Baruch Hashem
7 Laws Of Noah For All Mankind
(sourced from the bible, see bottom of page)
1
Prohibition of Idolatry/Belief in One G-d
Every person should believe in the existence of the one and only Creator of the world. He creates the world and every person, and knows all our actions and thoughts. He observes them and judges each person according to his deeds. He is the one and only G-d whom we must worship and to whom we should pray.
The practical meaning of this commandment is: a complete prohibition to bow down or worship idols of any kind or to believe in another god or any other created entity or force.
2
Prohibition of Blasphemy/Respect G-d
Each person has to give respect to the Creator of the world, who granted him life and the world to live in. The practical meaning of this commandment is the prohibition to curse G-d or call Him any derogatory or disrespectful name.
3
Prohibition of Murder/Respect Life
Man is created in the ‘image’ of G-d. Man’s life is a holy gift, which no one has the permission to take away from him. One should respect and encourage the continuation of mankind. One who kills a soul it is considered as though he has murdered the entire world and harmed the Creator in whose image he was created. The practical meaning of the commandment is a complete prohibition to kill any human being, including a fetus in its mother’s womb.
4
Prohibition of Theft/Respect Human Property
G-d has granted each person the ownership over his money and possessions, and no one is permitted to take them away from him. This includes also the prohibition to holdover payment, the prohibition to kidnap a person, young or old. The practical meaning of this commandment is a strict prohibition of stealing or robbery or any kind of taking a possession away from one’s disposal by force or by fraud or in any other illegal way. Sensitivity to another person’s money or property inspires us also to do acts of charity and kindness.
5
Prohibition of Adultery/Respect Marriage
G-d created firstly the man and the woman as one unit, and then divided them to two separate entities, which are in need of each other in order to reach completeness. Married life and its laws are, therefore, the basis for the existence of mankind and the completeness of the family and community. This comes into expression also in keeping values of modesty and discreetness in matters of marital relationship.
The practical meaning of this commandment is the prohibition of incest and adultery. This includes the prohibition of sexual relationship between relatives of first degree, between a married woman and another man, between two males or with animals.
6
Prohibition to Eat Part Cut From a Living Creature/Respect Animals
G-d created living creatures in the world, and we must respect their existence. As opposed to the flora, which is renewed continuously, harm to animals is irreversible. Although the Torah is not negating the eating of meat, it sets strict limits to the ability of a person to use animals for his needs. This commandment, which obliges us not to be indifferent even to the suffering of an animal, enhances also our obligation to be aware of another person’s sorrow, not to hurt him and to help him come out of his stress. The practical meaning of this commandment is prohibition to eat a limb or tear out a limb taken from an animal while it is still alive.
7
Appointment of Judges/Establishing a Court System
In order that all the above laws will be properly observed, courts of justice should be established in every city (or zone), with judges, who will make decisions with regard these commandments and have the authority to punish those who transgress them. Every person who has an argument will be able to go to these appointed judges and obey their judgment.
Noah
Consider the story of a man similar to yourself. The Torah tells us that over four thousand years ago, some 1,500 years after creation, the world was as confused and morally bankrupt as it is today. G-D had given ADAM six basic commandments prohibiting idolatry, murder, thievery, blasphemy, and adultery. But one thousand five hundred years later only One Man was left that had the courage and integrity to keep them ...his name was Noah. Noah became the father of all mankind. He survived the ensuing flood, and began a NEW WORLD with a new covenant from G-d; The Seven 'Noahide' Commandments. You are a direct descendent of Noah. You have inherited his courage and ability to really make a difference…..for the good.Torah
Almost a thousand years later occurred the most important event in the history of the world; G-d gave the Torah to the Jews from Mount Sinai The Creator of the universe actually revealed HIMSELF to an entire NATION, spoke to them and gave them His Law and the power to observe it. In this Torah are also found the Seven Noahide Commandments, basic principles of conduct for all mankind, with the power and blessing to do them Since then, whoever observes these commandments because they appear in G-d's Torah receives a place in the world to come and infinite POWER and BLESSING from the Almighty to change the ENTIRE WORLD FOR GOOD.
Messiah
Our goal is to make a perfect world. As, the prophet Tzfanya (3:9) says: "Then I will transform all mankind ...to call the name of G-d and serve Him together. To do this requires a true leader, someone with the leadership of King David, wisdom of King Solomon and inspiration of Moses, someone who can conduct this symphony of redemption.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson, who possesses all these qualities of the Messiah we have been awaiting said, "All that is lacking is the coronation. "Even the very 'Motto' of Judaism; 'Shema Yisrael', stresses the importance the non-Jews play in this perfection: "Hear Israel... G-d is One" means that with the arrival of Moshiach the The G-d of Israel; the King and Creator of the universe, will be 'ONE' i.e. worshiped by all peoples.
In fact the entire Torah is filled with G-d's promises to bring Messiah, but it all depends on our good deeds, and that is why G-d gave the gentiles Seven Commandments directly through Moses in the Torah.
You can help coronate the Messiah and bring complete redemption to yourself and the entire world by observing the Seven Noahide Commandments and declaring whenever possible: "We want Moshiach NOW!" "Long live the King Moshiach!'
Make your life count, make the difference! The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson has for over fifty years with His leadership of all World Jewry been an unbroken and unparalleled chain of miraculous advice, wisdom, bravery, unlimited love for all mankind and complete knowledge of the entire Torah and all branches of knowledge. On March 1991 the US Congress declared the Rebbe's birthday the official 'Education day', and in that same year they proclaimed the seven Noahide laws as the basis of all ethical values and principles upon which US and all civilization depend.
[Special Thanks to www.7for770.com for this content.]
The Sources for the 7 Commandments
Waterfalls at Yosemite Park by C.L.
Five of the Noahide Commandments are explicitly found in different verses in the Book of Genesis, and one is found in Leviticus. The remaining one (and in fact all them) can be inferred from a single verse in Genesis.
1. Do Not Worship a False Deity
Genesis 2:16 states: “And L-rd G-d commanded to the man, saying…” This Divine command to Adam implies that only the One True G-d, the Creator of the spiritual and physical realms, should be obeyed and honored as the Deity, and the greatest honor is to serve and worship Him. Thus, one should serve and worship only the One True G-d, and not any idol. [1]
2. Do Not Commit Blasphemy
Leviticus 24:10-17 relates the incident of a Jew who violated the injunction of Exodus 22:27 and blasphemed in anger. Moreover, it states in Leviticus 24:15, “ish ish” (any man) who curses his G-d shall bear his sin.” Why the double expression of “ish ish” (literally: “a man, a man”)? To include all mankind, Jews and Gentiles. This demonstrates that blasphemy thus is prohibited to Gentiles even as it is for Jews. [2]
3. Do Not Commit Murder or Injury
The edict against murder, and the punishment for this transgression, is stated in Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, among man, his blood shall be shed; for in the image of G-d He made man.”
4. Do Not Have Forbidden Sexual Relations
Five of the six types of relations that are forbidden by G-d to Gentiles are covered in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This verse explicitly forbids relations with one’s mother, with a woman who has ever been his father’s domestic partner or certified wife, with a woman who is currently a domestic partner or certified wife of another man, with another male, or with an animal. A Gentile is also forbidden to have relations with his maternal sister, which is learned from Gen. 20:13: “Moreover, she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, though not my mother’s daughter; and she became my wife.” (Note that Abraham said this to appease Abimelech. It was actually only figuratively true in his case, since Sarah was the daughter of Abraham’s brother. So they had the same paternal grandfather, who people often referred to as “father.”)
It also was universally accepted that father-daughter relations would be included, as evidenced by the disgrace of Lot after he had relations with his two daughters, following G-d’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:29-36, and Rashi’s explanation of Gen. 20:1). Relations of a female with a female are likewise an abomination to G-d which is included as one of the subjects of the verse Lev. 18:3, which speaks against the immoral practices of the ancient Egyptians and Canaanites, and which Lev.18:30 refers to as “abominable traditions.” About these, the Midrash (Sifra) specifies: “A man would marry a man, a woman would marry a woman, and a woman would be married to two men.”
5. Do Not Commit Theft
The prohibition of theft is contained within the permission which G-d granted to Adam and Hava (Eve) in Genesis 2:16 to eat from the trees of the garden. This implies that if the permission had not been granted, they would have been forbidden to do so, because the property did not belong to them. This applied specifically to the fruit of the Tree of “Knowledge of Good and Evil” which was forbidden for them to take, under penalty of death (Genesis 2:17). This Noahide commandment was cited explicitly by Abraham in Genesis 21:25.
6. Don’t Eat Meat that was Taken from a Live Animal
Adam and Hava (Eve) were not given permission to kill animals for food, and this remained in effect until after the Flood. G-d permitted the eating of meat for the first time to Noah and his family after they left the Ark, which is why G-d at that time added the seventh commandment, which prohibits the eating of meat that was severed from a living animal (even if it was stunned and insensitive). This commandment given to Noah is recorded in Genesis 9:4: “But meat, with its soul [which is in] its blood you shall not eat.”
7. Establish Laws and Courts of Justice
G-d commanded Noah regarding the trial and punishment of a murderer, as it says in Genesis 9:6, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, among man, his blood shall be shed…” This refers to a Noahide commandment to judge and penalize a murderer.
This is explained as follows by the Talmudic Sages: “Whoever sheds the blood of man” (referring to the murderer), “among man” (i.e., he is to be prosecuted in a court by a man who is qualified to testify as a witness), “his blood shall be shed” (if convicted, he is liable to capital punishment by the court). The Noahide Code specifies that Gentile societies are obligated to abide by justice through establishing a system of righteous courts of law.
Timeline of G-d’s re-affirming the Noahide Commandments at Mount Sinai, where He commanded them with specific details as part of the eternal Torah of Moses:
As G-d decided for reasons known to Him, some of the verses in the Torah that refer to these events are not placed in chronological order. Here they are presented according to the order of what took place:
1st day / Ex. 19:1-2. The Israelite nation encamped at Mount Sinai, on the 45th day after G-d led them out in their exodus from slavery in Egypt.
2nd day / Ex. 19:3-8. Moses ascended to the top of Mt. Sinai to receive instructions from G-d, and then he descended. The Israelites agreed that they would obediently enter into the Jewish covenant, when they said, “Everything that G-d has spoken we shall do!”
3rd day / Ex. 19:8 (starting from “Moses brought back the words of the people to G-d”) to Ex. 19:9 (up to … “and they will believe in you [Moses], also forever”). Moses then ascended Mt. Sinai again, reported to G-d, received His next instructions, and then descended.
4th day / Ex. 19:9 (starting from “Moses told the words of the people to G-d”) to Ex. 19:14, and then the continuation skips to Ex. 24:1-4 (through “Moses wrote all the words of G-d”). Moses ascended Mt. Sinai again to receive instructions from G-d, and descended to tell the people all the Divine laws that had been commanded up until that time.
Note that the recounting and recording of the Seven Noahide Commandments by Moses took place at Mount Sinai on this day, two days before G-d spoke openly to the entire Jewish nation. In Ex. 24:3, it says “Moses came and told the people all the words of G-d and all the laws…” Here, “all the laws” refers to the Seven Noahide Commandments and a few of the Jewish Commandments, all of which the Israelites had already been commanded before they arrived at Mt. Sinai. (Moses told these commandments to the Israelites at Marah, after they crossed through the sea – see Exodus 15:25.)
In Ex. 24:4, “Moses wrote all the words of G-d” means that at that time, he wrote down the Book of Genesis – that contains the verses which inform us of the earlier Covenant of the Rainbow and the Noahide Commandments – and the Book of Exodus up to that point. Thus, G-d commanded upon the Jewish people that based upon the revelation at Mount Sinai, they would have the responsibility for preserving and publicizing the Noahide Commandments and all their details, which are for all the nations of the world for all generations.
5th day / Ex. 24:4 (from “He [Moses] arose early in the morning…”) to Ex. 24:11. This is the day that Moses built an alter, and read to the people the “Book of the Covenant” (the Book of Genesis, including the Seven Noahide Commandments, and part of Exodus up to that point).
6th day / Ex. 19:16-20:18, and Ex. 24:12-15. G-d openly spoke 10 of the 613 Jewish Commandments to the people, and Moses then ascended Mount Sinai, to learn more of the Jewish Commandments from G-d for 40 days and 40 nights. (Many of these Jewish commandments are recorded in Ex. 20:19 to Ex. 23:22.)
Footnotes:
[1] The Oral Torah (Tractate Sanhedrin, ch. 7) explains how all of these 7 Noahide Commandments are encoded within the Hebrew text of the verse Genesis 2:16: “And L-rd G-d commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat.’ ”
[2] Tractate Sanhedrin, p. 56a).
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