Study Avodah Zarah folio 3A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
This serves to say that even if they fulfill the 7 Noahide mitzvot they do not receive a reward for their fulfilment.
The Talmud asks: And are they not rewarded for fulfilling those mitzvot? But isn’t it taught in a baraita that R' Meir would say: From where is it derived that even a non-Jew who engages in Torah study is considered like a High Priest? The verse states: “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My
Rather, the verse serves to tell you that they do not receive as great a reward for their fulfillment as one who is commanded and performs a mitzva. Rather, they receive a lesser reward, like that of one who is not commanded and still performs a mitzva. As R' Ḥanina says: Greater is one who is com
The Talmud returns to the discussion between God and the non-Jewish nations, whose claims are rejected with the rebuttal that they did not receive the Torah because they did not fulfill the 7 Noahide mitzvot that were incumbent upon them. Rather, this is what the non-Jews say before God: God! as for
God says to them in response: I will testify about the Jewish people that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. The nations say before Him: God! is there a father who can testify about his son? As it is written: “Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Exodus 4:22). Since God is considered the Father