Israel and Humanity - The domination and the conversion of pagans
IV.
Noachism and the conversion of pagans.
§ 1.
This Noachism or universal that governs all mankind, with the exception of Israel, and corresponds to the stage of nature, like the Mosaic law on his side corresponds to the subsequent degrees of human development and land must be necessarily more rational, more appropriate intelligible side of things. The nature of rationality is it dominant, we may even say constituent. The most cursory examination is enough to convince himself. [1] "The fact is, says an author rabbinical Noachides seven commandments that do not contain precepts suprarational ( hukkim ), but only intelligible precepts ( michpatim and mitzvot ). Therefore it is impossible to acquire by their accomplishment neschama (soul of a higher degree), one to which the doctors are referring to when, about the biblical saying Men you are , they said: You (Jews) who truly deserve the name of men. " This shift was mainly intended to glorify the pre-eminent merit of the Torah of Israel, and Maimonides Noachism gives a more accurate when he writes: "Anyone who accepts the seven commandments and observes them with care is considered a righteous Gentile and has participated in eternal life, but on condition that he receives and executes these precepts, because God has imposed in his Law and he has revealed through Moses our master these are the Orders received originally by the children of Noah, but if this practice just because it suggests the reason it should not be regarded as a proselyte of the gate or a citizen or as a pious man or a sage among the Gentiles "[2].
The Law of Noah has nothing to envy to the nobility and the sanctity of the law of Moses itself. It was not just the law of Adam, Noah and all the patriarchs before Abraham, but also that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all their children and descendants, and Moses himself before the revelation of Sinai. The religion of Israel, before the advent of Moses, was not something that Noachism; name which continues to designate the general law of humanity and that applies to all those who profess it, is after that of the Jewish Law, and perhaps next to the name of Israel, what is most venerable in the world.
§ 2.
What were the formalities that marked the transition from polytheism to Noachism? A passage quoted above has already indicated that the Gentile who had converted to appear before three habérim (brothers, companions), a name that was given to doctors on occasion of Israel. In their presence he had to declare his intention to now belong to the religion Noachide. It [3] and the Jew himself would make, when he took the resolution to observe now in its privacy rules of purity suitable for the Pharisees, if he wished to be his word in his statements concerning these rules, in which case the decision of haber authority against the ignorant ( aaretz am ) whose word has no value in such matters.
It is quite likely, although the former Doctors are silent in this regard that the rite of baptism or ablution, accompanied the conversion of the pagan Noachism as well as his affiliation with Mosaic itself. This rite was practiced in effect not only by going to Judaism Gentile [4], but also by the pagan slave in the service of the Israelite [5] and the apostate Jew returning to the communion of Israel [6]. It also marked the transition to a higher level of holiness, such as the high priest on the day of Atonement and was one of the essential conditions for purification of all kinds of dirt. We see Elisha also directs the Syrian general Naaman [7] and that it does not misunderstands the religious council. It is therefore very surprising that this rite has not been imposed on the pagan who converted to Noachism. What is certain is that Christianity has understood well the meaning, since he made the practice mandatory for the pagan and later converted, if not at the same time, the Jew also. If baptism, as we prove it every document Gospel was preached by John and imposed on the Jews as a sign of penance, it only confirms our assumptions relating to the conversion of the pagan Noachism.
Without doubt the baptism as practiced later in the Christian Church as a rite of initiation is an observance of the Jewish ceremonies copied, as the organization of new worship gives us so many examples. The tebila of converting the heathen Mosaic has been a model at the baptism of the pagan entering the Church. But in Judaism, there were, besides baptism, circumcision, and as these rites of Christianity have maintained that the first, it would be difficult to doubt that the choice of practice is due to his preexisting formality as [8] Introductory Noachism, precisely because Christianity has tried to establish it as a unique form of religion, thus bringing the religious movement to what was actually its point of departure.
Whatever indeed the way the new Noachide was received at the time of his conversion, which we want to know is the law which he undertook. We have repeatedly spoken of the seven precepts that constitute it. We shall soon see what he thinks of that number that some doctors have increased dramatically and what significance should be given to each of these commands. But before addressing this detailed study, first look at the whole content of that law.
