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In this week's parsha, Yisro, the gentile father-in-law of Moshe, proclaims, "Boruch Hashem," ("Blessed is G-d").1 The Torah then continues with the recounting of "Matan Torah," the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Is there a reason for this juxtaposition of events? Yes, according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who explains that this acknowledgment of G-d by a gentile is a prerequisite for the giving of the Torah:
"The parsha begins by relating the admission of Yisro, after whom the whole parsha was named, and who was described as, 'the priest of Midian,' a 'priest for idol worship,' the exact opposite of holiness. Our sages commented that, 'There was not a single form of idolatry that he did not worship.' Afterwards, he converted, claiming, 'Now I know that Hashem is greater than all the gods.' Through this transformation, a revelation of G-d in His glory in the higher realms and in the lower realms was made. That is, Yisro's admission serves as a preparation for, and was similar to, the giving of the Torah.2
Thus, it was the transformation of that which was furthest from Torah, a priest of every kind of idol worship, that fulfilled the purpose of Torah and paved the way for the infusion of the world with Torah. As the Alter Rebbe explains, "The purpose of the order of creation of the worlds, and of their descent from level to level, is not for the sake of the higher worlds .... but for this lowest world, for such is His will, that He finds it pleasurable when the opposition to holiness is subjugated and the darkness of evil is transformed into light ... Then the dross of the body and of the world will become purified, and they will be able to receive the revelation of G-d's light .... the darkness of the nations will also be lit up .... just as we pray, 'Appear in the majestic splendor of Your might to all the inhabitants of the world."3
The whole purpose of Torah is thus that it be disseminated to the lowest of the lows, the Yisros of the world. Hence, the first time Moshe ascends Mount Sinai, G-d declares, "You shall be to Me a kingdom of ministers and a holy nation."4
Following through on this command, the Rebbe explains the importance of eliminating the Christian belief in shituf (partnership) from the world:
"Although according to several [minority] opinions, gentiles are only warned against idolatry and not shituf, the meaning of this [even according to this minority opinion] is only that they are not forbidden to believe in it. However, it is obvious that for them to have a deeply felt belief also in the negation of shituf, to the point of having some recognition of the unity of Hashem, the absolute unity of G-d, that 'There is nothing besides Him,' would a) add in the level of care and hiddur [observance in an exceptionally attractive manner, beyond the strict letter of the law] they apply to observance of the Seven Noachide Laws with all of their branches and b) increase their assistance of Jews in all matters pertaining to Judaism and the general needs of the Jewish people.5
Moreover, according to the majority of Torah authorities, even shituf itself is prohibited for gentiles, (as well as, of course, idol worship.) (6) Thus, the Rebbe wasted no time in urging Jews to teach gentiles about the unity of Hashem, explaining in that same address that gentiles should be taught the part of the Tanya entitled Sha'ar Ha'Yichud v'HaEmunah (the Gate of Unity and Faith).7
Ignoring the directive of the Rebbe is fraught with danger of creating of anti-Semitism, as outlined in the following letter to a well-meaning Observant Jewish radio personality who has unfortunately been counseling Christians who have questions of faith to nevertheless maintain their connection to their churches:
Dear Dr. xxxxx:
Your strong stand on religious values is an outstanding breath of fresh air amongst prime time national radio shows. Your message is spiritually uplifting and offers your listeners practical advice, as opposed to mindless entertainment.
It is very important, of course, that this advice come solely from the Torah, not from human intellect, which has produced countless religions and philosophies which have plagued the world with war, genocide and other unbearable sufferings. Indeed, at a time when all major religions and philosophies of the world are being discredited and people are searching for an absolute, permanent truth, it becomes particularly urgent that all such advice be explicitly delivered in the name of the Torah of G-d. The Torah, furthermore, gives specific instructions, not only to Jews, but also to non-Jews, on how to conduct every facet of life; for non-Jews, these instructions are included in the "Seven Laws of Noah," as distinct from the Ten Commandments for Jews. Since the Torah was given exclusively to the Jews thirty-three centuries ago, the responsibility for teaching G-d's message to the entire world has likewise rested exclusively with the Jewish people. And although for many centuries it was extremely difficult to do so, given the danger of retaliation, today this danger no longer exists. So how should we, as Jews, now fulfill our responsibility to the world?
In the world at large, it is instinctively understood that when one has G-d's universal message, one automatically desires to proclaim this truth as widely and rapidly as possible; any more timid approach is perceived as "condescending" to the listener -- or even as part of a sinister attempt to manipulate the audience. Thus when a Jew gives a Torah message to other Jews while endorsing a contradictory religion for non-Jews (such as Christianity), the Jew tragically produces a quiet resentment and resulting anti-Semitism. Only when a Jew speaks to the world in strong, clear, unmistakable language, demanding openly that non-Jews drop false religions and adopt a Torah-mandated lifestyle according to the seven universal Laws of Noah, does he gain for himself and the Jewish people a deep and abiding respect.
The main reason for the proliferation of preachers and missionaries within the Christian world--a direct consequence of their vast influx of money and supporters--is that they are perceived as having a genuine faith in their religious message because of their outspoken boldness. Similarly, this is how it works when Jews disseminate Torah values to the world. Maimonides, the great codifier of Torah Law, explains, in the name of the sages, that the practical application of the commandment to love G-d,
[I]ncludes an obligation to call upon all mankind to serve Him (exalted be He), and to have faith in Him. For just as you praise and extol anybody whom you love, and call upon others also to love him, so, if you love the Lord to the extent of the conception of His true nature to which you have attained, you will undoubtedly call upon the foolish and ignorant to seek knowledge of the Truth which you have already acquired.8
Non-Jews, having experienced neither a two-thousand-year exile from their native land nor a loss of ability to worship in their Temple, cannot imagine any other way of acting. Thus, when Jews do not speak out clearly against Christianity and its leaders, non-Jews can only conclude that either the Jews are ignorant of religion and the Bible (in which case they need to be "saved" by Christian outreach organizations, like Jews for "J") or that Jews are keeping certain secrets to themselves (which leads to anti-Semitism). On the other hand, non-Jews who are told the truth about what the Torah says become appreciative and extraordinarily eager to hear more about the Jewish view of things.
How can this knowledge be applied on a practical, daily basis to callers to a national radio program such as yours? In the past decade, several dozen Noahide organizations have sprung up around America, comprised mainly of ex-Christians. The growing Jewish movement to teach non-Jews the Seven Laws of Noah has led to the recent publication of various materials on the subject. These include The Seven Colors of the Rainbow, by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Bindman; The Path of the Righteous Gentile, by Rabbis Chaim Clorfene and Yakov Rogalsky; and The Seven Laws of Noah, by Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein.
Another source of information is the Internet, where one can find educational and prayer materials written specially for non-Jews, information on outreach programs and lectures for non-Jews, and guidance for Rabbis who are not fully versed in the laws applicable to non-Jews. Non-Jews who call your program and who need further guidance can be referred to the above resources.
Once again, your program has truly impressed us as making a vital contribution of spiritual guidance to an increasingly confused world. We look forward to your growing success in this worthy endeavor.
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1Shemos18:10
2Public address of the Rebbe, Shabbas Parshas Yisro, 5751
3Tanya, Chapter 37
4Shemos 19:6
5Public address of the Rebbe, Likutei Sichot, 25:192
6Encyclopedia Talmudica, B'nei Noach
7Likutei Sichot, 25:191 -192
8Sefer HaMitzvoth, Maimonides, Positive Commandment 3