There are two kinds of Ger Toshav. A formal one is a gentile who has made certain legal statements in a [[Beth Din]] (Jewish rabbinical court). There are three opinions ([[Avodah Zarah]] 64b) as to what those statements promise:<ref>Against this is quoted: ‘Who is a ger toshav? Any [gentile] who takes upon himself in the presence of three chaverim not to worship idols. Such is the statement of R. Meir; but the Sages declare: Any [gentile] who takes upon himself the sheva mitzvot which the sons of Noach undertook; and still others maintain: These do not come within the category of ager toshav; but who is a ger toshav? A proselyte [גר ger, i.e. non-Jew] who eats of animals not ritually slaughtered (nevelos). In other words, he took upon himself to observe all the precepts mentioned in the Torah apart from the prohibition of [eating the flesh of] animals not ritually slaughtered (nevelos). We may leave such a man alone with wine [i.e., he is not considered an idolater].”</ref>
#To abstain from [[idolatry|idolatrous]] practices.
#To uphold the seven [[Noahide Laws]].
#To uphold all the [[613 Mitzvot]], except for the eating of non-[[Kosher]] meat.
The definition used by all authorities is the second. In all cases, the statement is a formal sign that the gentile is on a righteous path, and as such, they must by law receive certain legal protections and special charity/financial aid from the community.
Against this is quoted: ‘Who is a ger toshav? Any [gentile] who takes upon himself in the presence of three chaverim not to worship idols. Such is the statement of R. Meir; but the Sages declare: Any [gentile] who takes upon himself the sheva mitzvot which the sons of Noach undertook; and still others maintain: These do not come within the category of ager toshav; but who is a ger toshav? A proselyte [גר ger, i.e. non-Jew] who eats of animals not ritually slaughtered (nevelos). In other words, he took upon himself to observe all the precepts mentioned in the Torah apart from the prohibition of [eating the flesh of] animals not ritually slaughtered (nevelos). We may leave such a man alone with wine [i.e., he is not considered an idolater].”
The second kind of Ger Toshav is an informal one, namely someone who has not sworn anything to a Beth Din (Avodah Zarah 65a). In this case, they are not formally entitled to financial aid by law, but the attitude of a religious Jew to someone who has forgone idolatry is supposed to be much more welcoming (from the perspective of Jewish law) than to someone who has not. Furthermore, the restrictions that pertain to an idolater (in terms of business and doing things that might be aiding idol worship) are forgone.
