The 7 Noahide Laws

The Seven Noahide Laws are seven moral biblical commandments which, according to the Creator's command, are universal and obligatory for all human beings. These commandments are called by this name because since the flood, all human beings are descendants of Noah.

In the Book of Genesis

In their first version, the Seven Noahide Laws are the commandments given to humanity before the appearance of Abraham:

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all wherewith the ground teems, and upon all the fishes of the sea: into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be for food for you; as the green herb have I given you all. Only flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man. And you, be fruitful, and multiply; swarm in the earth, and multiply therein." — Book of Genesis, Chapter 9

The commandments listed here are:

1. Be fruitful and multiply.
2. Fill the earth: meaning that human beings should spread throughout the world, and not dwell in one place.
3. Human dominion over animals through force (through the sword, symbolizing that humans will need to struggle with animals in order to rule over them).
4. Permission to eat animals.
5. Prohibition against eating meat together with blood.
6. Prohibition against murder.
7. Prohibition against eating a limb from a living animal (an addition by the Sages).

In the Talmud

The Seven Noahide Laws are seven commandments which, according to the Jewish tradition, were given to the descendants of Noah, that is, to all of humanity. These laws appear in the Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin (56a).

According to the Talmud, the Seven Noahide Laws are:

1. Prohibition of idolatry
2. Prohibition of blasphemy
3. Prohibition of murder
4. Prohibition of theft
5. Prohibition of sexual immorality
6. Prohibition of eating a limb from a living animal
7. Obligation to establish courts of justice

There is a sign to remember the seven commandments according to the "Aleph Bet": Aver min hachai (limb from a living animal), Birchat Hashem (blessing of God's name), Gezel (theft), and Dinim (laws), plus: Avodah Zarah (idolatry), Shefichut Damim (bloodshed) and Gilui Arayot (forbidden relationships).

The Rambam in Yad Hachazakah follows the Talmudic version and notes that six of these commandments were already given to Adam Harishon, and one - Aver min hachai - was given to Noach, after he was permitted to eat from animals, not just from plants.

On the same matter, the Rambam rules:

"Anyone who accepts upon himself the seven commandments and is careful to observe them - this person is among the Chasidei Umot HaOlam (Righteous Gentiles) and has a portion in the World to Come. This applies when they accept and perform them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moshe Rabbeinu that the descendants of Noach were previously commanded to observe them. However, if one observes them only because of logical reasoning - such a person is not a Ger Toshav (resident alien) and is not among the Chasidei Umot HaOlam but rather among their wise ones." — Mishneh Torah of Rambam, Laws of Kings, Chapter 8

What the Ten Commandments and the Seven Noachide Laws have in common are primarily the three severe prohibitions of "be killed rather than transgress" - Avodah Zarah (idolatry), Shefichut Damim (bloodshed), and Gilui Arayot (forbidden relationships).

There is a disagreement among the poskim whether Bnei Noach are warned against Shituf (associating others with God); some hold that they are warned, since there is no difference between Shituf and actual idolatry, while others believe they are not warned about this. The halacha concludes that Bnei Noach are not warned against Shituf, and this matter is explained extensively in Chassidic teachings.

The Rebbe's Directive to Publicize the Seven Noahide Laws

Cover of Kfar Chabad weekly from 28 Nissan 5749 - "World leaders join Reagan's initiative regarding the Seven Noachide Laws"

Davar newspaper, 5745: The Rebbe issues a "Shulchan Aruch" for non-Jews

President Bush signs a call for heads of state to observe the Seven Noachide Laws

The Rebbe called upon every Jew to spread the idea of the Seven Commandments among the nations of the world, based on the halachic ruling written by the Rambam that "Moshe Rabbeinu, by Divine command, compelled all the inhabitants of the world to accept the commandments given to the descendants of Noach." The Rebbe explained that this does not mean forceful compulsion, but rather through proper and appropriate explanation, explaining to each person that these seven commandments are the fundamental values for the existence of a healthy and just humanity, allowing for diversity and different cultures together with unity around faith in the Creator of the world.

In a farbrengen from 5747, the Rebbe said that this time is an opportune moment:

"In previous generations, any attempt to influence the nations of the world in matters of faith was fraught with mortal danger, and therefore it was not possible to fulfill this commandment. However, in our generation - not only is there no danger in this matter, but on the contrary, such activity adds to the honor of Israel in the eyes of all nations, as they see that the Jewish people care not only for themselves but also for the settlement of the entire world, through ensuring that it conducts itself according to righteousness and integrity."

As proof of this, the Rebbe cites the enthusiastic agreement of the then President of the United States, Mr. Ronald Reagan, to proclaim to all citizens of the United States to unite around the observance of the Seven Noachide Laws, as well as the declaration of both houses of legislature, Congress and Senate, for the observance of the Seven Commandments.

From this, the Rebbe concluded: "The very fact that the President of the country makes a public declaration about observing the Seven Noachide Laws should increase all the more the activities of Israel toward all inhabitants of the world."

Indeed, these declarations and actions throughout the United States and the world have brought millions of citizens to participate in various campaigns during which they accepted upon themselves to observe the Seven Commandments and prepare the world for a new era in which there will be no wars, hunger, jealousy, or competition - this is the era of Geulah (Redemption).

These actions are another link in the activities of Melech HaMoshiach (the King Messiah) to prepare the world for the Redemption.

For Further Reading

• Praise the Lord, all nations - A collection of manuscripts from the Rebbe regarding the 7 commandments, within the Hatamim publication, Eve of Passover 5778
• To fix the world and prevent nuclear war, References from the Rebbe to the campaign of the seven Noahide commandments, in the 'Life of Rebbe' section of Kfar Chabad weekly 1928 page 34 ** • ** Issue 1929 page 30

External Links

• Website in various languages, aimed at imparting the seven commandments to the seventy nations
• Daily Rebbe: To engage with non-Jews and teach them the seven Noahide commandments
• The Rebbe's non-Jewish Chassid, The story of Professor Wendell Jones, founder of the organization 'Kerem B'nei Noach Association' - Chabad Israel website
• Rabbi Yosef Simcha Ginzburg, Seven commandments today in the Sichat Hashavua bulletin
• A gift for the Rebbe: Halachic collection regarding the seven Noahide commandments - on the COL website, 11 Nissan 5774 (11.04.2014)
• This is not a Chabad yungerman - this is a Noahide - on the COL website, 5 Kislev 5775