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Gentiles are permitted to read the entire 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, even with explanations of the simple meaning (peshat) – e.g., by Rashi – in order to correctly understand the verses. But it is forbidden for a Gentile to delve into study of the Written Torah (except for verses that discuss the Seven Noahide Commandments.
Every person is obligated to frequently search his own actions and make an accounting with his soul, to determine if he is acting in a correct way in God’s eyes. If he finds that he acted wrongly, or if he transgressed God’s will in one of his Seven Noahide Commandments, or he erred by not acting in a moral way, then he should change his ways and conduct, and he should accept upon himself that henceforth he will act in the correct way, and he will stop transgressing the commandments that God has given him… A person should have regret for doing wrong, and change his sinful ways, and ask for forgiveness from God for the sins that he transgressed. This process, by which one asks and begs forgiveness from God, is called “repentance.”
If a doctor who has official permission to practice medicine was trying to cure an unhealthy person, and he gave a generally-accepted treatment for that particular medical condition but it unintentionally killed the patient, he did not commit unintentional murder. Rather, it is an unpreventable death, since he was correctly trying to cure the patient. Even if it is known that the correct medical treatment carries a risk of death (for example, surgery), the doctor still has a responsibility to try and cure the patient, and therefore he is not called a murderer if he correctly used the generally-accepted treatment.
It is not even forbidden to tell others about gossip that was publicized through the media, but it is a bad trait to feel good about, or to feel benefited by, the failures and shortcomings of other people. Such a trait is unfitting for an upright person.
The significance of modesty for men and women is not only that it prevents many sins, but also that it is the correct expression of respect for God’s creation of mankind in His image. Thus, covering one’s body shows fear of God and respect for mankind.
It is forbidden for the merchant to cheat the buyer, and in doing so he would be deemed a thief; it is likewise forbidden for the buyer to mislead the seller to give him a wrong price estimate on the product he is buying. Likewise, partners who divide their property may not cheat each other in taking more than that which is due to them. Since cheating in business transactions is theft, one who does cheat another must return the object received unfairly, or compensate the difference in price, or invalidate the sale. The court system in every country is obligated to judge with laws against cheating and establish laws for return of unjust gain.
A guest who eats a meal from a homeowner which he knows is more than the homeowner can afford has committed an act akin to theft, since the homeowner does not want to give him that much food, or food which is that expensive, and only does so since he is embarrassed to tell the guest otherwise.
It is forbidden to steal another person’s advantage, such as one who jumps ahead in a line in which others are waiting, as he is stealing their advantage and time.
Helping one who is not needy is not considered charity. Such a person who takes from charitable funds is a thief and a swindler, as he swindles those who think they are giving true charity when this is not the case, and he is stealing the portions of those who are truly needy who now have less available to them. Likewise, one should not give charity to one who collects unless it is clear that the collector is honest and is collecting for a just cause, as it is possible that the collector is a swindler and is using the community’s money in an unnecessary and wrongful way.
To the extent that his intellect can grasp, every child should be educated about the foundations of the Noahide faith, and about the infinite greatness of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is the Source of life for every being.
Note to Readers: The insights and wisdom in these books are too valuable not to be shared widely. There’s an urgent need for them to be made into audiobooks, expanding their reach and accessibility. If you have the influence or means to make this happen, I encourage you to lend your support. Let’s work together to bring these important words to a broader audience.
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Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars chapter 9 by Rambam
Six precepts were commanded to Adam: a) the prohibition against worship of false gods; b) the prohibition against cursing God; c) the prohibition against murder; d) the prohibition against incest and adultery; e) the prohibition against theft; f) the command to establish laws and courts of justice. Even though we have received all of these commands from Moses and, furthermore, they are concepts which intellect itself tends to accept, it appears from the Torah’s words that Adam was commanded concerning them. The prohibition against eating flesh from a living animal was added for Noah, as Genesis 9:4 states: ‘Nevertheless, you may not eat flesh with its life, which is its blood.’ Thus there are seven mitzvot. These matters remained the same throughout the world until Abraham. When Abraham arose, in addition to these, he was commanded regarding circumcision. He also ordained the morning prayers. Isaac separated tithes and ordained an additional prayer service before sunset. Jacob added the prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve. He also ordained the evening prayers. In Egypt, Amram was commanded regarding other mitzvot. Ultimately, Moses came and the Torah was completed by him.
A Noachide who worships false gods is liable provided he worships them in an accepted manner. A Noachide is executed for every type of foreign worship which a Jewish court would consider worthy of capital punishment. However, a Noachide is not executed for a type of foreign worship which a Jewish court would not deem worthy of capital punishment. Nevertheless, even though a Noachide will not be executed for these forms of worship, he is forbidden to engage in all of them. We should not allow them to erect a monument, or to plant an Asherah, or to make images and the like even though they are only for the sake of beauty.
A Noachide who curses God’s Name, whether he uses God’s unique name or one of His other names, in any language, is liable. This law does not apply with regard to Jews.
A Noachide who slays any soul, even a fetus in its mother’s womb, should be executed in retribution for its death. Similarly, if he slew a person who would have otherwise died in the near future, placed a person before a lion, or starved a person to death, he should be executed for through one manner or other, he killed. Similarly, one should be executed if he killed a pursuer when he could have saved the latter’s potential victim by maiming one of the pursuer’s limbs. These laws do not apply with regard to Jews.
There are six illicit sexual relations forbidden to a Noachide: a) his mother; b) his father’s wife; c) a married woman; d) his maternal sister; e) a male; f) an animal. These prohibitions are derived from the verse Genesis 2:24: ‘Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife and they shall become one flesh.’ ‘His father’ – alludes to his father’s wife; ‘his mother’ – is to be understood simply; ‘cling to his wife’ – and not his colleague’s wife; ‘his wife’ – and not a male; ‘They shall become one flesh’ – this excludes a domesticated animal, beast, or fowl for man can never become ‘one flesh’ with them. The prohibition against relations with a maternal sister is derived from the verse Genesis 20:13: ‘She is my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s. Thus, she became my wife.’
A Noachide is liable for relations with his mother even though she was seduced or raped by his father and never married to him. She is, nevertheless, his mother. He is liable for relations with his father’s wife even after his father’s death. He is liable for relations with a male whether a minor or an adult and with an animal whether young or old. In the latter instance, the Noachide alone is executed and not the animal. We are only commanded to kill an animal with which a Jew engaged in relations.
A Noachide is not executed for adultery with his colleague’s wife unless they engage in relations in the normal manner after she had engaged in relations with her husband at least once. However, if she was merely consecrated or had undergone a wedding ceremony, but had never engaged in relations with her husband, one is not liable for engaging in relations with her, as Genesis 20:3 states: ‘For she has been possessed by her husband.’ When does the above apply? When a Noachide engages in relations with a Noachide woman. However, a gentile who engages in relations with a married Jewess is liable whether their relations were carried out in a normal or abnormal manner. Similarly, a gentile who engages in relations with a Jewish maiden who has been consecrated is stoned to death because of her as is the law regarding Jews. If he engages in relations with her after she has undergone the wedding ceremony, but has not engaged in relations with her husband, he is strangled to death as is the Jewish law. However, if he engages in relations with a Jewish woman after she engaged in relations with her husband once, he is sentenced to be executed by decapitation as if he had engaged in relations with a gentile woman.
A Noachide who singles out one of his maid-servants for one of his slaves and, afterwards, engages in relations with her is executed because of her for violation of the prohibition against adultery. However, he is not liable for relations with her until the matter has become public knowledge and everyone refers to her as ‘the wife of X, the slave.’ When do relations with her become permitted again? When he separates her from his slave and uncovers her hair in the market-place. When is a Noachide woman considered divorced? When her husband removes her from his home and sends her on her own or when she leaves his domain and goes her own way. They have no written divorce proceedings. The matter is not dependant on the man’s volition alone. Whenever he or she decide to separate, they may and then, are no longer considered as married.
A Noachide is liable for violating the prohibition against theft whether he stole from another gentile or from a Jew. This applies to one who forcefully robs an individual or steals money, a kidnapper, an employer who withholds his worker’s wages and the like, even a worker who eats from his employer’s produce when he is not working. In all such cases, he is liable and is considered as a robber. With regard to Jews, the law is different. Similarly, a Noachide is liable for stealing an object worth less than a p’rutah. Thus, if one Noachide stole an object worth less than a p’rutah and another Noachide stole it from him, they are both executed because of it.
Similarly, a Noachide is liable for violating the prohibition against eating a limb or flesh from a living creature. This applies regardless of the amount involved, for the specification of minimum amounts only applies to Jews. A Noachide is permitted blood from a living creature.
The prohibition applies to a limb or flesh that is separated from either a domesticated animal or a beast. However, it appears to me that a Noachide is not executed for eating a limb taken from a living bird.
Though one slaughters an animal, even if one severs the two signs that distinguish it as having been slaughtered in a kosher manner, as long as the animal moves convulsively, the limbs and meat which are separated from it are forbidden to a Noachide because of the prohibition against a limb from a living creature.
All prohibitions that apply to a Jew regarding a limb from a living creature also apply to Noachides. Furthermore, there are instances where a Noachide would be held liable and a Jew will not for a Noachide is liable for a limb or flesh from a living creature whether from a domesticated animal or a beast, whether from a kosher or non-kosher species. Similarly, a Noachide is forbidden to partake of a limb from a living creature for a limb or flesh which is separated from an animal that is moving convulsively even though a Jew has already severed the two signs.
How must the Noachides fulfill the commandment to establish laws and courts? They are obligated to set up judges and magistrates in every major city to render judgement concerning these six mitzvot and to admonish the people regarding their observance. A Noachide who transgresses these seven commands shall be executed by decapitation. For this reason, all the inhabitants of Shechem were obligated to die. Shechem kidnapped. They observed and were aware of his deeds, but did not judge him. A Noachide is executed on the basis of the testimony of one witness and the verdict of a single judge. No warning is required. Relatives may serve as witnesses. However, a woman may not serve as a witness or a judge for them.
A Noachide who worships false gods is liable provided he worships them in an accepted manner. A Noachide is executed for every type of foreign worship which a Jewish court would consider worthy of capital punishment. However, a Noachide is not executed for a type of foreign worship which a Jewish court would not deem worthy of capital punishment. Nevertheless, even though a Noachide will not be executed for these forms of worship, he is forbidden to engage in all of them. We should not allow them to erect a monument, or to plant an Asherah, or to make images and the like even though they are only for the sake of beauty.
A Noachide who curses God’s Name, whether he uses God’s unique name or one of His other names, in any language, is liable. This law does not apply with regard to Jews.
A Noachide who slays any soul, even a fetus in its mother’s womb, should be executed in retribution for its death. Similarly, if he slew a person who would have otherwise died in the near future, placed a person before a lion, or starved a person to death, he should be executed for through one manner or other, he killed. Similarly, one should be executed if he killed a pursuer when he could have saved the latter’s potential victim by maiming one of the pursuer’s limbs. These laws do not apply with regard to Jews.
There are six illicit sexual relations forbidden to a Noachide: a) his mother; b) his father’s wife; c) a married woman; d) his maternal sister; e) a male; f) an animal. These prohibitions are derived from the verse Genesis 2:24: ‘Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife and they shall become one flesh.’ ‘His father’ – alludes to his father’s wife; ‘his mother’ – is to be understood simply; ‘cling to his wife’ – and not his colleague’s wife; ‘his wife’ – and not a male; ‘They shall become one flesh’ – this excludes a domesticated animal, beast, or fowl for man can never become ‘one flesh’ with them. The prohibition against relations with a maternal sister is derived from the verse Genesis 20:13: ‘She is my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s. Thus, she became my wife.’
A Noachide is liable for relations with his mother even though she was seduced or raped by his father and never married to him. She is, nevertheless, his mother. He is liable for relations with his father’s wife even after his father’s death. He is liable for relations with a male whether a minor or an adult and with an animal whether young or old. In the latter instance, the Noachide alone is executed and not the animal. We are only commanded to kill an animal with which a Jew engaged in relations.
A Noachide is not executed for adultery with his colleague’s wife unless they engage in relations in the normal manner after she had engaged in relations with her husband at least once. However, if she was merely consecrated or had undergone a wedding ceremony, but had never engaged in relations with her husband, one is not liable for engaging in relations with her, as Genesis 20:3 states: ‘For she has been possessed by her husband.’ When does the above apply? When a Noachide engages in relations with a Noachide woman. However, a gentile who engages in relations with a married Jewess is liable whether their relations were carried out in a normal or abnormal manner. Similarly, a gentile who engages in relations with a Jewish maiden who has been consecrated is stoned to death because of her as is the law regarding Jews. If he engages in relations with her after she has undergone the wedding ceremony, but has not engaged in relations with her husband, he is strangled to death as is the Jewish law. However, if he engages in relations with a Jewish woman after she engaged in relations with her husband once, he is sentenced to be executed by decapitation as if he had engaged in relations with a gentile woman.
A Noachide who singles out one of his maid-servants for one of his slaves and, afterwards, engages in relations with her is executed because of her for violation of the prohibition against adultery. However, he is not liable for relations with her until the matter has become public knowledge and everyone refers to her as ‘the wife of X, the slave.’ When do relations with her become permitted again? When he separates her from his slave and uncovers her hair in the market-place. When is a Noachide woman considered divorced? When her husband removes her from his home and sends her on her own or when she leaves his domain and goes her own way. They have no written divorce proceedings. The matter is not dependant on the man’s volition alone. Whenever he or she decide to separate, they may and then, are no longer considered as married.
A Noachide is liable for violating the prohibition against theft whether he stole from another gentile or from a Jew. This applies to one who forcefully robs an individual or steals money, a kidnapper, an employer who withholds his worker’s wages and the like, even a worker who eats from his employer’s produce when he is not working. In all such cases, he is liable and is considered as a robber. With regard to Jews, the law is different. Similarly, a Noachide is liable for stealing an object worth less than a p’rutah. Thus, if one Noachide stole an object worth less than a p’rutah and another Noachide stole it from him, they are both executed because of it.
Similarly, a Noachide is liable for violating the prohibition against eating a limb or flesh from a living creature. This applies regardless of the amount involved, for the specification of minimum amounts only applies to Jews. A Noachide is permitted blood from a living creature.
The prohibition applies to a limb or flesh that is separated from either a domesticated animal or a beast. However, it appears to me that a Noachide is not executed for eating a limb taken from a living bird.
Though one slaughters an animal, even if one severs the two signs that distinguish it as having been slaughtered in a kosher manner, as long as the animal moves convulsively, the limbs and meat which are separated from it are forbidden to a Noachide because of the prohibition against a limb from a living creature.
All prohibitions that apply to a Jew regarding a limb from a living creature also apply to Noachides. Furthermore, there are instances where a Noachide would be held liable and a Jew will not for a Noachide is liable for a limb or flesh from a living creature whether from a domesticated animal or a beast, whether from a kosher or non-kosher species. Similarly, a Noachide is forbidden to partake of a limb from a living creature for a limb or flesh which is separated from an animal that is moving convulsively even though a Jew has already severed the two signs.
How must the Noachides fulfill the commandment to establish laws and courts? They are obligated to set up judges and magistrates in every major city to render judgement concerning these six mitzvot and to admonish the people regarding their observance. A Noachide who transgresses these seven commands shall be executed by decapitation. For this reason, all the inhabitants of Shechem were obligated to die. Shechem kidnapped. They observed and were aware of his deeds, but did not judge him. A Noachide is executed on the basis of the testimony of one witness and the verdict of a single judge. No warning is required. Relatives may serve as witnesses. However, a woman may not serve as a witness or a judge for them.
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