Do non-Jews go to heaven according to Judaism?

The seven laws of the children of Noah

The Talmud lists seven commandments that apply to every human being, descended from Noah: establishing courts of law, and refraining from blasphemy, idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, murder, theft and eating flesh torn from a living animal. These are the Torah’s universal ethic. A Jew is bound by the full Torah; a non-Jew fulfils God’s will by keeping these seven.

The righteous of the nations

The Tosefta and the Talmud cite Rabbi Yehoshua: “The righteous of the nations of the world have a share in the world to come.” Maimonides codifies this: whoever accepts the seven commandments and keeps them is one of the pious of the nations and has a share in the world to come. That is why Judaism does not seek converts – one does not need to become Jewish to be close to God.

Converts are welcome

Someone who wishes to join the Jewish people may convert, and the Torah commands Jews to love the convert. But conversion is a choice to take on more obligations, not a condition for salvation.

The hope for all nations

The prophets describe the future as a time when all peoples will recognise God: “For then I will make the peoples pure of speech, so that they all invoke the Lord by name” (Zephaniah 3:9). The Aleinu prayer, said at the end of every service, expresses this universal hope.