In the second installment of the series, we address the big questions: Can Noahides keep Shabbat? Can Noahides learn Talmud and Zohar? Have a mezuzah on their door? And why do we say there are “seven” Noahide Laws if there are actually thirty? Plus: What is a Ger Toshav and is it equivalent to a Noahide? What is the right way to learn and master Torah? And understanding Rabbi Meir, the “potential Mashiach” of his generation.
For Part 1 of the series, see here.
On the rapidly growing movement of Noahides and Jewish converts, see here.
As we prepare to usher in a new year, we remember that while our calendar follows lunar months, it is still synchronized to the sun over the course of a 19-year cycle. Since a lunar month is 29.5 days, each month on the Hebrew calendar is either 29 or 30 days, resulting in a year that is typically just 354 days long. The solar year is a bit over 365 days long, meaning that a strictly lunar calendar will fall behind 11 days each year. To avoid this problem, we add an entire leap month, a second Adar, seven times in 19 years. This ensures that we stay in synch with both moon and sun. The upcoming year will be such a leap year, with 13 months instead of 12.