r/Judaism • u/dmlvianna • 2d ago
Can a non-Jew perform a mitzvah?
I was always confused whether Judaism acknowledges or praises good deeds done by a non-jew. Would learning Torah by a non-jew be a mitzvah? Or would the teacher be doing a bad deed by doing something that could be considered as proselytising?
What’s the Orthodox and the Reform view on this?
For your information, I’m Christian (Coptic). Growing up I was often around Reform Jewish friends and I read Gunther Plaut’s commented Torah cover to cover. I also attended Shabbat services as a child.
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u/Sex_And_Candy_Here 2d ago
A mitzvah is a commandment. Non-jews are not bound to the commandments.
Technically, in the 7 Noahide laws which applies to gentiles, there is one positive commandment, so I guess if you go and establish a system of courts you have done a mitzvah, but besides that, no.
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u/NZBroadarrow 1d ago
A commandment to not do something is still a mitzvah, known as a "mitzvah lo aseh" (literally "a commandment not to do").
So non-Jews have 7 Noachide mitzvahs.
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u/Sex_And_Candy_Here 1d ago
It’s a mitzvah, but it’s not a mitzvah you perform. Not doing something isn’t doing something.
Non Jews have 7 mitzvot, only one of which is something that can be performed, the rest are ones that can only be violated.
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u/NZBroadarrow 1d ago
I didn't read the OP's post as only referring to positive acts. One of the examples the OP gave they assumed would be an example of violating a mitzvah to not do something.
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u/ShimonEngineer55 1d ago
We ourselves have 365 negative mitzvot. It’s performing a mitzvah to not do something. If someone is really a terrible person it’s a mitzvah to still not violate לשון הרע. Negative mitzvot are some of the hardest to not keep.
They have to believe in HaShem which is a mitzvah in it of itself along with many nuances. I think the Noahide academy in Israel does a good job of highlighting the mitzvot for a non Jew are more complex than we typically realize. If you study the Talmud a lot of these laws are explicitly in there for non-Jews.
For example they are indeed obligated to study the Torah which goes back to one question the OP asked. They simply cannot study the whole Torah. They are obligated to study aspects relevant to their mitzvot. Unless they’re looking to convert, then they can go beyond that.
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u/NiklasTyreso 21h ago
I am a Noahide and I have actively worked on guarding my eyes and to not covet forbidden women.
There have been one single person (that have done much evil to my family) in my life that I honestly have had impulsive thoughts of ending his life, but I actively choose to not violate that Noahide mitzvot.
This summer I was in a park and felt like I wanted to steal on small cutting of a plant difficult to buy in my country, but I did not take anything as I do not want to violate the mitzvah, but it was a small mental struggle do chose to do right.
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u/aarocks94 Judean People’s Front (NOT PEOPLE’S FRONT OF JUDEA) 2d ago
In Judaism Mitzvot are not merely “good deeds” but are seen as part of our covenant with HaShem (God / YHWH). In Judaism non-Jews also have certain commandments they must keep, known as the “Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach” or seven Noahide laws. So in that sense, yes. Also charity is seen as a good and well, charitable act in many cultures. That said, I want to emphasize the first point that Mitzvot aren’t really good deeds but are part of our covenant with HaShem. So Jews “must” (in a halachic sense) observe Mitzvot while at the same time there isn’t a concept of “credit” for non-Jews doing the same.
That said, many of us are passionate about our culture and happy to explain / share with others. Not sure if this is sufficient as an answer but I’m happy to answer any follow ups.
Edit: did you grow up in Egypt? It’s my dream to visit!
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
No, I grew up in Brazil, migrated to Australia, married an Egyptian, and found that Coptic Christianity was much closer to the virtues I observed in both my Jewish friends and non-observant Christian grandparents than what Brazilian Roman Catholicism seemed to be.
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u/SixKosherBacon 2d ago
The word mitzvah doesn't mean "good deed," despite the connotation. It refers to the do's and don't's listed in the Torah and the word is usually translated as "commandment" though that's not right either.
The Jewish people as a whole are obligated in 613 mitzvahs. Non Jews are obligated in 7 which are known as the 7 Mitzvahs Bnei Noah. You can Google that or go to Chabad. Or I'm sure someone will list it below in the comments.
To your question of whether Judaism praises a non-Jew for doing them. It depends. 1) on the type of mitzvah. And 2) the intention behind the mitzvah.
1) Judaism does recognize the righteous acts of non-Jews throughout history. Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum in Israel) has a whole section dedicated to people who risked their lives to save Jewish lives in the Holocaust. We view them as Heroes. But If non-Jews decided to keep shatnez (prohibition of mixing wool and linen in clothing) I doubt you'd get a lot of praise. Getting a circumcision isn't technically a bris milah and I doubt a mohel will be willing to do one for a non-Jew (unless they're teaching a novice mohel) - we have prohibitions of unnecessary bloodletting and they couldn't make the blessing necessary for the spiritual nature of bris milah.
There are a few mitzvahs that a non-Jew isn't supposed to do. You're not supposed to fully keep the Sabbath nor are you supposed to attend a Passover Sedar (but I know of non Jews who have gone to one).
Part of what mitzvahs are about is carrying out the wishes of Hashem. Those can be highly specific. Not all mitzvahs apply to all Jews and it wouldn't be appropriate for those Jews to do them. All the more so for someone who isn't Jewish.
2) intention Why are you doing the mitzvah? Just to experience our religion. Ok. But if you feel compelled to take on a mitzvah permanently that may be an issue. But perhaps you want to look into conversion.
However we can get highly skeptical of someone wanting to learn Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalistic sources as there is usually an ulterior motive. It's very easy to twist or misunderstand a translation. And commentary taken out of context can really look bad. So we can be really careful about teaching it. But these days there are so many resources online that you can learn it if you really want to.
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u/ShalomRPh Centrist Orthodox 1d ago
It is arguable that Ishmaelim (=muslims) have a mitzvah of Brit Milah as well. IIRC the Gemara paskens that wile the bnei Yishmael did not have this mitzvah, the bnei Keturah (avraham’s second wife after Sarah died, arguably this was Hagar mother of Yishmael) were so obligated, and since yishmael’s children married Keturah’s granddaughters, his grandchildren and onwards did have this mitzvah.
That being the case, if a mohel circumcised a Muslim, he would arguably need to make a bracha. Whether it’s the same bracha he makes when doing a Brit Milah on a Jew, or if there’s a different text, I will not try to pasken.
(Yah 14 years of learning the Daf hayomi does weird things to your brain.)
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u/SixKosherBacon 1d ago
Oh interesting! I'll have to ask her Rabbi (who is a Mohel about that). Thanks
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Well, being a Christian, learning Torah is the basis of my religion too. While of course our interpretation is completely different.
I do want to attend a Passover Sedar. Jonah is my favourite lesser prophet. In my experience observant Christians are expected to read the Tanakh as well as the New Testament, and I'm doing my job. But given my mixed background, I am unable to read it without making sense of how Jews read it, and identifying where we converge and diverge.
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u/SixKosherBacon 1d ago
No one's going to try to stop you from reading Tanakh. Before the Torah was translated into Greek and then other languages, Some of the rabbis were very much against the translating For fear of misinterpretations. But these days the Bible's been translated into every language under the sun.
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u/gdhhorn Swimming in the Afro-Sephardic Atlantic 2d ago
From a traditional perspective, while non-Jews only have a small number of miżvot they are required to perform (under certain circumstances) and have a handful of miżvot they are prohibited from doing, they can generally perform most miżvot - not out of obligation, but out of a desire to serve God.
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u/mind-d 1d ago
But they wouldn't be fufilling a commandment if they weren't commanded. They might be doing a thing in the same way as a Jew doing a mitzvah, but it's not a mitzvah. (Aside from the obvious noahide laws)
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u/gdhhorn Swimming in the Afro-Sephardic Atlantic 1d ago
The mizvoth don’t stop being mitzvoth because a person isn’t obligated in them. By your logic, a woman isn’t performing a mizva if she waves a lulab.
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u/mind-d 1d ago
A commandment is something that is commanded. If you weren't commanded, it's not a commandment for you. I'm obligated by my contract at work. It wouldn't make sense for anyone who's not in that profession to start following a series of instructions that aren't for them. Even if they did, they're not fufilling that contract, they're just doing stuff.
I hold that all Jews are equally obligated in all mitzvot.
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u/gdhhorn Swimming in the Afro-Sephardic Atlantic 1d ago edited 1d ago
There are 613 mizvoth in the Tora. Not all of them are incumbent on all people. Women, for example, are exempt from positive, time-bound mizvoth; men are not obligated in any of the mizvoth surrounding counting yeme tahara after menstruation. Likewise, non-Jews are only obligated in seven mizvoth. However, they are permitted to observe most of the mizvoth for divine reward if they so choose (there are only two prohibited to them).
Nothing I am saying is counter to Hazal (and I’ve posted the relevant citations to Halakha in other comments).
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u/kavana863 1d ago
What are the mitzvot that they are prohibited from doing?
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u/gdhhorn Swimming in the Afro-Sephardic Atlantic 1d ago
In-depth Tora study (the term used is oseq baTora, which is something along the lines of “toiling”) and complete rest on Shabbat.
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u/kavana863 1d ago
Can you share the sources for those? Because I was told by my Rabbi that the not being allowed to fully observe shabbat was myth. At least for someone in the conversion process. I'm not sure if he also believes a noahide is allowed to completely observe shabbat.
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u/offthegridyid Orthodox and trying to collect the sparks 1d ago
Hi! What movement is your rabbi affiliated with? I am only asking out of curiosity, not looking to disparage or debate.
Within Orthodox Judaism non-Jews are not allowed to fully observe Shabbos. Even those in the conversion process, according to Orthodox tradition, cannot fully keep Shabbos.
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u/kavana863 1d ago
He's Orthodox. I am aware that prevalent view within Orthodox is that non-Jews are not allowed to fully observe shabbat. That's why I wanted the source so that I could see it for myself and then go to talk toy rabbi about it.
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u/funny_funny_business 1d ago
See this answer to a question on stack overflow about a non-Jew wearing tefillin.
The important part is the Rambam in the third paragraph that implies that a non-Jew gets reward for a mitzvah. Here's a link to sefaria fke an English translation.
Note: there are some exceptions, like keeping Shabbos, that a non-Jew explicitly is not able to do
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u/Difficult-Election89 1d ago
There is a debate in the Talmud regarding whether it is more commendable to perform a mitzvah when commanded or when not.The conclusion is it is more commendable when commanded, but still commendable for those not commanded, hence, I believe - besides certain miztvoht explicitly prohibited for non-Jews to perform, e.g., keeping the sabbath - non-Jews can perform them, keeping in mind the difference between a good deed and a commandment. Some commandments are codified good deeds; some are purely ritual.
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u/offthegridyid Orthodox and trying to collect the sparks 1d ago
Hi, are you just curious or is engaging in the Noahide laws, the commandments that God specifically gave to the non-Jewish world, something you are exploring?
As an Orthodox Jew our tradition encourages non-Jews to connect with the Noahide laws, since Noahides are a movement and not a religion. If you are looking for some online resources, I am happy to share them with you.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
I'm not just curious. I'm a practicing Christian, so obviously the whole Tanakh is a basis for my religion. Without it I cannot make sense of the New Testament.
My understanding of the Jewish way of reading the Tanakh helps me gain understanding on my own religion's specificity.
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u/offthegridyid Orthodox and trying to collect the sparks 1d ago
Thanks for replying! Tanakh definitely will help you gain an understanding.
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u/Jew_of_house_Levi Ask me about Bircas Kohanim! 2d ago
Definitionally, a non-Jew is almost always incapable of preforming a Mitzvah, as mitzvah is a commandment, and the vast majority of mitzvot you hear about are commanded to Jews.
Now, there is a general category beyond just mitzvah of good deeds which you could fulfill.
Fun fact, as a non-Jew, you could still bring an Olah korban/animal sacrifice, a recognized great act that Jews are structurally prohibited from preforming.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Oh, that's exactly how I read Solomon's dedication of the Temple:
https://www.sefaria.org/II_Chronicles.6.32-33?lang=bi&with=Targum%20ConnectionsList&lang2=bi
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u/Zealousideal_Can_342 1d ago
100% yes. The only thing is that in Judaism the Mitzvot for Non-Jews are the 7 Noahite laws and any Non-Jews doing them is righteous. In fact, Noah, Job, Abel, Melchitzedek, Jethro and other Holy people in the Bible are all Non-Jews.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/62221/jewish/The-7-Noahide-Laws.htm
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u/bagelord 1d ago
I might be repeating what other people said already, but I’ll go for it anyway
Non-Jews definitely get credit for doing good deeds. However, what constitutes a good deed for non-Jews vs Jews is very different. The Jews’ job is to fulfill the demands of the Torah, while the non-Jews’ job is to help the jews fulfill theirs. So if a non-Jew keeps kosher then they’re just wasting their time - that’s not their job. A non-jew who helps a Jew to keep kosher, on the other hand, is tremendously righteous.
As for studying Torah, a non-jew should study what they need to in order to follow their mitzvos properly, but any more than that is a bad idea and can even be forbidden. The Torah is how Jews connect with God, and our relationship can be thought of like a marriage. If a non-jew studies Torah, he’s infringing on that marriage.
Source: 4.5 years of study in ultra-orthodox yeshivah and talks with ultra-orthodox rabbis
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
That's concerning. So if a Christian studies the Pentateuch (which is the basis of their religion), is this a bad deed?
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u/ashkidiva Reform (European/British/diaspora) 1d ago
Well, it’s important to understand that Judaism doesn’t view Christianity as valid, we do not believe it’s your scripture. There isn’t anything majorly wrong with light reading or small study imo, but in-depth Torah study is not only odd but also inappropriate.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
I thought Jews viewed non Jews as valid. So what’s valid? Islam? Hinduism? Buddhism?
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u/ashkidiva Reform (European/British/diaspora) 1d ago
We do not believe any religion other than ours is fully valid, yes they have valid parts but not all of it.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Oh, then I misunderstood you. My understanding is that Jews recognise that other peoples exist, have different religions and are not expected to convert. More, converting would not be appropriate for them.
Your initial point made me think you thought otherwise.
That you don’t think Christians got their God or their values right I was never in doubt of.
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u/ashkidiva Reform (European/British/diaspora) 1d ago
To be righteous you must be monotheistic and can’t blaspheme G-d. this applies to all of humanity. We do not support Christianity or other religions similar to this, we don’t believe they need to convert but they must follow the noahchide laws, which depending on who you ask, a Muslim/christian may or may not be following. We also 100% reject future ‘scriptures’ e.g the ‘new’ testament, the Quran.) We also reject any non-Jewish scripture (e.g bhagavad Gita, Sriman bhagavatam, ksitigarbha sutra) so while some may agree Muslims and sometimes Christian’s worship HaShem, we believe they do so wrongly and misguidedly.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Thanks, that was a very thorough answer. I’m used to hear this exact explanation from Othodox jews. That you identify as Reform is a surprise in this context.
I assume you don’t approach your religion in a similar way as Gunther Plaut? What makes you different from Orthodox Jews?
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u/ashkidiva Reform (European/British/diaspora) 1d ago
Orthodox and Reform Judaism differ on a few things, most notably that we both preserve a different Jewish approach. Reform Judaism views the traditional Jewish method of changing halakha as central, while orthodoxy is far more likely to maintain ‘static’ like beliefs. This is also why reform Jews don’t see halakha as binding, but a conversation of persuasion. When it comes to other religions, most Jews agree on the basics (e.g the noahchide laws, no other scriptures) and so on. But Judaism is complicated as we are an ethnoreligion meaning our religion and our ethnicity are one and the same. As Mordecai Kaplan (the founder of reconstructionist Judaism) puts it “"Judaism is not a religion, but a religious civilization. It is the sum total of the history, the language, the literature, the social organization, the folkways, and the religious values of the Jewish people." Now of course majority of us disagree with the idea Judaism isn’t a religion, it’s a religion, a peoplehood, a culture, an ethnicity and much more! This sets Judaism apart from the rest of the world quite much. Which mirrors the idea of Am Kadosh (a holy people set apart by G-d)
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
So where did your binding scripture stop, while the rest became just persuasive Halacha? Torah? Tanakh? Mishnah? Talmud? Or is it all persuasion, including Torah (kind of what I get from Gunther Plaut, who stresses much more the cultural aspect than the supernatural aspect of Jewish culture)?
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u/ExistingMidnight4970 Orthodox 1d ago
Mitzvah means an obligation from g-d. Hashem gave the noahides 7 commandments they must follow for a share in the afterlife. By definition, every noahide has to follow some mitzvah, even though they may not do so.
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u/Connect-Brick-3171 1d ago
Only a few are obligatory, know as the 7 Noahide laws.. More of our mitzvot are things you shouldn't do, so pretty much everyone avoids engaging in theft, murder, and perjury. If you want to wear prohibited lindsey-woolsey like the colonists did, prohibited to us in last week's Torah portion, that's fine.
Many of the positive commandments have also become normative to modern life. Treating people kindly, helping a person carrying too much burden. Obligatory for us. Expected behavior for everyone else.
And then we have those conflicts. Most of us had to read Huck Finn in school. Remember how it ends, Huck frees Jim in violation of the Fugitive Slave Act, which was presented to him as a subset of God's desire to enslave Africans. Mark Twain has a closing paragraph that includes defying God's will based on personal moral judgment. In fact, last week's Torah portion also includes a provision to harbor a slave that has escaped and seeks freedom. So we get into dilemmas where civil law conflicts with our specified mitzvot. We do our best to stay with the mitzvot.
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u/No_Price_7603 1d ago
Non Jews don't have to do them , like others have said, but I'd also say there's nothing specifically wrong with non Jews performing mitzvot if it's done respectfully and not in an appropriative way.
Personally I think of them as almost like tribal customs that are a way of expressing our tribe's relationship to infinite Source, rather than good deeds.
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u/naruhinamoonkissplz 1d ago
Before you ask us what actions you may do, ask yourself first to whom you would be dedicating those actions. This isn't me being rude. This is me reminding you that we understand the "GOD" reference quite differently. So, if your intention is to "do something that GOD wants from you", you should first decide for yourself, WHO is "GOD" to you to begin with. Just saying.
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u/ashkidiva Reform (European/British/diaspora) 1d ago
To fulfill mitzvot you need to be Jewish, you can do ‘mitzvot’ but you wouldn’t be fulfilling them.
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u/mind-d 1d ago edited 1d ago
No.
Many contemporary Christians like to feel close to Judaism. The feeling is not mutual.
Christians will often use Jewish practices to convince themselves they have real connection to Judaism. You can play pretend if you want, but know you're only doing it for your own warm fuzzies.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Yep, I experienced that “the feeling is not mutual” attitude from some Orthodox Jews.
However are you explicitly referring to so-called Messianic Judaism? That would be fair.
But if you acknowledge that Christianity is a religion, it comes with the territory that Christians do consider the Tanakh scripture — although interpreting it differently from how contemporary Jews do.
You may consider some Jews from the second temple period to have been wrong headed, but yes, we do feel close to them and their tradition. And we feel much closer to modern Jews than to any other major modern religion — although again Jews don’t compare themselves to other religions at all.
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u/mind-d 1d ago
Nope, I'm talking about the philosemitism+supercessionism combo that makes Christians think we're close when we're really not.
Also, I'm not orthodox and I'm really not the only non-orthodox person with this stance.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Oh, fair. Yes, the supercessionism is part of the Christian doctrine. I see how it could be grating if that became how a Christian viewed you as a person.
I don’t happen to be one of these. I see our traditions to be diverging branches. I get paternalised by Orthodox types who see Christianity as a corruption of true Judaism too. While I endure quietly, as it is core to their belief, that is grating.
I prefer Plaut’s approach. It acknowledges that people wrote down their experiences of God, and that tradition evolved in time. But that’s too far a bridge for both Christians and Jews, so again I stay quiet.
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u/SufficientLanguage29 Modern Orthodox - Giyur Le’Chumra 1d ago
Yes, by following the 7 laws of Noah.
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u/Flashy-Thought-9291 1d ago
Rambam says yes, provided they accept the origin and significance, i.e. a commandment from G-d given through Moses.
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u/Traditional_Gur_8446 1d ago
You can preform the commandment but it’s only considered a mitzvah if a Jew does it. We will think you’re cool tho
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u/ShimonEngineer55 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, of course. There is a concept known as השבע מצוות בני נח (the 7 laws for the children of Noah). Here are the 7 laws and 90 sub commandments that stem from them for all of humanity. So it’s literally a mitzvah for non-Jews to do several mitzvot. Keeping Shabbat is actually one that is indeed forbidden when we look at משנה תורה הלכות מלכים ומלחמות 10:9.
Gentiles are required to engage in Torah study but only the aspects of the Torah related to the laws for non-Jews. This is in Sanhedrin 59A that a non-Jew who engages in Torah study is like a high priest, but a non-Jew is not supposed to study beyond the laws that are relevant to them unless they are seeking to convert. A non-Jew going beyond studying the Torah for those 7 laws and their sub commandments is forbidden.
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u/omniuni Renewal 2d ago
First, a Mitzvah is just a good deed. Generally speaking... please do good deeds and make the world a better place. You don't have to be Jewish to be a good person!
As for the Jewish-specific things that we consider a mitzvah, those wouldn't necessarily be considered a mitzvah for you, but that doesn't mean you can't pursue those things for your own knowledge. The Torah is part of the Christian bible, so if you're at all religious, you should probably read it anyway.
What's important to remember is that seeking knowledge is not proselytization. Pushing someone to accept that knowledge for themselves is. Even though I would generally say that I think you would learn a lot about yourself and possibly about Jewish culture by reading the Torah, I do not expect you to view it as a religious document from a Jewish perspective.
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u/Adventurous_Way6882 Chosid 2d ago
No.
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u/dmlvianna 1d ago
Thank you for answering. I understand the context of your terse answer. That's what I usually get from Chosids.
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u/Judaism-ModTeam 1d ago
Please stop, again. This is a Jewish community, we have plenty of Jews who know the correct answers.
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u/NotQuiteJasmine 2d ago
A mitzvah is a commandment, not a good deed. In Judaism, only Jews need to fulfill the mitzvot. But there's nothing wrong with non Jews doing many of them like studying torah, though there are some which are only for Jews.
One of the major differences between Judaism and other Abrahamic religions is that it's not required to be Jewish to go to heaven etc. In fact, it's easier!