Definition
A ger toshav is a Gentile who accepts the authority of the Torah and the Rabbis upon himself, but specifically as applied to Gentiles. The term ger toshav may be used in a formal or informal sense.
In the formal sense, a ger toshav is a Gentile who officially accepts the seven Noahide Laws as binding upon himself in the presence of a beth din (Jewish rabbinical court). In the Talmudic discussion regarding the ger toshav, there are two other, differing minority opinions (Avodah Zarah 64b) as to what the ger toshav accepts upon himself:
- To abstain from idolatrous practices (detailed in Deut 29:09-30:20).
- To uphold all the 613 commandments in rabbinical enumeration, except for the prohibition against eating kosher animals that died by means other than ritual slaughter, or possibly (Meiri) any prohibition not involving kareth.
The accepted legal definition is the majority opinion that the ger toshav must accept the seven Noahide Laws before a rabbinical court of three. Such a ger toshav receives certain legal protections and privileges from the community, the rules regarding Jewish-Gentile relations are modified, and there is a Biblical obligation to render him aid when in need. The restrictions on having a Gentile do work for a Jew on the Sabbath are also stricter when the Gentile is a ger toshav.
In the informal sense, a ger toshav is one who accepts the Noahide Law on his own, or alternatively, simply rejects idolatry. (The latter issue is in particular brought up regarding Muslims.) More formally, a Gentile who accepts the Seven Mitzvot, though not before a beth din, is known as chasid umot ha'olam, which means "Pious Among the Nations." There is discussion among the halakhic authorities as to which of the rules regarding a ger toshav would apply to the informal case.
The procedure has been discontinued since the cessation of the Year of Jubilee, and hence, there are no formal geirim toshvim (plural) extant today. However, it can be argued that a great deal are "informal" ones, especially since it is possible to be a chasid umot ha'olam even when the Jubilee Year is not observed.
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