Q. My fourth question is: How far can this go? We know that when someone is going through the process of giyur, they are supposed to begin observing all hilchos Shabbos, but still have to do one melacha or shvus privately each week until they finish their giyur. Is it possible for Bnai Noach who are very serious about Hashem, Torah and following the Sheva Mitzvos to voluntarily accept upon themselves to abstain from a lot of melachos on Shabbos, as long as they don’t fully stop doing melacha. Obviously, most of them will probably end up doing many melachos even if they don’t intend to because of their lack of knowledge of the halachos. But this would be a step beyond my previous question where they would like to abstain from a number of activities beyond not using their phones/computers. Would that be OK?
Thank you, and with great appreciation.
A. See question above, and also questions 521 and 1626 regarding teaching Bnai Noach Torah. On question
1150 regarding if it is permissible for them to put up a Mezzuza on their front door, we wrote; “Although Rambam (Perush Hamishnayos – Terumos 3: 9, H. Melochim 10: 10) teaches that a Ben Noach is rewarded with some remuneration for observing the mitzvos he was not ordained to do, he should abstain from the ones that carry kedusha and tahara, such as tefilin, Sefer Torah and mezuzah. (Ridvaz ibid.)
Minchas Kino’os (9: 35) quotes Talmud Yerushalmi (Peah 1: 1) that Rebbi sent Artaban a mezuzah with the intention of providing some security and protection for him. (It is of interest that Yerushalmi Avoda Zarah 2: 1, says in the future Bnai Noach will accept all mitzvos including mezuzah).
Veshav Verofo (Y.D. 58) quotes Rav Ovadya Yosef zt’l as permitting placing a mezuzah in a Ben Noach’s house, when one knows that he will honour it properly.
However, Yalkut Yosef (Kivud Av Va’em 6: 15) mentions that if an ill Gentile father asks his son to place a mezuzah on his door for protection, he should abstain.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that if the Noahide is careful to honor the mezuzah properly, he may place it in the inner rooms, but not on the outside of the entrance door.”
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit’a