The Rainbow Connection

A new book describes "the Torah for the nations."

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

AppleTree Editor

111

ichael Dallen was reading
one of those incomparably
rousing texts — a law jour-
nal — when he came across an extraor-
dinary passage.
The passage discussed the Noahide
Laws, seven basic regulations the Torah
says are to be observed by everyone:
• Do not worship idols.
• Do not blaspheme the name of
God.
• Do not murder.
• Do not steal.
• Do not engage in inappropriate sex-
ual relations.
• Do not eat a torn limb from a live
animal.
• Establish a justice system and courts
of law.
As he read of the laws, Dallen, of
Detroit, experienced an "Aha!" moment,
that magical instance when something
suddenly makes profound sense.
"This," he realized, "is the Torah for
the nations."
"Judaism is not just a little parochial
sect," he saw. "It is a revolutionary
movement. The Jews were created to
serve as a light to the world, and the
Noahide Laws are the essence of our
whole mission."
According to the Torah, Jews are obli-
gated to try and establish the Noahide
Laws, Dallen explained. "Moshe
Rabbeinu [Moses, our teacher] com-
manded from the mouth of God to
convince all the inhabitants of the world
to observe the commandments given the
children of Noah," the 12-century
scholar Moses Maimonides wrote.
Yet, Dallen saw little when he looked
for ways in which this was being done.
A few obscure texts, generally short and
poorly written, were out there. But the
approach was always condescending, he
said.
So Dallen set out to do the work
himself. The result is The Rainbow

Covenant: Torah and the Seven Universal

9/ 3
2004

60

Laws. The 350-page
activist-minded Jew, at
Rainbow Covenant is
a unique historical
published by
moment, to deal with
Lightcatcher Books,
all this Rainbow
established by a group
Covenant law, to take
of B'nai Noach (gen-
the material, including
tiles who observe the
all these scholarly legal
Noahide Laws),
articles from books and
together with the
journals, together with
Rainbow Covenant
the classic source texts,
Foundation, which
already available in
Dallen helped create.
English, and try to turn
The nonprofit founda-
it into a decent guide to
tion, funded by private
the subject, to put it all
donations, is commit-
into context."
ted to raising aware-
Dallen's own jour-
Michael Dallen: Coming of age
ness about the
ney to his place as an
Noahide Laws.
"activist-minded Jew"
Dallen, an attorney, said these laws
began when he experienced another
have been overlooked by most Jewish
epiphany of sorts at 17. Raised in a
scholars. He says the majority of the rab- fairly secular home, he was reading an
bis he meets today don't even express
essay by Victor Daim in a journal
much interest, in part, because they can
published by the Center for the Study
be so easily misunderstood.
of Democratic Institution.
The article was called "Moses, the
First
Revolutionary."
Understanding The Laws
Dallen said he saw "something
The Torah states that an idol worshipper
world-changing." He became seriously
should be killed, but "the whole nature
interested, for the first time, in his own
of Torah jurisprudence is that it's riddled
religion. The more he learned the more
with loopholes; it sounds much more
intrigued he became, especially when it
severe than it really is," Dallen said.
came to Zionism. He began serving, and
In fact, one really cannot understand
still serves on, the National Council of
the laws of Torah without reading its
Americans for a Safe Israel.
partner, the Talmud, which explains the
Religion began playing an even
Torah and provides practical application
greater
part of his own life as he worked
of its laws.
on The Rainbow Covenant.
The Torah, for example, says simply,
"When I was 9, I was an atheist," he
"Don't cook a kid in its mother's milk."
said. "I just couldn't buy all the sup-
The Talmud considers exactly what this
posed truths of any religion. Then, at
means in terms of separating meat and
19, I became a Zionist. Then I became
milk. Yet how could one explain the
interested in religion, but I wasn't a
important details of this system to gen-
practitioner. Then this [Noahide Laws]
tiles?
aspect of Torah opened up to me, and it
Another reason many are unfamiliar
was dazzling."
with the Noahide Laws, and why Jews
He researched and wrote for 10 years,
have failed to teach them, has to do with
reading texts mostly in English, some-
timing, Dallen said.
times in Hebrew. Then he sent each
"I think it's beshert [destined],"
chapter for review to B'nai Noach lead-
Dallen said.
ers and Jewish scholars, notably Rabbi
"The time is right only now
Michael Katz of Miami, a longtime sup-
"I just happened to be in a unique
porter of B'nai Noach.
position, as a lawyer and writer and

The vast majority of his financial
backing comes from gentiles, specifically
the B'nai Noach. A large number live in
Tennessee and Texas, though other
groups — Dallen estimates several thou-
sand persons, including actor Jon
Voight, actively identify as B'nai Noach
— can be found throughout the United
States and the world.
Dallen described them as "much
more attentive to the Divine command-
ments than many Jews. They are no
longer practicing Christians, reject the
concept of the trinity, and most regard
Jesus as a false prophet,". Dallen said.

Universal Compass

The idea that persons of another faith
would turn to a Jewish text for guidance
on how to live might strike some as
strange. Wouldn't their own religion
provide that very guidance?
Dallen described his book as helping
gentiles answer the question, "What's
my internal compass?" The Noahide
Laws are a "universal doctrine" that
serves at the core of other faiths ("How
can you be a Christian without knowing
these laws your own Bible says you have
to know? [The Christian leaders] Paul
and James emphasized these very laws,"
he said) and of Judaism as well.
"These laws are beautiful," Dallen
said. "You can't begin to understand the
greatness of the Torah without under-
standing the sublimity of these laws."
In fact, "I think this book answers
the ancient question, 'Why be Jewish?'
Here's a compelling spiritual and histori-
cal world view, a rational, non-mystical
approach to Torah learning in general,
and universal laws, norms and standards
of moral conducts."

❑

For more information, see:
vvvvw.rainbowcovenant.org
The Rainbow Covenant costs
$24.95 and may be purchased
at bookstores or online. It also can
be found at
vvww.lightcatcherbooks.corn