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Wish to hear from an Orthodox Rabbi on Sabbath issue please?

Hello, one Orthodox rabbi has told me that being a gentile while I am not required to keep the sabbath I can do so if I wish to have a closer relationship with God BUT I should "purposely break one or more of the sabbath laws not to be in violation being a Gentile", can any Othodox Rabbi on here confirm or deny this please?
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
Hello, one Orthodox rabbi has told me that being a gentile while I am not required to keep the sabbath I can do so if I wish to have a closer relationship with God BUT I should "purposely break one or more of the sabbath laws not to be in violation being a Gentile", can any Othodox Rabbi on here confirm or deny this please?
I'm not sure if there are any Orthodox Rabbis of the type that one would normally ask such a question, but the answer is that this is correct. Technically a non-Jew should not keep the Sabbath, so one who wants to rest on that day, should do some form of creative work.
 

RabbiO

הרב יונה בן זכריה
[C]an any Othodox Rabbi on here confirm or deny this please?

So you know, rosends is, in fact, an Orthodox rabbi.

If you do read the link he posted - which by the way I love - either he or my friend Tumah will be more than happy to explain to you what is an eruv.
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
So you know, rosends is, in fact, an Orthodox rabbi.

If you do read the link he posted - which by the way I love - either he or my friend Tumah will be more than happy to explain to you what is an eruv.
Sorry - I just got back from Israel this morning and was feeling quite punchy when I posted the reply. I'm at work now. I need a day or two to remember where my feet are...
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
A question I would ask is wouldn't it be rather presumptuous for a rabbi to tell a gentile what they must or must not observe?
 

RabbiO

הרב יונה בן זכריה
Sorry - I just got back from Israel this morning and was feeling quite punchy when I posted the reply. I'm at work now. I need a day or two to remember where my feet are...

We are all thankful that you have returned homeward in safety. I hope your travels were filled with joy and with peace.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Sorry - I just got back from Israel this morning and was feeling quite punchy when I posted the reply. I'm at work now. I need a day or two to remember where my feet are...
Jet lag is hell, ain't it. The last time I was there I thought I had it all figured out as to how to avoid it. I didn't. :(

Welcome back home.
 

RabbiO

הרב יונה בן זכריה
A question I would ask is wouldn't it be rather presumptuous for a rabbi to tell a gentile what they must or must not observe?

With apologies for briefly overstepping the bounds of the Orthodox sub-DIR, under certain circumstances the answer could be yes. However, the OP, who you probably recognize from another forum we both participate in, where a different user name is used, specifically asked the Orthodox position on this issue.

If you recognize the OP than I need say no more.
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
Just follow your pant legs down to the bottom. I suspect that you'll find them there.
I found them. Very swollen...The way back has less jetlag because I just sleep early in the flight and have a nice long day in the states, and sleep at the regular time. On the way there, no matter how I plan for it, I fail.
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
A question I would ask is wouldn't it be rather presumptuous for a rabbi to tell a gentile what they must or must not observe?
Presumably the gentile would be asking a rabbi because he's interested in hearing what the Torah requires of him. Since rabbis study the Torah, they already have that information.
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
I found them. Very swollen...The way back has less jetlag because I just sleep early in the flight and have a nice long day in the states, and sleep at the regular time. On the way there, no matter how I plan for it, I fail.
I also noticed the jetlag in this direction is worse. And I think its even harder to get back on schedule when you live here and have no pressing need to get in the sights before heading back. "Its 10 am, I'm so tired and there's nothing to do, there's no problem if I just take a little...(see you in 4 hours)."
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Presumably the gentile would be asking a rabbi because he's interested in hearing what the Torah requires of him. Since rabbis study the Torah, they already have that information.
"Interpretation". Maybe you or someone else can show exactly where it says in Torah that a gentile cannot observe the Law? Matter of fact, they had to observe some of the Law when living in eretz Israel. Are you familiar with the term "God-Fearers" and what that referred to a couple of thousand years ago? What harm did they do to Judaism or Jews?

But the main point is simply how in any way does a gentile preferring to observe Shabbat negatively affect you or I? There's a Seventh-Day Adventist church walking distance from my home in the L.P., but I haven't been accosted and mugged because they "dare" to have services on Saturday.

So, to me, unless there's some established harm, let them do what they want instead of trying to micro-manage their religious lives.
 
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