*** The Seven Noachide Laws ***

These mitzvahs are incumbent on all human beings everywhere on Earth, for all time. The first six were given to Adam and Eve. The seventh Law was given to Noah, (Noach) after The Flood. The study and performance of these mitzvot are actually very involved. Many of the 613 Mitzvot are related to these Seven Laws. These Laws are similar to the Ten Commandments, however there is a much greater and deeper meaning and reward to keeping these Seven Mitzvot.

A person who is not Jewish who obeys these Laws properly is known as a "Righteous Gentile". A Righteous Gentile who follows the Laws will merit a share in the World to Come. The Noachide Laws should be obeyed because God wants us to, not because we see value in observing them merely on an intellectual basis. There are different levels of observance and reward involved in the performance or refrain of these Laws.

1. Dinim - Appointing Judges and having a legal system  to enforce the other laws.
   
2. Birkas HaShem - "Blessing the Divine Name" - The prohibition against desecrating God's Name by blasphemy.
   
3. Avoda Zara - Idolatry - The prohibition against idol worship.
   
4. Sh'fichus damim - The prohibition against murder and bloodshed.
   
5. Gilui Arayos - The prohibition against adultery and sexual transgressions.
   
6. Gezel - The prohibition against theft.
   
7. Aiver Min Hachai - Eating from a live animal (includes cruelty to animals).

In addition to the first Six Laws, Adam and Eve were taught about Shabbos (Shabbat), and about bringing offerings to God. HaShem then instructed Adam about the one crucial mitzvah whose observance would be decisive for the fate of the world.

God told Adam "You shall not eat of the Tree of Good and Evil, for on the day you eat thereof you shall surely die!" Unfortunately Adam told Eve not to eat from the tree or to touch the tree, and did not explain to her carefully that this second warning was his own prohibition and not HaShem's. The snake pushed her into the tree, and when she didn't die, the snake was able to convince her to eat from it. Adam subsequently ate from the fruit as well, and instead of apologizing to God they got kicked out of the Garden of Eden.

The moral of the story is that we have to be very careful how we communicate with each other. Adam made a serious mistake by not being clear with his wife. We have to learn from the mistakes that others have made before us and not repeat them. It is explained that if Adam and Eve would have only waited three hours longer it would have been Shabbos and the fruit would have been permitted to them.

These Seven Laws are one of the keys to having World Peace. God gave us these Biblical teachings so that we should study them and learn how to make ourselves and the world a better place to live. God actually wanted to reveal all 613 Mitzvot to Adam and Eve. However when they couldn't keep even his few mitzvot, God waited 26 generations before explaining them to Moses. Nevertheless, they were given an account of the Creation of  the Universe,and the narrative of what took place during their lifetimes. Adam and Eve had a good life for the most part and Adam lived to be 930 years old.

It is one of our goals to spread knowledge of The Seven Noachide Laws to the world. It is amazing that these Laws are not well known. The United States celebrated "Education Day U.S.A." on April 20, 1986, based on these beliefs. House Joint Resolution 582  was passed in Congress on that day affirming that our Nation is founded on belief in these Seven Noachide Laws. For more information about this read our section about Education Day USA.

Thank you for reading this information. We encourage you to continue learning about The Mitzvah Project. Please do or stay away from as many mitzvahs as you can, and please ask your friends and family to do the same. Together we are making a difference. Whether you think so or not, God knows exactly what you and I are doing every second of our lives. HaShem is trustworthy to repay us for our work. For observing mitzvahs we receive rewards in This World, and in The World To Come. This concept is fundamental in life. Our currency continues to read "IN GOD WE TRUST".

The choices are very simple. We can do the right things and receive all the blessings, or do the wrong things and receive all the curses. These blessings and curses affect everyone around us as well. We must work to improve the world, and not make things worse for ourselves and our fellow human beings. If you wonder why some countries are having the troubles they are faced with, it is mostly because they are not following these laws. We must help them to understand and observe these fundamental mitzvahs.

Please review the other sections of The Mitzvah Project if you haven't already done so, and visit our web site often. We will do our best to keep you up to date about new activities and developments in the wonderful world of mitzvahs. Thank you for your help and may God bless you with all the blessings in the Universe, now and forever. Baruch HaShem and Shalom (Peace) to you and yours.

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to Jay@TheMitzvahProject.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified : October 28, 2008