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Sexual Immorality Prohibitions (Part 2)

This article outlines laws related to prohibited sexual relations according to the Noahide Laws (the Seven Laws of Noah) for non-Jews, based on the provided text. 1. Six Major Forbidden Sexual Relationships (Punishable by Death) The document details six types of sexual relationships that are strictly forbidden for non-Jewish males. If committed knowingly and willingly by adults, the offender is subject to a divine death penalty: 1. Relations with one’s father’s wife: Whether the father is alive or deceased, and whether she is the biological mother or not. This applies even if the relationship was not formally recognized as marriage. 2. Relations with one’s biological mother: This applies even if the mother was never formally married to the biological father. 3. Adultery: Sexual relations with a woman who is married to another man. 4. Homosexual relations (male with male): The document also states that lesbian relations are prohibited based on the principle of “becoming one flesh,” whic...
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Sexual Immorality Prohibitions (Part 1)

  In general, acts of sexual immorality are considered wrong and are regarded as sins according to the Torah. Key Points 1. Social Rules & Marriage Society is allowed to establish additional regulations (such as a minimum marriage age) to maintain order. The Torah recognizes the importance of good social rules in creating stability and structure within society. 2. Legal Responsibility Children are not held legally responsible for sexual violations. If an unlawful sexual act occurs between an adult and a child, the adult is the one held accountable and may face severe punishment, including death. 3. Age Limits in the Torah Certain biological age thresholds are mentioned (9 years for males and 3 years for females), but these are not intended to permit marriage or sexual relations. Rather, they serve as legal benchmarks to determine whether an act qualifies as a sexual violation. 4. Definition of Sexual Violations All forms of prohibited sexual relations are considered violations...
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What happened to Queen Esther after the story of Purim?

 Hello everyone today will be abaou Queen Esther The Book of Esther ends with Esther marrying King Ahasuerus, and her position rising. The king gives her the house of his former enemy, Haman, and her cousin Mordecai ascends to a position of power. However, Scripture is silent on what happened next. Did she remain married to the king? Did she ever return to the Jewish community? This omission may be significant in itself. In fact, there is a poetic poignancy in the fact that someone whose name, Esther, means “hidden,” concealed much of her personal life and fate from us. This may have been due to a fear of what the authorities would say if everything were revealed. Even after Haman’s downfall, the Jews remained subjects of Ahasuerus (as the Talmud explains when explaining why Hallel is not recited on Purim: “We are still the servants of Ahasuerus”). In fact, commentators have pointed out that some details seem to be missing from the narrative in the Book of Esther, as they knew ...
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Why Does Aaron's Rod Sprout Almonds?

 After the rebellion of Korah, who challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron, God commanded each tribal leader to place a staff before the Ark. Only Aaron's staff grew—not just flowers, but buds and ripe almonds: The next day Moses came to the Tabernacle, and behold, Aaron's staff for the Levites had blossomed! It blossomed, put out buds, and produced ripe almonds. Moses brought all the staffs out from before the Lord to the Israelites. They saw it and each took his staff. This miracle was a clear sign from God confirming Aaron's priesthood. But why were the signs shaped like flowers and almonds? And what do each of these stages—budding, flowering, and fruiting—mean? Before we begin, it's worth noting that in addition to "almond," the word שקד also implies speed, agility, and vigilance. 1. Swift Justice for Challengers Rashi explains that almonds, the quickest of the flowering fruits, signify the swiftness of divine retribution. Just as the almond tree blos...
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How to Be Humble Without Being a Coward

 Question: Should I be humble or assertive? Both are considered good things, but one hinders the other, right? Answer: There are many reasons to be humble. Here are some common ones: You think you're a bit ugly and stupid. You realize that people like you more when you're humble. It's your nature to be humble and keep your mouth shut. You keep falling down, so what's there to be proud of? You didn't sleep well last night, so you're a bit depressed. There are many reasons to be assertive: You think you're very handsome and smart. You feel that others will listen to you and do what you want when you're assertive. Well, that's just you. No one but you knows how to do things right. You didn't sleep well last night, so you're in a bit of a barking mood. It seems like humility and boldness aren't a good match. So it won't work. Are there any alternatives? There definitely are. Moses, the Torah tells us, was “the most humble of all men on th...
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What say Miriam About Moses?

 Miriam and Aaron who were talking about Moses behind his back: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses about the Kushite woman he had married, because he had married a Kushite woman. They said, ‘Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does He not speak through us also?’ And the Lord heard it.” 1. She Was Speaking About Tzipporah Most commentators, including Rashi , explain that Miriam was speaking about Tzipporah, Moses’s wife from Midian. The term “Kushite” is not literal; it is a euphemism for beauty—just as a person of striking skin color is universally known, so was the beauty of Tzipporah. Miriam discovered—by overhearing Tzipporah’s lament—that Moses had separated from his wife to maintain a state of prophetic readiness. She questioned this decision: “Why did Moses separate from his wife? The Lord also speaks with me and with Aaron, yet we remain with our spouses.” Rashi emphasizes that even though she was motivated by concern and her words were not intended as a slander, ...
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Following the Ark

 On the 20th of Ilyar, 2449, Hashem (God) gave a sign, and the Jewish people departed from Mount Sinai. In addition to the golden ark that held the second set of stone tablets and was transported with the entire Tabernacle, Moses had built a second ark to house the first set of broken stone tablets. This ark (containing the broken stone tablets) was carried ahead of the Jewish people, directly behind the cloud of God that led the way (Numbers 10:13). In all their desert journeys, the Jewish people were preceded by this ark and by the cloud of God that led the way, clearing the path of wild animals and potentially dangerous obstacles. Similarly, throughout the history of the Jewish people, throughout their journeys, each time they followed the ark, the “Light of the Torah,” they found spiritual and physical serenity. They were protected from the emotional and physical dangers of the world, allowing us to find true meaning in their existence. The same is true for the Noahide.
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Zohar

Zohar means “Light,” and most famously, this name is associated with the foundational work of Jewish kabbalistism, the Zohar, the primary text of Kabbalah written by the Mishnaic Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. This name evokes themes of light, spiritual enlightenment, and divine brilliance This word appears in the Tanakh, such as in Daniel 12:3, which describes the brightness of the heavens for the wise: “For the wise it will shine like the brightness of the firmament.” This use of the word also emphasizes not only physical light but also transcendent spiritual illumination Similar names include Or, meaning “light”; Meir, meaning “One who gives light”; Ori, meaning “my light”; Yair, meaning “He will shine.” The Zohar (from Hebrew: ×–ֹ×”ַר, "Light" or "Splendor") is a fundamental work in the Jewish mystical literature known as the Kabbalah. It is the primary and most influential text in the study of Kabbalah Traditionally, the Zohar is believed to have originated in the 2nd ...
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Biography of Joshua in the Tanach

 Joshua (Yehoshua in Hebrew) was Moses’ successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. The Tanakh describes Joshua as a devoted disciple, a holy man, and a brilliant military commander. Joshua led his people on all fronts, urging them to serve God and uphold the Torah, while at the same time leading them in military conquests. Born in Egypt in 2406 (1355 BCE), he led his people for 28 years until his death in 2516 (1245 BCE). His story is recorded in the Book of Joshua. 1. A Faithful Disciple Joshua, son of Nun, was from the tribe of Ephraim. His original name was Hoshea (Hosea) but was changed by Moses to Yehoshua (Joshua). He was Moses’ faithful attendant, about whom the Bible attests that he ‘never departed from Moses’ tent. He devoted his heart and soul to his master, and waited at the foot of Mount Sinai all the while Moses was at the summit communing with G-d. He forms a vital link in the chain of transition, for Moses taught Joshua the Torah, and he passed on the t...
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15 Facts You Should Know About the Death of Prophet Moses

 1. It was his 120th birthday Moses died on Adar 7, 2488 (1273 BCE), the exact same day he was born 120 years earlier. It is very rare for someone to die on their birthday! This shows that Moses completed his life’s mission perfectly, without missing a single day. 2. Moses Spent Five Weeks Delivering His Last Will and Testament On Shevat 1, Moses gathered the Jewish people and began delivering his final words to them. For the next five weeks, he urged them to follow God’s path and reviewed all the mitzvahs they had received at Mount Sinai. His parting words became the Book of Deuteronomy , the fifth and final book of the Torah. 3. Moses Wrote 13 Torah Scrolls Moses was very busy on the day he died! The Talmud tells us that he wrote 13 Torah scrolls that very day—one for each of the 12 tribes and one to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant. According to another tradition, Moses used practical Kabbalah to imbue his quill with miraculous powers. 4. Some say it was a Sabbath According to...
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Jewish Holidays

 The Torah, written by Moses, although it was written long before Purim, also includes the celebration of Chanukkah. Where can we find that? Leviticus 23, is a very famous chapter, because it lists all the holidays that the Israelites were to celebrate. In order, Hashem lists them: Pesach (Leviticus 23:5) Matzah Festival (Leviticus 23:6) Omer (Leviticus 23:15) Shavuot (Leviticus 23:16) Rosh Hashanah (Leviticus 23:24) Yom Kipur (Leviticus 23:27) Sukkot (Leviticus 23:24) In fact, the Purim event itself only took place thousands of years after the establishment of Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, the high priest would cast lots for two goats, which one should be released into the wilderness. In the feast of Purim, Esther also involved lots, but at that time it was Haman who cast lots, with the intention of wiping out the entire nation of Israel. So by naming the Day of Atonement as Yom Hakipurim, Hashem is giving a message that later, there will be real Purim. The Rabbi explained that, duri...
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WHY DO WE BLESS GOD?

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The Seven Laws of Noah and the Dimension of the Soul

From here we as Noahides can learn that: 1. Sexual immorality is a deviation from pure love (Chesed) 2. Killing is a deviation from strength (Gevurah) 3. Stealing is a deviation from beauty (Tiferet) because Tiferet is the nature that allows humans to relate to each other with attention and consideration 4. Worshiping idols is a deviation from worshiping God 5. Blasphemy is a deviation from the soul's ability to say Thank You to God The first five commandments (from the above order) and the last were given to Adam, at the beginning of the creation of the world, the sixth commandment (from the above order) was given to Noah, as taught in the Torah that Noah was a Tzadiq (pious) person, and he was the foundation (Yesod) of his generation. This commandment was given to Noah in physical form: it is permissible to eat the flesh of animals, but they must be slaughtered first and their blood must not be consumed. The last commandment, explicitly formulated in the form of a positive senten...
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Two National Identity

Isaac and Rebekah were childless for the first 20 years of their marriage, and when their prayers were finally answered and Rebekah conceived, she suffered great pain during the pregnancy. God (through Shem) told her that she was carrying twins who were complete opposites not only physically but morally. That each one’s success in life would come at the expense of the other’s success. In Genesis 25:23 “God said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb; two powers will be different from each other. The superiority will pass from one power to the other.’” Metaphorically, Jacob and Esau represent the two souls (and diametrically opposed drives) that exist within each of us. We each have an inner Jacob, our Godly soul with its Godly drive, and an inner Esau, our soul with its selfish drive. When we strengthen the Godly soul, it weakens the materialistic soul, and the Godly soul overcomes the materialistic soul in the same way that Light overcomes darkness. Light does not have to actively work...
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What does the word Pekudei mean?

 After describing the construction of the temple and its furnishings, but not yet detailing the priestly garments for Aaron and his sons, the Torah describes the total donations received for the construction. That is the number (pekudei) for the construction of the Mishkan (tent of testimony) counted at the command of Moses, the counting being done by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of the high priest Aaron. The most straightforward understanding of Pekudei is that it refers to an inventory or numerical count of the materials donated for the construction of the Mishkan and pekudei as the accounting of materials. The Torah lists how much gold, silver, and copper were received and details how they were used in the various components of the temple and Rashi (one of the most famous Torah interpreters) explains that Moses did not simply collect resources. He meticulously counted each donation to ensure there was no fraud or misuse of materials and the midrash Tanchuma ex...
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Vayakhel

 Moses gathered the Jews and told them “we are building the tabernacle of the Lord; here is a list of the things you must donate” and the people gave so much that Moses had to order them to stop giving. The only time in recorded history that a rabbi had to stop a solicitation for donations because the donations were too much or too much. What does the name Vayakhel mean? Vayakhel means to gather, to bring together, it embodies the concept of summarizing, totaling and seeing the big picture. Life is made up of two parts: 1. The individual part 2. The whole part Vayakhel teaches an important lesson that we must consider the big picture, we must also see the whole project.
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Ki Tisa

 The ninth section of Exodus begins with God’s final instructions regarding the tabernacle and God tells Moses to take a census or count (in Hebrew, Tisha) of the adult Jewish males by collecting a half-shekel of silver from each man. The silver collected was then used to purchase the sacrifices that were offered on behalf of the entire Jewish nation. God then goes on to instruct Moses on how to make the water jars that the priests used to wash their hands and feet before serving in the tabernacle. Instructions on how to make them, how to use the anointing oil and frankincense, who should be appointed to supervise the construction of the tabernacle and the making of its furniture and utensils. All of this is followed by the story of the Golden Calf and its aftermath, then for the third time God calls Moses up to Mount Sinai for 40 days, during which time God reveals thirteen of His merciful attributes to Moses. With these merciful attributes, God’s forgiveness would always be avail...
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Don't Get Tired Before You're Done

 Rashi teaches us in the weekly reading, Tetzaveh. “And you shall command the Children of Israel to take pure pressed olive oil for light, to keep the lamp burning continually.” The “lamp” refers to the Menorah in the Temple, and Rashi quotes the Talmudic teaching that the requirement is to light the menorah “so that its flame burns by itself” and the kohen who lights the Menorah must make sure that the flame is strong and steady and will go out when he leaves. Often, we light a candle, and it flickers for a moment, then goes out as soon as we turn away and the instruction here is to make sure that the flame burns properly and will continue to burn long after we have left and this is also a guideline for life. It is not enough to just light a candle and we must make sure that it lasts a long time and there must be enough oil, wick and whatever is needed for the candle to last a long time and in life, whether in business or in our relationships it must last for the long term. There ...
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Why we were asked to contribute

 God wanted to build a tabernacle, literally “His dwelling place” on earth, and the Israelites were asked to contribute with what they had. This raises an important question: If God wanted it, why didn’t He provide for all the necessities? The answer to this question is found in the teaching of the “Bati Legani” written by the 6th Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson. “They shall make Me a dwelling place, and I will dwell in them” (Exodus 25:8). God dwells in them, not just in them, not in the physical building built by the Israelites. By contributing to the “Project of God” in this case the Tabernacle, the Israelites made themselves a spiritual Tabernacle and a place where God truly resides, in each of us. Likewise, other nations, when they take part in the “Project of God” that we are a part of, are building a Tabernacle for Him in each of us.
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Misapathim

 After giving the Torah to the Jewish people, God told Moses to climb Mount Sinai again and this time God would teach him the details of the Torah for 40 days. The sixth section of Exodus is basically the law code (misapatim, in Hebrew) that God taught Moses while he was on Mount Sinai. God also taught Moses the law regarding damage caused by animals or someone’s property, including holes dug in public spaces. If someone finds or digs a hole… and an ox or a donkey falls into it, then the person responsible for the hole must pay the consequences. (Exodus 21:33-34). The same law that applies to holes (i.e. the danger of falling/drowning) applies to raised barriers or other dangerous obstacles. Spiritually, a hole symbolizes our ability to receive from our ability to give. If used properly, this ability can be beneficial but without proper supervision, it can cause harm. If we give and receive carelessly, not paying attention to what or how much we give or receive or to whom we give o...
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Jethro, father-in-law of Moses

 Jethro had several names: Jethro is called by seven names in the Tanakh: Re’uel, Jether, Jethro, Hovav, Hever, Keni and Putiel. Each name reflects a different quality or accomplishment. For example, “Jether” (add) alludes to the Torah section about judges that was added because of him, and “Hovav” (appreciate) highlights his respect for the Torah itself. His descendants married prominent figures: In addition to Moses, Jethro’s descendants connected him with several other notable people. Elazar, the son of Aaron the high priest, married Jethro’s granddaughter, and Jael, the heroine who killed the Canaanite general Sisera, also married one of his descendants. Jethro was an advisor to Pharaoh: According to tradition recorded in the Talmud, Jethro served as an advisor to Pharaoh before the enslavement of the Jews and, along with Balaam and Job, advised him on the oppression of the Jews. Jethro opposed the plan and fled the land of Egypt to avoid the negative consequences, even risking...
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Some Facts About Jethro

 Jethro (also known as Jethro or Yisro) was a midian priest, he was the father-in-law of Moses, who was destined to be bound to the Jews, a pagan who ended up embracing the truth of Judaism. His wise advice to Moses greatly improved the Jewish justice system, Jethro is also the name of one of the few people chosen to be the name for the reading of the Torah parsha. Jethro is described as a priest in Midian, a priest of the pagans, there was no idol that he had not served, before turning to the true God and the Torah. When Moses fled from Egypt, he met Jethro's 7 daughters at the well of Midian and Moses heroically protected them from other shepherds and gave their flock water to drink. In the end, Moses married Tziporah and became a sheep herder for his father-in-law. Jethro traveled to the desert to study the Torah and at God's command, Moses finally left the Land of Midian to ransom the Israelites out of Egypt, he left his wife and children with his father-in-law. Jethro hear...
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