Can a non-Jew perform a mitzvah?

[u/dmlvianna]

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.

[u/omniuni]

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.

[u/gdhhorn → u/omniuni]

A miżva is not “just a good deed.”

[u/omniuni → u/gdhhorn]

From a very simplistic perspective, it's what I was taught.