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My mother says she's Jewish and I am also, but I'm still worried that maybe I am not and she is not and her mother is not and just they don't know but believe to be.

Is there anywhere that the Rambam says that a non-Jew is not allowed to put on tefilin?

I say tefilin because it's the rebbe's campaign to put on tefilin and that should be a foundation starting stone, and one of the main things I should work on, but inside I'm worried what if I really am not Jewish and I'm violating halacha by putting on tefillin? Does the Rambam say this anywhere? I'm looking for exact wording if possible.

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    Hi user3248 welcome to Mi Yodeya! Why do you want the Rambam's opinion specifically?
    – Double AA ♦
    Sep 12, 2013 at 23:05
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    Rambam holds all mitzvos except shabbas can be performed
    – sam
    Sep 12, 2013 at 23:25
  • @sam in peirush hamishna in sanhadrin i think rambam says a jeir toshov can keep shabboth, but since now we cant have a jeir toshov, i dont think a joy can observe shabboth
    – MoriDowidhYa3aqov
    Sep 13, 2013 at 1:38
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    Re "My mother says she's Jewish and I am also, but I'm still worried that maybe I am not": you should consult a rabbi you trust for direction.
    – msh210 ♦
    Sep 13, 2013 at 3:43
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    Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/17789
    – Fred
    Sep 13, 2013 at 4:44

1 Answer 1

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The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim 10:9-10 says a non Jew cannot keep shabbas ,but if he wants to perform other mitzvos for its reward it is permissible but has to be performed in the correct manner.

exact wording: בן נח שרצה לעשות מצוה משאר מצות התורה כדי לקבל שכר. אין מונעין אותו לעשות כהלכתה. ואם הביא עולה מקבלין ממנו. נתן צדקה מקבלין ממנו. ויראה לי שנותנין אותה לעניי ישראל. הואיל והוא ניזון מישראל ומצוה עליהם להחיותו. אבל העכו"ם שנתן צדקה מקבלין ממנו ונותנין אותה לעניי עכו"ם:

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    From the same place you quote, in Halakhah 9, it says an Idolater (עכו"ם) is forbidden to observe the Shabbat.( I mention this because, as you quoted, Halakhah 10 makes a distinction between a Ben No'ach and an Idolater, with regard to who we give Tzedaqah that we receive from them.) How do we know that this applies to non-Jews in general?
    – Tamir Evan
    Sep 13, 2013 at 8:16
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    @TamirEvan - Your reading/text of the Rambam there is the work of censors corrupting the text of the Mishneh Torah. The word "akum" was invented by Christian censors to replace "goy" and other such terms for non-Jews. The correct text reads וכן גוי ששבת and refers to any non-Jew. See Hil. Ma'akhaloth Assuroth chapters 10-13. There the Rambam classifies ALL non-Jews as "goyim" - even the ger toshav. A Ben Noah is a ger toshav in EY accepted by a court when yovel is observed (the Rambam is often misread on this issue). Read all this carefully, but make sure you use an accurate Yemenite text.
    – user3342
    Jan 19, 2015 at 0:33
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    @Maimonist (1) You don't say! I only asked what I did, because the answer uses עכו"ם, and I was told that Ben No'ach refers to non-Jews in general, and Aku"m are idol-worshipers. (2) If you could cite the specific place where "the Rambam classifies ALL non-Jews as 'goyim'", I'd appreciate it (especially considering Ma'akhalot Asurot 11:5[8] says "וכל מקום שנאמר גוי סתם, הרי זה עובד עבודה זרה").
    – Tamir Evan
    Jan 25, 2015 at 19:15
  • @Sam no rambam forbids several other commandments for nonjews. tefillin is amongst them.
    – Ouriel Blayq
    Nov 16, 2015 at 16:27
  • @OurielBlayq , please source a Rambam that says such
    – sam
    Nov 16, 2015 at 17:06

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