I'm Not Jewish; What Would Judaism Say My Purpose Is?

Q. I'm a gentile and I have three questions. What is the purpose of a gentile? How can gentiles worship God? And can a gentile practice Judaism?

A. Thanks for your questions. I’m going to use the term “non-Jew” rather than “gentile,” which feels kind of old-timey to me. (Also, it has always struck me as strange to have a special word to describe everyone on the planet except for Jews!)

If you ask me, I would say that a non-Jew's purpose is the same as a Jew's: (1) to enjoy the good things that God has created and given us; (2) to strive to get closer to God by performing His will; and (3) to try to leave the world a better place than you found it. The difference is that God has given Jews 613 commandments intended to direct us towards these goals, while He has required only seven of non-Jews. These are called the seven Noahide laws, because they were commanded to all the descendants of Noah, i.e., all of mankind. They are: (1) Not to steal; (2) not to murder; (3) not to worship idols; (4) not to blaspheme; (5) not to engage in acts of sexual immorality; (6) not to eat the limb of a live animal; and (7) to establish courts of justice. (The first six are incumbent upon individuals; the seventh applies to communities.) You can read more about these seven laws here.

So how can non-Jews worship God? Following those seven laws is a great way to start, but one can always do more. Giving money to charity, volunteering at a soup kitchen, reading to the elderly, etc. is a great way to serve God. Honestly, just smiling to strangers on the street and speaking kindly to one's own family members serves God! And of course, talk to Him, and not just when you need something. One should also remember to thank God when things are good.

Can non-Jews practice Judaism? Sure, if they want to. While we believe that non-Jews are only obligated in those seven universal laws, there's no reason a non-Jew can't keep kosher if he wants to. If you want to eat matzah on Passover or light a menorah on Chanukah, that's certainly permitted. [The one theoretically prohibited thing would be keeping the Sabbath. This is because Exodus 31:16 says that the Sabbath is a sign between God and the Jewish people. However, the laws of the Sabbath are very intricate - they take years of study! If a non-Jew chose to honor the Sabbath by refraining from business or going screen-free for the day, that would not even remotely meet the definition of keeping the Sabbath that would be problematic.]

Of course, a non-Jew always has the option to convert, but then he would be a Jew observing Judaism!

I hope this helps.

Rabbi Jack's book Ask Rabbi Jack is available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.