JUNE: WAR IN ISRAEL #8
Baruch Hashem, I hope this newsletter brings you strength, resilience, and hope.
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Rabbi Schulman and His Contributions to Noahide Education
by NILS SKUDRA
One of the preeminent rabbinical scholars of the 21st century is Rabbi Yossi Schulman, the Principal at Bais Menachem Yeshiva in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. An alumnus of Yeshivas Lubavitch Toronto and the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey, he has been highly active in Jewish educational and community-service projects, such as Unite The World, a charitable outreach organization founded by Rabbi Schulman, and Unite To Study, a free online learning program with emphasis in Noahide education. Rabbi Schulman’s contributions to this particular area of Jewish education are especially noteworthy since the Seven Noahide Commandments were the first set of laws given by God to mankind before the Exodus from Egypt. In some ways, these laws may be considered a precursor to the Ten Commandments given on Mount Sinai. Since most young Jewish students typically learn about the Ten Commandments, the Torah, and the Talmud in Hebrew school, Rabbi Schulman’s work in Noahide education is a highly important phenomenon which Jewish millennials should be encouraged to explore.
Rabbi Schulman’s work in Noahide education has included his translation for the book The Divine Code, translated from Sheva Mitzvot HaShem, vols. 1-3 (in Hebrew), by Rabbi Moshe Weiner of Jerusalem. This book provides a comprehensive and in-depth codification of “the Torah-based precepts of the Noahide.” The book examines and clarifies the foundations and details of the Noahide laws, with Rabbi Weiner identifying and applying “the fundamental principles by which the practical requirements for righteous living are determined within Torah law for pious Gentiles.” It features eight sections, beginning with Fundamentals of the Faith, followed by comprehensive examinations of each of the Seven Commandments and their respective offshoots.
The Noahide Commandments cover many aspects of the relationship between man and God, as well as between man and his fellow man, which are addressed in the Ten Commandments many centuries later. These include prohibitions of idolatry and blasphemy (reflected in the Ten Commandments’ prohibitions of worshipping other deities, graven images, or using God’s name in vain) and dietary prohibitions associated with eating meat severed from a living animal, as well as prohibitions against “causing unnecessary pain to living creatures, cross-mating different species of animals, and cross-grafting different species of fruit trees.” In some ways, these prohibitions set a precedent for the kosher dietary laws, which observant Jews follow on a regular basis, which were later codified in the Torah. In addition, the Noahide Commandments regarding the conduct of humans toward one another include prohibitions of murder and harming, forbidden relations (including the topics of marriage and divorce), and theft, which were later enshrined in the Ten Commandments. Furthermore, the final Noahide Commandment provides for the establishment and administration of righteous Laws and Courts, setting a precedent for the Torah’s civil codes that were implemented in subsequent centuries.[6]
Rabbi Schulman’s Unite To Study website stands out as one of his lasting contribution to Noahide education since it provides an online learning platform in which scholars can study the Seven Universal Principles (embodied in the Seven Noahide Commandments) and the ways in which they can applied “for each individual and society” today. These Seven Principles include:
1. Recognize the Higher Power
2. Respect the Higher Power
3. Respect All Human Life
4. Respect Family Relationships and Marriage
5. Respect the Property and Rights of Other People
6. Respect All Living Creatures
7. Respect and Uphold a Righteous Judicial System
Unite To Study offers a variety of courses on Noahide education, addressing the impact of the Seven Universal Principles on personal life and society. By taking these courses, students will have the opportunity to learn about spirituality and philosophy, how the Seven Noahide Commandments branch out into at least 90 Divine laws that shape a godly life, and how individuals can apply the Noahide principles to their personal lifestyle. Through these courses, students can personally connect with Rabbi Schulman and listen to his insights about these different topics.
In summation, Rabbi Schulman’s contributions to Noahide education have had a far-reaching impact on Jewish religious learning, as students and rabbinical scholars around the world have had the benefit of taking his courses on Unite To Study, through which they have gained valuable insights on the application of the Noahide Laws to contemporary individual and social issues. In today’s highly polarized and divisive atmosphere, there is a widespread feeling of insecurity among Jews as they face an escalation of antisemitism from both the right and the left, which has led many to question the level of protection that academic and governmental institutions provide for them. By studying the Seven Universal Principles with Rabbi Schulman and applying them to the surrounding sociopolitical environment, Jews can effectively strive to create an improved society which guarantees security and a righteous social system for Jews and Noahides alike.
BOOKS BY RABBI WELTON:
