The Rambam adds that they must also accept “tribute and servitude.” One without the other is insufficient. Other great commentators that agreed with this are the Sifri, Redak, and Sefer Hachinuch.
א-אֵין עוֹשִׂין מִלְחָמָה עִם אָדָם בָּעוֹלָם, עַד שֶׁקּוֹרְאִין לוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם–אֶחָד מִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת, וְאֶחָד מִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “כִּי-תִקְרַב אֶל-עִיר, לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ–וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ, לְשָׁלוֹם” (דברים כ,י). אִם הִשְׁלִימוּ, וְקִבְּלוּ שֶׁבַע מִצְווֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְּנֵי נוֹחַ עֲלֵיהֶן–אֵין הוֹרְגִין מֵהֶן נְשָׁמָה; וַהֲרֵי הֶן לַמַּס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס–וַעֲבָדוּךָ” דברים כ,יא).(Machon Mamre Online Mishne Torah)
This is the Rambam. Yisrael Medad may not like it, but that’s his problem not mine. Certain positions take a lenient reading of the Rambam in a time without Yovel and the Jewish court. But that is beyond the scope of this article.
The Raavad takes a more lenient position. In a nutshell, he essentially agrees with the Rambam that we don’t accept resident strangers in our age, but parts ways from Rambam regarding foreigners residing in the land who are not idolators. Even in the absence of accepting the Laws of Noah in the presence of a court of Israel, the Raavad would permit their presence.
This is a very complicated Halachic topic that has many nuances, and this is not a full treatment of the subject. It is merely to inform the reader that there is a range of discussion which precedes the issue of using the services of evangelicals in the land. And I have not even broached the Halachic subject of what constitues idolatry. Medad would surely deem Rambam a fanatic.
Point #2: Medad continues: As for his information, which is not at all first-hand, if he has depended mainly on what he describes as the “excellent website Jewish Israel…another goldmine of meticulously researched, documented information…”, that is most unfortunate. They have a record of guilt-by-association, misunderstanding basics, getting details wrong, and, in a personal note, besmirching Jews in conducting sucrrilous [sic] attacks (“It seems that Yisrael Medad found Jesus in Shiloh.“).
My response: I ask the reader to check the websites referenced above, which I reiterate, are tremendous repositories of well documented information. Let the intellectually honest reader check these websites and decide for themselves if they have done their homework. Esav Exposed has documented and detailed the complex web of relationships the Wallers have with missionaries, apostate Jews, and various religious Jews who work with them. And far from the zealots that he would portray them as, Jewish Israel keeps the discussion very cerebral. As referenced above, Medad was the topic of one of their posts and he seems to not have gotten over it. The invectives he hurls at them will not be found in any of their counter-responses.
Point #3: Medad: His language is hateful: ‘These soul snatchers are planting a parasitic vine that will ultimately strangle those within the religious camp. This foe…is as patient as an adder.” And he uses the cover of metaphor as in “Jews who go to minyan thrice daily and learn Torah have allowed the cross to be put up in their homes, metaphorically speaking of course.’ This is quite an unfortunate display of childish semantics.
My response: So you don’t like my prose? That is how I respond to genuine “soul snatchers planting a parasitic vine.” Medad may not be convinced. But I am. And the same way I could care less about referring to a Nazi or Hamasnik in ugly terms, a spiritual virus deserves nothing but vitriol. As King David said, “O L-rd, You know I hate those who hate You, and loath Your enemies” (Psalms 139:21).
Point # 4: In claiming we are “easy prey”, if so, how successful has Hayovel been? How many Jews converted over the last decade? He paints the possibility of mixed marriages and asks, “Unlikely scenario? I think not. I think that it is more unlikely that this won’t happen, if things persist as they are. Frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if such “meetings” are already occurring.” Well, is he in for a surprise.
