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The Noahide Commandments
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The commandments given to humanity are not always explicitly visible in the text. Yet, the Torah reveals that these rules of life already existed before the revelation at Mount Sinai. Both the seven commandments for Noahides and the 613 for the Jewish people were formally given at Sinai, but their principles emerge earlier.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah clearly illustrates this. The cities were destroyed because of their sins, and in Abraham's conversation with God, we see him speaking about justice and moral responsibility. This implies that a moral standard already existed by which people could be judged as righteous or sinful. After all, without existing rules of conduct, punishment would not be just. The conclusion, therefore, is that there were already rules of conduct given by God, which humanity knew or should have known.
1. Avodah Zarah: Serve only G-d (Do not worship false gods)
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And the Eternal God commanded the man, saying, “From every tree of the garden you may eat.
Genesis 2:16
"And God commanded man as follows." We can conclude from this that Adam was commanded to obey, honor, and serve only the One True God and not to worship false gods. 2. Birkat HaShem: Use God's name with respect (Prohibition of blasphemy)
In Leviticus 24:10-17 , a passage is written about a man whose mother was an Israelite and his father an Egyptian. A quarrel broke out between the half-Israelite and a full-blooded Israelite. The Israelite blasphemed God's name, and was brought before Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses). He was held in custody until God revealed a decision to Moshe Rabbeinu.
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“Bring the one who curses outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let the community stone him.”
ואלמר איש איש כי־יקלל
“And thus you shall say to the children of Israel: Every one who curses his God will bear his sin.”
Leviticus 24:14-15
איש איש
"Ish Ish" literally means "a man, a man" and refers to every human being. Therefore, it is forbidden for all humanity, both Jews and non-Jews, to curse His name.
3. Shefichoet Damiem: Respect life (Do not murder)
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“But your own blood, by which you live, I will require it. From every living animal I will require it. From man, from the hand of every neighbor, I will require man’s life.”
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“Whoever sheds the blood of his fellow man, his blood will be shed too, for in God's image he made man.”
Genesis 9:5-6
God makes it clear that murder is forbidden and that there is a punishment for bloodshed. Whoever sheds human blood, their blood will be shed by human hands. In this respect, a human life cannot be valued. Destroying a human life is therefore like destroying the entire world. For that person, the world has ceased to exist. It follows that by sustaining a single human life, you sustain an entire universe. 4. Arajot: Respect Marriage (Maintain Family Purity)
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For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
From this, we read that when a man leaves his parental home and takes a wife, they are both bound to each other. It is forbidden to commit adultery with another man's wife, but from the above verse, we can also understand that the Torah also forbids a man to have a sexual relationship with his mother, his father's wife or ex-wife, with another man, or with an animal. It is also forbidden to have a relationship with one's maternal sister, as evidenced by:
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"And besides, she is also my sister, my father's daughter, though not my mother's. And she became my wife."
Genesis 20:12
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“Do not do as the land of Egypt, where you lived, does, or the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their ways.”
Leviticus 18:3
The immoral sexual practices of the Egyptians and also of the Canaanites were an abomination to God. Family dynamics are the foundation of society. Sexuality is the source of life, from which new life is created. If it is abused, it becomes degrading and destructive to humanity.
5. Fellow: Respect what belongs to others (Don't steal)
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“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may eat.”
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“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:16-17
God had forbidden Adam and Chava to eat from the tree of "knowledge of good and evil." It was not their property, and God did not give permission to eat its fruit. This teaches us that we must not appropriate anything that is not ours and for which we are not given permission.
The prohibition against stealing encompasses much more than just stealing an object, such as:
That we may not steal money (physical or digital), cheat, dishonor anyone, or entice anyone to commit adultery, kidnap or hold hostage anyone, harm anyone physically or mentally, refuse to pay a debt we are owed, misuse an employer's time, overcharge, or use or possess false weights and measures.
If we have stolen something, even unintentionally, we can return it or pay for it.
6. Ever Min Hachai: Respect God's creation (Do not eat a limb of a living animal)
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“Every living thing that moves is yours for food; and as for green herbs, I have given you everything.”
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“But you shall not eat meat in which there is life and blood.”
Genesis 9:3-4
Adam and Chava (Eve) were not allowed to kill animals for food.
Nachmanides explains that the reason for the prohibition on eating meat was that beings possessing a moving soul have a certain superiority.
"As for their soul, which in a certain sense resembles those who possess the rational soul, they have the power to choose their welfare and their sustenance, and they flee from pain and death."
Ramban al HaTora 1:29
Animals were not to be killed simply for human pleasure. However, one was permitted to kill animals as a sacrifice to God, as Abel did in Genesis 4:4. Previously, it was believed that sacrificing an animal to God elevated it to a higher state. Maimonides believes that animal sacrifices will not be offered in the Third Temple.
This remained in effect until after Noah's flood. God only gave permission after Noah and his family left the Ark. Therefore, God prohibited eating the limbs of a living animal, even if the animal was stunned.
Eating the flesh of a living animal is the cause of cruelty and selfishness. Even a small amount of meat from a living animal, even if cooked, violates this prohibition.
7. Diniem: Stand up for law and order (Establish courts)
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“He who sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.”
Genesis 9:6
Justice is a fundamental requirement of civilization. If justice no longer existed, the world would descend into complete chaos. Without a legal system, people would become criminals and then have free rein to take power, with all the ensuing consequences. Therefore, a legal system must be established. In our current era, the legal system is not based on the Seven Laws and God's desire for a just civilization. We live under a legal system established by the state. This legislation also contains laws that contradict the Torah.
God is just, he is our example of doing good, but we also learn from him the necessity of courts. A crucial rule is that we must adhere to the Seven Laws of Noah and also adhere to the laws of the country in which we live. Strive to be just, act honestly, avoid deceit, and be the best example you can for those around you. The more this teaching can be spread, the more God's will can be made known in politics and the courts, among other places, for a just legal system as God desires.
Being a Noahide is not a separate religion, nor is it a new religious movement. The Torah explicitly forbids creating new religions or following doctrines that are not in accordance with the Torah, as described in Deuteronomy 13. Therefore, the Noahide way is not outside the Torah, but rather an integral part of it.
A Noahide is someone who is not Jewish but who embraces the Jewish faith: recognizing the One God and following the universal rules of life He has given to humanity. This means that a Noahide does not develop their own religious rules or new beliefs, but bases their life on the Torah and its traditional interpretation.
Within Judaism, there are various roles and responsibilities, such as those of Israelites, Levites, and priests. These groups each have their own tasks and associated rules of life, without this reflecting their value or spiritual status. The difference lies not in importance, but in mission. Similarly, the Noahide also has a distinct role in the world, with rules of life appropriate to that task.
By faithfully living according to what the Eternal requires of a Noahide, one contributes to uplifting the world and fulfilling a universal mission: bringing moral order, justice, and recognition of God to society.
The Noahide Commandments are intended for all humanity, not just for one nation or religion.
According to Jewish tradition, these seven universal laws were given to Noah after the Flood. Noah is the progenitor of all nations, so his covenant applies to everyone . Therefore, they are also seen as the moral foundation of humanity: basic rules of justice, respect for life, reverence for God and for each other.
In short, the Torah is the covenant with Israel and the Noahide Commandments are the covenant with humanity as a whole .
No. A Noahide is not required to convert to Judaism , and according to Jewish belief, it is not necessary at all.
The Noahide way is a unique, complete calling . God has given two covenants:
The covenant with Israel (the Torah and the 613 mitzvot).
The covenant with humanity through Noah and then reiterated by Moshe Rabbeinu (the 7 Noahide Commandments).
A non-Jew who observes the Noahide commandments serves God exactly as expected. Such a person is called "righteous among the nations" in the sources.
Conversion is only for those who feel a deep, inner calling to become part of the Jewish people and to bear full Torah responsibility. It is not a "higher rank," but a different task .
Strictly speaking, Noahide is not a religion in the classical sense, but a way of life and a moral covenant . It is not a church, a sect, a ritual system with priests, sacraments, or obligatory holidays. It is a framework of universal laws and values that God gave to humanity: how a person can live justly, responsibly, and in connection with the Creator.
For some, it feels religious because it involves faith, prayer, and devotion. For others, it's primarily a moral path. In Jewish sources, it's primarily a covenant : a way of life in harmony with the Creator, without having to become Jewish.
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