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I am a gentile seeking to convert to Judaism, but I can't make a contact with a Beit Din since there is no Rabbi in my country neither an active Synagogue. But I am very serious toward conversion and being Noahide is too basic for me. I will convert in the far future after relocating outside the country.

Since I am seeking conversion, do I have more obligation than a Noahide ?

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  • Also, instead of focusing on what you think should be doing, focus on the community around you and if they're keeping and teaching the sheva mitzvot to others. Establish a community of your own. What if a Rabbi doesn't come? What if you can never be officially accepted/mekablin by a beit din? Instead of moving to where you think it is better to convert, make your world there more pure and holy.
    – EhevuTov
    Aug 19, 2015 at 17:34
  • @EhevuTov you mean like establishing a Noahide community in my area ? (of course with the supervising of a Rabbi)
    – mil
    Aug 19, 2015 at 17:46
  • @mil, yes, establish a community in your area. You do not need a supervising Rabbi(it's a ben Noach community and learned bnei Noach are all that is needed) although one is preferred.
    – EhevuTov
    Aug 19, 2015 at 17:49

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God expects Jews to follow the torah and gentiles to follow the Noachide laws. Until you've converted you're still a gentile and don't have additional heavenly obligations.

Perhaps you have heard of people in the process of conversion being required to do more. If so, it's likely a misunderstanding. Once you are studying with a rabbi he will guide you to take on more mitzvot in advance of conversion -- but that's not because you're obligated yet; it's because you need to learn to pray, keep kosher, keep Shabbat, and so on. In the same way, we teach children below the age of bar or bat mitzvah to do these things, not because they're (yet) obligated but because they will be and need to prepare. The instant you complete your conversion you'll be Jewish and fully obligated to the whole torah; that would be a bad time to start learning how to do it.

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You are only obligated to keep the seven mitzvot bnei Noach/seven laws of the children of Noah. If you desire, you may do more: you do them properly(Hilchot Melachim 10:10, Raavad on Hilchot Issurei Bi'ah 14:7-8, Avodah Zara 64b, Krisos 9a).

You are only obligated to do more mitzvot than the seven if you take upon yourself the whole Torah. There may be a significance if you do a mitzvah three times that you then have to keep that mitzvah, but I'm unsure if that applies.

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  • for example: If I recited modeh ani 3 days in a row, I will have to keep this mitzvah ?
    – mil
    Aug 19, 2015 at 17:45
  • @mil, yes that would be an example, but I'm not sure if that applies to you.
    – EhevuTov
    Aug 19, 2015 at 17:47
  • @mil: The best way to avoid having to keep anything extra is to think beforehand that you are not doing the practice as an obligation. It is better to think this before any practice, but I believe it works if that is your overall intent when it comes to these matters.
    – Emet v'Shalom
    Aug 19, 2015 at 23:09
  • That's an interesting point about the 3 times thing. I wonder if it applies to mitzvoth that Rabbis dispute whether a non-Jew can keep in the first place(like mezuzah, tzitzit, and tefillin).
    – Emet v'Shalom
    Aug 19, 2015 at 23:10
  • @Emetv'Shalom precisely. I was at Dr. Vendyl Jones' home over the weekend. He is a famous non-Jew/ben Noach. He had mezuzot. I was perplexed by this so I did some searching on the matter. I found a video where Vendyl said he kept mezuzot because he did them at least 3 times when he lived in Israel. I'm not sure if it pertains to non-Jews or not. I want to say, but am very hesitant to say, that this does apply to gerim and is the actual personal acceptance(not mekablin beit din, but a personal acceptance of a mitzvah) practice for the ger.
    – EhevuTov
    Aug 19, 2015 at 23:22

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