which in essence makes perfect sense. The categories themselves have injunctions and exceptions derived logically on a situational basis. To complement the absolutist norms of other moral theologies, abortion (under the prohibition of murder) in the Noahide Code is allowed when it may save the mother if her life is medically demonstrated to be in danger. Thus, the Noahide Laws as they are laid out traditionally subscribe to moderate objectivism, the view that accepts moral exceptions. Above, I presented a couple of counterexamples of the absolutist position. G□d wants to see action besides our intent behind those actions. Traditional Chassidic wisdom mystically presented in the Tanya by Rabbi Schneur Zalman teaches as much:(2) Thought alone is incapable of bringing about redemption. Prayer is not superior to action, nor is action superior to prayer. Both are desired by G-d. In other words, G□d wants to see us reason and judge each situation, while being mindful of every action we take to ensure that it is objectively moral in the sense outlined above. In the review of Louis Pojman’s instructive book on ethics, Prof. Arthur Kuflik refers to the Noahide Laws as an early instance of an absolutist position.(3) However, Kuflik’s viewpoint shows a lack of deeper investigation into the seven categories, where exceptions are cited frequently. Albeit an exception would suffice as a counterexample to absolutism, the Torah for Non-Jews includes exceptions for situations in each of the seven categories. As such, I posit the Noahide Code remains an objective moral code for the entire world that falls within Jewish normative ethics as moderately objectivist. By Yair Borici Yair Borici embraced the opportunity to observe the Torah for Non-Jews in 2014 upon running into a talk on the Crown of the Torah by Rabbi Manis Friedman while learning Biblical Hebrew on his own. He studied the Sheva Miztwoth Hashem (Divine Code) by Rabbi Moshe Weiner and took the various courses with Rabbi Moshe Perets in the World Noahide Academy starting in 2016. Yair also attended courses with Sephardi Rabbis going beyond the seven categories, including studying Mishneh Torah by the Rambam. Yair has studied is'lam and ch'ristianity extensively for the past 22 years. His focus is raising awareness of and edifying various audiences on the ancient faith in the one true God that the Jewish Nation has carefully preserved since they received the Torah at Sinai. More from Yair Borici Sources (1) Moshe Weiner. The Divine Code. Ed. by Michael Schulman. Trans. by Rabbi Yosef Schulman. 4th ed. Ask Noah International, 2022, p. 67. (2) “The Necessity of Intent” in Rami Shapiro. Tanya, the Masterpiece of Hasidic Wisdom. Skylight Paths Publishing, 2010, p. 119. (3) See Note 1 in Louis P. Pojman. Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong. Fourth Ed. Wadsworth Publishing, 2001, p. 57ff. © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.