The Seven Noahide Laws in Jewish Tradition

The Seven Noahide Laws, or mitzvot, are a set of universal moral imperatives in Jewish tradition, understood as binding upon all humanity, not just the Jewish people. These laws are derived from the commands given to Noah and his descendants after the Flood ^[1]. The Babylonian Talmud, specifically in Sanhedrin 56a, enumerates these seven commandments ^[1].

The traditional list of the Seven Noahide Laws includes:

Establishing courts of justice: This mandates the creation of a legal system to ensure justice ^[1].
Prohibition of blasphemy: Cursing the name of God is forbidden ^[1].
Prohibition of idolatry: The worship of false gods is prohibited ^[1].
Prohibition of forbidden sexual relations: This includes various forms of incest, adultery, and bestiality ^[1].
Prohibition of bloodshed: Murder is strictly forbidden ^[1].
Prohibition of robbery: Theft and other forms of illicit gain are proscribed ^[1].
Prohibition of eating a limb from a living animal: This law emphasizes respect for living creatures and the sanctity of life ^[1].

Another tradition from the school of Menashe offers a slightly different list, replacing "establishing courts of judgment" with prohibitions against castration and diverse kinds (e.g., mixing species) ^[2]. However, the inclusion of "judgment" as a Noahide law is affirmed elsewhere in the Talmud, noting that while the Jewish people received additional mitzvot at Marah, seven of these were already accepted by the descendants of Noah ^[3].

Transgression of any of these seven Noahide laws is considered a capital offense for a descendant of Noah, a punishment revealed for bloodshed and extended to all the other laws ^[4]. These laws are distinct from the 613 mitzvot given to the Jewish people through Moses ^[5]. A gentile who resides in the Land of Israel and observes these seven Noahide mitzvot is known as a ger toshav (resident alien) ^{[6, 10]}. Such individuals are subject to certain Jewish laws, like the prohibition against delaying wages, but not others, such as the prohibition against interest on loans ^{[6, 11]}. They are also permitted to perform labor on Shabbat for themselves in cases where not doing so would result in significant loss ^{[7, 8, 9]}. The concept of the Noahide Laws highlights a universal moral framework within Jewish thought, applicable to all humanity.

Sources

Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 56a.24: § Since the halakhot of the descendants of Noah have been mentioned, a full discussion of the Noahide mitzvot is presented. The Sages taught in a baraita : The descendants of Noah, i.e., all of humanity, were commanded to observe seven mitzvot: The mitzva of establishing courts of judgment; and the prohibition against blessing, i.e., cursing, the name of God; and the prohibition of idol worship; and the prohibition against forbidden sexual relations; and the prohibition of bloodshed; and the prohibition of robbery; and the prohibition against eating a limb ”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 56b.22: As the school of Menashe taught: The descendants of Noah were commanded to observe seven mitzvot: The prohibitions of idol worship, and forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed, and robbery, and eating a limb from a living animal, and castration, and diverse kinds.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 56b.15: § The Gemara asks with regard to the list of the Noahide mitzvot: Were the descendants of Noah commanded to establish courts of judgment? But isn’t it taught in a baraita : The Jewish people were commanded to observe ten mitzvot when they were in Marah: Seven that the descendants of Noah accepted upon themselves, and God added to them the following mitzvot: Judgment, and Shabbat, and honoring one’s father and mother.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 57a.13: Rav Huna, Rav Yehuda, and all of the other students of Rav say: A descendant of Noah is executed for transgressing any of the seven Noahide mitzvot; the Merciful One revealed this punishment with regard to one mitzva, the prohibition of bloodshed, and the same is true with regard to all of them.”
Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 24:3: And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments,.... Which according to Jarchi were the seven commands given to the sons of Noah, the laws concerning the sabbath, and honouring parents, the red heifer, and the judgments at Marah; but all these they were acquainted with before, excepting that of the red heifer, and the law, for that was not yet delivered to Moses, nor were these the ten commands, for they had heard them from the Lord themselves; but they doubtless were the judgments, or judicial laws, which he was ordered to set befo”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 111a.19: One who hires a gentile who resides in Eretz Yisrael and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot [ ger toshav ] is subject to the prohibition of: “On the same day you shall give him his wages,” but is not subject to the negative mitzva of: “The wages of a hired laborer shall not remain with you all night until the morning.””
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Keritot 9a.12: The Gemara comments: And there are those who teach this statement of Rav Adda bar Ahava with regard to this case, as the Sages taught in a baraita : A gentile who resides in Eretz Yisrael and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot [ ger toshav ] is permitted to perform labor on Shabbat for himself in the same manner that a Jew is permitted to perform labor on the intermediate days of a Festival, i.e., only for matters that, if unattended, will result in significant loss.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Keritot 57b.17:12: The Gemara comments: And there are those who teach this statement of Rav Adda bar Ahava with regard to this case, as the Sages taught in a baraita : A gentile who resides in Eretz Yisrael and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot [ ger toshav ] is permitted to perform labor on Shabbat for himself in the same manner that a Jew is permitted to perform labor on the intermediate days of a Festival, i.e., only for matters that, if unattended, will result in significant loss.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Keritot 57a.17:12: The Gemara comments: And there are those who teach this statement of Rav Adda bar Ahava with regard to this case, as the Sages taught in a baraita : A gentile who resides in Eretz Yisrael and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot [ ger toshav ] is permitted to perform labor on Shabbat for himself in the same manner that a Jew is permitted to perform labor on the intermediate days of a Festival, i.e., only for matters that, if unattended, will result in significant loss.”
Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Forbidden Foods 13:12: When, however, one deposits wine in the domain of a resident alien 23 A gentile who has made a formal commitment to accept the Seven Universal Laws Commanded to Noah and His Descendants. These include the prohibition against worshipping false divinities. sends wine with him and departs for an extended period, or leaves one's home open in a courtyard that [one shares with] a resident alien, it is forbidden to drink the wine. For it appears to me that the suspicions that a gentile will exchange [wine] and forge [a seal] apply eq”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 70b.2: And one may borrow money from them and one may lend money to them with interest. And similarly, with regard to a gentile who resides in Eretz Yisrael and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot [ ger toshav ], one may borrow money from him with interest and lend money to him with interest, since he is not a Jew. Also, a Jew may serve as a middleman and lend a gentile’s money to another Jew with the knowledge of the gentile, but not with the knowledge of a Jew, i.e., the middleman himself, as the Gemara will explain.”

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