The levels of a Gentiles acceptance of the Commandments
Unobservant Noachide A gentile who does not observe the seven commandments, i.e. an athiest or practitioner of another religion.
Observant Noachide (Righteous Noachide) A Righteous Gentile who observes the seven commandments and does what the law requires of him.
Noachide Chassid (Pious Noachide) A Pious Gentile who goes beyond the letter of the law and what is required of him.
Ger Toshav A resident stranger (gentile) in the Holy Land, who observed the seven commandments Not applicable until the Moshiach comes.
Ger Tzadek A righteous stranger a gentile who fully converts and takes on the status and commandments of a Jew.
The three levels of a gentiles acceptance of the Commandments, according to the Rambam.
Chochmei Umos HaOlam - A wise gentile, a gentile who fulfills the Seven Commandments out of intellectual conviction.
Chasidei Umot HaOlam - The Pious among the Gentiles, individuals who accept the Seven Commandments with proper intent, but do not formalize their acceptance.
Ger Toshav - A resident alien who makes a formal commitment in the presence of a Beth Din. [N.B. Currently in this Era nobody can become a Ger Toshav, until the Jubilee Year is reintroduced in Israel when the King Moshiach comes].
Rambam's Hilchos Melachim 8:10'Moses was commanded by the Almighty to compel all the inhabitants of the world to accept the laws given Noah's descendants. If one does not accept these laws, he should be executed. A person who formally accepts these laws is called a resident alien (Ger Toshav). This applies in any place. This acceptance must be made in the presence of three Torah scholars.'Rambam's Hilchos Melachim 8:11'Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these Seven Commandments and is precise in their observance is considered one of the Pious among the Gentiles (Chasidei Umot HaOlam - מֵחֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם) and will merit a share in the World to Come. This applies only when he accepts them and fulfills them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moses, our teacher, that even previously, Noah's descendants were commanded to fulfill them. However, if he fulfills them out of intellectual conviction, he is not a resident alien, nor of the Pious among the Gentiles, but rather, of their wise men.'
