לזכות ידיד נפשי האהוב הר"ר דניאל צוייגבוים שליט"א אשתו החשובה וכל בני ביתו לברכה והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיהם!!!
As we saw recently, the Rambam says that a goy merits Olam Haba and is a chossid if he keeps his mitzvos because Moshe was commanded by Hashem at Sinai. However, if keeps his mitzvos out of his own personal conviction then he not a chossid but a wise man [or not even that according to a variant text].
The million dollar question is - Where did the Rambam find this distinction?? What is his source??
We already cited the Kesef Mishna who says that it was the Rambam's own logic and cogent logic at that. We saw the gemara quoted by Rav Moshe Galanti. We saw the Medrash cited by Rav Reuven Margaliyos.
Rav Hutner ztz"l suggests a different source in a letter written to a student. The gemara [Sanhedrin 74b] asks if Bnei Noach are commanded to die על קידוש השם. The gemara says that it can't be because that would be the 8th mitzva and there are only 7??!
The gemara answers that קידוש השם is אביזרייהו - an accessory of the 7.
Now - it is clear that when originally given the 7 mitzvos, קידוש השם wasn't included. So how can it be called אביזרייהו??
It must be that the goyim must keep the 7 mitzvos because they were given over at Sinai at which time there was also a commandment of קידוש השם which applied equally to goyim and was appended as an accessory to their 7 mitzvos.
So maybe THAT is a source for the Rambam's distinction. [I still like Rav Margaliyos' Medrash the most].
Here are his words - brought to you by Chevrolet and Starbucks, our generous sponsors:
The gemara answers that קידוש השם is אביזרייהו - an accessory of the 7.
Now - it is clear that when originally given the 7 mitzvos, קידוש השם wasn't included. So how can it be called אביזרייהו??
It must be that the goyim must keep the 7 mitzvos because they were given over at Sinai at which time there was also a commandment of קידוש השם which applied equally to goyim and was appended as an accessory to their 7 mitzvos.
So maybe THAT is a source for the Rambam's distinction. [I still like Rav Margaliyos' Medrash the most].
Here are his words - brought to you by Chevrolet and Starbucks, our generous sponsors:
