The possibility that mandatory Noahide "mitzvot", beyond the seven laws, exist is outside the scope of this article. This would include observances either decided upon or "inherited" by the Noahide community itself, such as circumcision, tithing, various prayer customs, etc.
==Rabbi Yoel Schwartz (Jerusalem Court for Bnei Noah)==
[[Image:BDBN.gif|right]]
'''Question:''' Which parts of Torah observance are forbidden to non-Jews? It seems there are a variety of opinions..at least among the things I've read from various sources. Has the Sanhedrin ruled on optional observances for non-Jews? Specifically I want to know about: Shabbat, Tefillin, Tzitzit, Prayer book. Is a non-Jew allowed to put on a tallit in private prayer at home? Is a non-Jew allowed to don tefillin in private prayer at home? Is a non-Jew allowed to pray the Amidah? Is a non-Jew allowed to observe Shabbat like a Jew as long as they do one of the 39 prohibited melachot?
'''Answer:''' The spokesman for the Beis Din provided this reply:<ref>http://thesanhedrin.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2485#2485</ref>
:The Sanhedrin has accepted the ruling of [[Rabbi Haim Kaniewski]] in שונה הלכות that, if a ben noah - after having taken upon himself the "seven", wishes to take upon himself ANY other mitzva ''including Shabbat'' - he may do so.
:As you may remember there were discussions about which kind of Tsitsith a BN should wear.
:As far as recommending their observance - that is quite another story. - RYH
'''Commentary:''' This means that according to Jewish law, as poskened by this court, a ben noah who has taken on the seven laws, is permitted to keep Shabbat [apparently as Jews do]. They are also permitted to wear Tsitsith. (And based on previous statements this also includes praying from a Jewish Siddur).
However, just because a BN is permitted according to Jewish law to do these things, this does not mean that a BN is necessarily recommended to do so.
* There are some authorities (like Rabbi Benamozegh) who recommend that BN follow their own form of worship (for example he recommend that Aimé Pallière continue in a modified form of Catholicism).
* The Rambam disallows a few mitzvot for the BN, but otherwise he says that there is reward in BN taking on Jewish mitzvot. It should be noted that the Rambam does not recommend BN to take on Jewish mitzvot, but says אין מונעין אותו לעשות אותה כהלכתה "they are not prevented from taking them on according to their precise observance [in Judaism]".
* Rabbi Schwartz takes a middle ground. He does not recommend or discourage BN to take on Jewish mitzvot. Based on Rabbi Kaniewski<ref>הרב חיים קנייבסקי, שונה הלכות The Rambam holds that a Noahide should not observe the Shabbat in the manner that a Jew does. Nor should he make a point of abstaining from hard physical work on the Shabbat. A Noahide should not give occasion for a Jew to break the Shabbat. Yet Rashi says that every Ger Toshav (a non-Jew living in Eretz Yisrael in the time of the Jewish Temple, who has formally accepted the obligation to observe the Noahide laws in front of a Jewish court) has to uphold and keep the Sabbath (Rashi, Kritot 9, Yevamot 40). There is room to suggest that the Noahides, even nowadays, by accepting to fulfill the seven commandments, are in the same category as a Ger Toshav and should, according to Rashi, be required or at least allowed to keep the Shabbat.</ref>, he rules that it is permitted for an observant BN to take on any mitzvah. For those mitzvot which the Rambam advises against, Rabbi Schwartz recommends that they be modified their observance in various ways, and various ways have been discussed. This is a recommendation, not a ruling.
Practically speaking this means that one BN should not condemn another BN who does or does not keep Shabbat or wear Tsitsit. The problem with the Siddur is that there are statements which don't make sense for a BN to say, but there is nothing in a Jewish siddur which is forbidden for a BN to pray. As far as the advisability of taking on Jewish mitzvot, there are several issues involved and the beis din will hopefully address them in the future.
==Rambam Approach==
Our generation, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe has repeatedly declared, is the last generation of exile and darkness, and the first generation of Moshiach (the Messiah) and the Redemption. All of us -- Jews and Noachides -- have an urgent responsibility to transform the world immediately in order to bring Moshiach, and this involves going well beyond the minimum of the Law.<ref>[http://www.noahide.com/minimum.htm JAHG-USA Web Site: The Law is Only a Minimum]</ref>
==Rabbi Yoel Schwartz (Jerusalem Court for Bnei Noah)==
[[Image:BDBN.gif|right]]
'''Question:''' Which parts of Torah observance are forbidden to non-Jews? It seems there are a variety of opinions..at least among the things I've read from various sources. Has the Sanhedrin ruled on optional observances for non-Jews? Specifically I want to know about: Shabbat, Tefillin, Tzitzit, Prayer book. Is a non-Jew allowed to put on a tallit in private prayer at home? Is a non-Jew allowed to don tefillin in private prayer at home? Is a non-Jew allowed to pray the Amidah? Is a non-Jew allowed to observe Shabbat like a Jew as long as they do one of the 39 prohibited melachot?
'''Answer:''' The spokesman for the Beis Din provided this reply:<ref>http://thesanhedrin.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2485#2485</ref>
:The Sanhedrin has accepted the ruling of [[Rabbi Haim Kaniewski]] in שונה הלכות that, if a ben noah - after having taken upon himself the "seven", wishes to take upon himself ANY other mitzva ''including Shabbat'' - he may do so.
:As you may remember there were discussions about which kind of Tsitsith a BN should wear.
:As far as recommending their observance - that is quite another story. - RYH
'''Commentary:''' This means that according to Jewish law, as poskened by this court, a ben noah who has taken on the seven laws, is permitted to keep Shabbat [apparently as Jews do]. They are also permitted to wear Tsitsith. (And based on previous statements this also includes praying from a Jewish Siddur).
However, just because a BN is permitted according to Jewish law to do these things, this does not mean that a BN is necessarily recommended to do so.
* There are some authorities (like Rabbi Benamozegh) who recommend that BN follow their own form of worship (for example he recommend that Aimé Pallière continue in a modified form of Catholicism).
* The Rambam disallows a few mitzvot for the BN, but otherwise he says that there is reward in BN taking on Jewish mitzvot. It should be noted that the Rambam does not recommend BN to take on Jewish mitzvot, but says אין מונעין אותו לעשות אותה כהלכתה "they are not prevented from taking them on according to their precise observance [in Judaism]".
* Rabbi Schwartz takes a middle ground. He does not recommend or discourage BN to take on Jewish mitzvot. Based on Rabbi Kaniewski<ref>הרב חיים קנייבסקי, שונה הלכות The Rambam holds that a Noahide should not observe the Shabbat in the manner that a Jew does. Nor should he make a point of abstaining from hard physical work on the Shabbat. A Noahide should not give occasion for a Jew to break the Shabbat. Yet Rashi says that every Ger Toshav (a non-Jew living in Eretz Yisrael in the time of the Jewish Temple, who has formally accepted the obligation to observe the Noahide laws in front of a Jewish court) has to uphold and keep the Sabbath (Rashi, Kritot 9, Yevamot 40). There is room to suggest that the Noahides, even nowadays, by accepting to fulfill the seven commandments, are in the same category as a Ger Toshav and should, according to Rashi, be required or at least allowed to keep the Shabbat.</ref>, he rules that it is permitted for an observant BN to take on any mitzvah. For those mitzvot which the Rambam advises against, Rabbi Schwartz recommends that they be modified their observance in various ways, and various ways have been discussed. This is a recommendation, not a ruling.
Practically speaking this means that one BN should not condemn another BN who does or does not keep Shabbat or wear Tsitsit. The problem with the Siddur is that there are statements which don't make sense for a BN to say, but there is nothing in a Jewish siddur which is forbidden for a BN to pray. As far as the advisability of taking on Jewish mitzvot, there are several issues involved and the beis din will hopefully address them in the future.
==Footnotes==
<references />
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