Righteous Gentile
/ˈrʌɪtʃəs ˈdʒɛntʌɪl/Judaism
noun
1A non-Jewish person considered to live a worthy or moral life.
- Used specifically to denote a non-Jew who abides by the Noachide Laws, a set of seven divine commandments listed by the Talmud as binding for all mankind, and hence is believed to merit a share in the world to come (Hebrew ʿōlām hā-bā)..
2After the Second World War (1939–45): a non-Jew considered to have taken great risks to aid Jewish people during the Holocaust; an honorific title bestowed by Yad VaShem (the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority) upon such a person.
- The title confers various benefits upon the holder, including honorary or commemorative citizenship of Israel. It was established by the Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance (Yad VaShem) law of 18 May 1953..
Origin
Mid 19th century. From righteous + gentile, after post-biblical Hebrew ḥāsīḏē 'ummōṯ hā-ʿōlām (plural) the righteous people of the world's nations (late 12th cent. in Maimonides Mišnēh Tōrāh in sense 1 (compare earlier post-biblical Hebrew ṣāddīqē 'ummōṯ hā-ʿōlām (plural) ‘the just people of the world's nations’, in same sense (Tosefta Sanhedrin)), 1953 in sense 2).