Vision and Covenant | Commandments of the Sons of Noah

Commandments of the Sons of Noah

Our Rabbis taught: seven precepts were the sons of Noah commanded: social laws; to refrain from blasphemy, idolatry; adultery; bloodshed; rbbery; and eating flesh cut from a living animal. R. Hanania b. Gamaliel said: Also not to partake of the blood drawn from a living animal. R. Hidka added emasculation. R. Simeon added sorcery. R. Jose said: The heathens were prohibited everything that is mentioned in the section on sorcery. viz., There shall not be found among you any one, that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them [sc. the heathens in Canaan] out from before thee. Now, [the Almighty] does not punish without first prohibiting. R. Eleazar added the forbidden mixture [in plants and animals]: now, they are permitted to wear garments of mixed fabrics [of wool and linen] and sow diverse seeds together; they are forbidden only to hybridize heterogeneous animals and graft trees of different kinds.

Source : Sanhedrin 56a-b

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH WITH NOTES, GLOSSARY AND INDICES. CHAPTERS I – VI BY JACOB SHACHTER; CHAPTERS VII – XI BY H. FREEDMAN, B.A., Ph.D. UNDER THE EDITORSHIP OF RABBI DR I. EPSTEINB.A., Ph.D., D. Lit.

Said Rab Judah, These are the thirty righteous men among the nations of the world by whose virtue the nations of the world continue to exist. Ulla said, These are the thirty commandments which the sons of Noah took upon themselves but they observe three of them, namely, 1) they do not draw up a kethubah document for A males, (2) they do not weigh flesh of the dead in the market, and (3) they respect the Torah.

Source : Hullin 92a-92

Six precepts were commanded to Adam:

1. The prohibition against worship of false gods.
2. The prohibition against cursing God.
3. The prohibition against murder.
4. The prohibition against forbidden sexual relations.
5. The prohibition against theft.
6. 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 the intellect itself leans to, from an overview of the Torah's words, it appears that [Adam] was commanded concerning them.
To Noah [God] added [the prohibition against eating] flesh from a living animal, 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 came, he was commanded regarding circumcision in addition to these. He also [ordained] the morning prayers. Isaac separated tithes and ordained an additional prayer service in the afternoon. 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.

Source : Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, in the Laws of Kings 9:1

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