ABOUT DAILY BEHAVIOR ACCORDING TO THE 7 COMMANDMENTS
By Ishmael Tales
May 23, 2023
One often hears the question, “Well, there are these seven commandments for the Noahides. But how does this apply to everyday life? Is a normal guy who doesn't steal, or a normal girl who doesn't engage in prostitution, etc., do they violate something? And in general, because today most people understand that thieving or debauchery is bad, and try to avoid it!" Maybe it is really quite simple to read these simple, at first glance, seven commandments and deal with the end? Live for yourself, as you lived, without overloading your head?
In order to answer this question, which I'm sure everyone who has read the seven commandments has asked themselves more than once, let's first go through the text of the commandments themselves (you can read it here. This will help us understand some important aspects of their application in our everyday life.
Let's start with the first of them: the prohibition of idolatry. In addition to the direct service of idols, the sages also considered the following nine types of actions to be related to this prohibition:
1. Consecration of children to Moloch by leading them through bonfires or between bonfires.
2. "KOSEM KESAMIM" - asking for a staff or performing other actions to predict the future.
3. "MEONEN" - announcement of any moment of time as successful or unsuccessful for some business.
4. "MENACHESH" - attempts to predict the future by interpreting certain events and acting accordingly.
5. "MECHASHEF" - includes all types of black magic practiced since ancient times.
6. "HOVER HEVER" — magical attraction of reptiles or other large animals.
7. "SHOEL OV" — necromancy; the summoning of the dead, whose voice seemed to emanate from the necromancer's armpit or other part of his body.
8. "SHOEL YEDONI" - an animal bone called an ido was placed in the mouth of the soothsayer and forced to speak.
9. Asking the dead - types of necromancy: consulting a skull, or a dead person, or staying all night in a cemetery to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
It's already a lot, no matter how cool it is. And "a lot" is that we are not talking about some ancient worship of pagan idols, which have long since left our lives, which still exist somewhere in Africa and Southeast Asia. We are talking here about things that are much more down-to-earth that exist very close to us every day. It is about Christianity, about astrology and horoscopes, about all kinds of divination and necromancy. The connection between all these seemingly incompatible things is that addressing each of them is an act of denying G-d. Christianity — because service goes to a crucified man, or rather to a dummy made in his likeness, instead of service to the Most High. Horoscopes — because it is an indirect recognition of the power of the stars over man instead of the power of G-d. Divination - because a person, in this way, deliberately refuses to rely and hope only in G-d.
In addition, this includes the prohibition of various figurines. These are figurines of people, figures depicting angels, dragons, the sun, the moon and stars.
What to do, you ask, or just throw all such things out of the house? And if among them there are valuable and dear to the heart gifts? Or if it's just a pity? And really, you should not rush. The fact is that under the wording "for beauty" there is a simpler way to solve this problem - it is enough to take a small knife or a hammer with a chisel to cause any damage to this category of objects. How, for example, to cut off or chip off a piece from the face of a figurine depicting a person. In this case, it turns out that the object is now defective, and therefore can no longer serve "for beauty." As for the sun, moon, and stars, you will have to part with them.
The second commandment: prohibition of blasphemy. It would seem that what can be violated here? And how? And who today will take the courage to do something? However, not everything is so simple. The fact is that this prohibition hides a very deep meaning, which concerns the perception of our life with you as such in general. And the meaning of this is that there is no division in the world into unambiguous good and evil, represented respectively by G-d and his alleged opponent (we will not mention his name), as it was invented by Christian evangelists. In fact, the Torah repeatedly emphasizes that there is only one Master in the world. And both good and evil come only from Him, and they obey Him. At first glance, it is contradictory and unclear. Well, how can God intentionally send evil to someone? This question is well answered by one example that explains the psychology of evil in our world in general.
Imagine that you are a mother and you have a small child with whom you were walking and who, carelessly, smeared herself so much in the damp and wet sandbox that the dirt got under her delicate skin. When you get home, you have to take a hard washcloth and rub the baby's skin in such a way that it causes him serious discomfort. She, of course, does not understand why the one whom the child has always trusted causes her such pain and sometimes even tears the skin to the point of bleeding. However, you know that if you don't do this, the dirt will cause an infection and it will be much worse. Of course, you and I, like this little child, cannot always understand why this or that evil happened, but it is important to remember that, after all, the Most High allowed this to happen only out of extreme necessity and because otherwise it would have been much worse. And that is why it is very important to remember that God is thanked not only in joy, but also in trouble. Especially since in the original the text of this prohibition sounds like that - about G-d's blessing. About blessings in any life situation.
The third commandment concerns the prohibition of bloodshed. Let's not go into general philosophical considerations for a long time about the value of life, which is given by G-d and can only be taken away by him. This is actually clear today, probably to everyone. But this is about something else.
First, abortions. If pregnancy has occurred, any type of abortion is strictly prohibited. And it is written in the Torah: "He who sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed." Rabbi Ishmael explained that these words can be translated in another way: "He who sheds the blood of a man in a man, his blood will be shed" - this is precisely to the prohibition of bloodshed in its given manifestation. And the responsibility lies not only on the doctor who performed the operation, but also on the woman herself, as an accomplice.
Secondly, what is commonly called euthanasia today. A terminally ill person is considered to be undergoing a test sent to him by the Almighty. It's like the little baby we talked about above. Yes, it can be very, even unbearably painful, but only God decides when and most importantly how it will end. Therefore, any termination of his life is considered a violation of the will of the Most High, and the one who commits euthanasia - by all accounts commits intentional murder.
Third, the murder itself. But it is permissible to kill a person who himself wants to kill another and chases after him, while you are present and can save the other. A very vital situation, especially for a Hollywood movie! The Torah says that you must act in such a situation if you can, but you must first injure such a person, and only then, if this did not stop him, shoot to defeat.
And, after all, the last thing is to starve someone to death. It is clear that this is about someone who was completely dependent on you, but a beggar who begs for alms in the center of the city in a crowded place - he seems to be dependent on those around him and can fall into this category if none of those who pass by him he will not be served. Therefore, you should always give alms if you pass by people who are asking for it.
The fourth commandment establishes forbidden sexual relations. There is much to think about here, especially for young people. We will bypass such perversions as cattle breeding and homosexuality - they are absolutely unequivocally and without any compromises considered forbidden. But we will dwell on the relationship with a married woman, father's wife, and half-sister in more detail.
First of all, where does marriage begin in Bnei Noach? Given the history of this world, the Torah gives the peoples of the world greater freedom in this regard. In principle, official weddings are generally optional, although their holding is not prohibited. The girl is important here because she is considered a bride from the moment she decides to live with such a boy or man, and a wife after such a decision is cemented by what cultured people call an act of love. It is from this moment that other people are forbidden to have any sexual contact with her. Also, a girl is allowed to have sexual relations of any nature with any man before she becomes a wife, even though she is already a bride. Spouses are considered divorced from the moment one of them makes a firm and final decision to divorce the other.
Now, as for the father's wives. In general, any woman who had sexual relations with the father (either willingly or against her) is forbidden to his children even after his death. And she can be of any age, including yours, and this should be taken into account.
In general, when meeting a girl, you should always ask if she has a boyfriend, because her answer to this question is adequate for whether she considers herself someone's wife or not. And yet, if it is known in advance that this girl has had no sexual experience, then she is considered permissible, regardless of whether she considers herself to be someone or not. And, in addition, it is better to always ask a girl if her mother is Jewish - I understand, when getting acquainted, it may sound out of place, but it will be in the name of fulfilling this commandment. After all, sexual relations of any nature between Bnei Noach and Bnei Yisrael are prohibited regardless of the girl's status.
The prohibition of theft is introduced by the fifth commandment, and its manifestations can be so diverse in our daily life that they cannot always be clearly qualified as theft. It is about what is written in the Mishneh Torah: "Theft is even if the value of the stolen thing is less than the price of the smallest coin." What is it about? About many things that can happen in our lives. For example, about an incorrect calculation when buying a product, when the seller does not give you 5 kopecks of change, referring to their absence at the cash register. Or, for example, your journey in public transport without a ticket, even if you have traveled only one stop. That is, you should be extremely attentive to the smallest details in everything related to money. And the Lubavitch Rebbe, King Moshiach, wrote about this many times. In addition, the kidnapping of a person is considered an unambiguous crime.
The sixth commandment says that you cannot eat body parts taken from a living animal. Here, to put it briefly, the law boils down to the fact that all the meat we eat today must contain a special kashrut stamp on the package. And it is better to buy it in kosher Jewish stores, if that is possible, as well as the stores themselves.
And finally, the last, seventh commandment on the appointment of judges. Its implementation is very specific. However, in any case, if you are a lawyer and you have the opportunity to somehow influence the legal mechanism of your state to bring it more in line with all of the above, without harming yourself, you should try to do it.
And one more very important aspect. This is the spiritual search conducted by each of us, each person who at least once thought about the meaning of this life and about who we are, where we come from and where we are going. Having accepted the observance of the seven laws of the descendants of Noah, you will very soon feel, in the literal sense, how your whole life will begin to be filled with a strange and still unknown meaning to you. Meaning and something else - very similar to what the sages once called a blessing...
ABOUT DAILY BEHAVIOR ACCORDING TO THE 7 COMMANDMENTS
By Ishmael Tales
May 23, 2023
One often hears the question, “Well, there are these seven commandments for the Noahides. But how does this apply to everyday life? Is a normal guy who doesn't steal, or a normal girl who doesn't engage in prostitution, etc., do they violate something? And in general, because today most people understand that thieving or debauchery is bad, and try to avoid it!" Maybe it is really quite simple to read these simple, at first glance, seven commandments and deal with the end? Live for yourself, as you lived, without overloading your head?
In order to answer this question, which I'm sure everyone who has read the seven commandments has asked themselves more than once, let's first go through the text of the commandments themselves (you can read it here. This will help us understand some important aspects of their application in our everyday life.
Let's start with the first of them: the prohibition of idolatry. In addition to the direct service of idols, the sages also considered the following nine types of actions to be related to this prohibition:
1. Consecration of children to Moloch by leading them through bonfires or between bonfires.
2. "KOSEM KESAMIM" - asking for a staff or performing other actions to predict the future.
3. "MEONEN" - announcement of any moment of time as successful or unsuccessful for some business.
4. "MENACHESH" - attempts to predict the future by interpreting certain events and acting accordingly.
5. "MECHASHEF" - includes all types of black magic practiced since ancient times.
6. "HOVER HEVER" — magical attraction of reptiles or other large animals.
7. "SHOEL OV" — necromancy; the summoning of the dead, whose voice seemed to emanate from the necromancer's armpit or other part of his body.
8. "SHOEL YEDONI" - an animal bone called an ido was placed in the mouth of the soothsayer and forced to speak.
9. Asking the dead - types of necromancy: consulting a skull, or a dead person, or staying all night in a cemetery to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
It's already a lot, no matter how cool it is. And "a lot" is that we are not talking about some ancient worship of pagan idols, which have long since left our lives, which still exist somewhere in Africa and Southeast Asia. We are talking here about things that are much more down-to-earth that exist very close to us every day. It is about Christianity, about astrology and horoscopes, about all kinds of divination and necromancy. The connection between all these seemingly incompatible things is that addressing each of them is an act of denying G-d. Christianity — because service goes to a crucified man, or rather to a dummy made in his likeness, instead of service to the Most High. Horoscopes — because it is an indirect recognition of the power of the stars over man instead of the power of G-d. Divination - because a person, in this way, deliberately refuses to rely and hope only in G-d.
In addition, this includes the prohibition of various figurines. These are figurines of people, figures depicting angels, dragons, the sun, the moon and stars.
What to do, you ask, or just throw all such things out of the house? And if among them there are valuable and dear to the heart gifts? Or if it's just a pity? And really, you should not rush. The fact is that under the wording "for beauty" there is a simpler way to solve this problem - it is enough to take a small knife or a hammer with a chisel to cause any damage to this category of objects. How, for example, to cut off or chip off a piece from the face of a figurine depicting a person. In this case, it turns out that the object is now defective, and therefore can no longer serve "for beauty." As for the sun, moon, and stars, you will have to part with them.
The second commandment: prohibition of blasphemy. It would seem that what can be violated here? And how? And who today will take the courage to do something? However, not everything is so simple. The fact is that this prohibition hides a very deep meaning, which concerns the perception of our life with you as such in general. And the meaning of this is that there is no division in the world into unambiguous good and evil, represented respectively by G-d and his alleged opponent (we will not mention his name), as it was invented by Christian evangelists. In fact, the Torah repeatedly emphasizes that there is only one Master in the world. And both good and evil come only from Him, and they obey Him. At first glance, it is contradictory and unclear. Well, how can God intentionally send evil to someone? This question is well answered by one example that explains the psychology of evil in our world in general.
Imagine that you are a mother and you have a small child with whom you were walking and who, carelessly, smeared herself so much in the damp and wet sandbox that the dirt got under her delicate skin. When you get home, you have to take a hard washcloth and rub the baby's skin in such a way that it causes him serious discomfort. She, of course, does not understand why the one whom the child has always trusted causes her such pain and sometimes even tears the skin to the point of bleeding. However, you know that if you don't do this, the dirt will cause an infection and it will be much worse. Of course, you and I, like this little child, cannot always understand why this or that evil happened, but it is important to remember that, after all, the Most High allowed this to happen only out of extreme necessity and because otherwise it would have been much worse. And that is why it is very important to remember that God is thanked not only in joy, but also in trouble. Especially since in the original the text of this prohibition sounds like that - about G-d's blessing. About blessings in any life situation.
The third commandment concerns the prohibition of bloodshed. Let's not go into general philosophical considerations for a long time about the value of life, which is given by G-d and can only be taken away by him. This is actually clear today, probably to everyone. But this is about something else.
First, abortions. If pregnancy has occurred, any type of abortion is strictly prohibited. And it is written in the Torah: "He who sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed." Rabbi Ishmael explained that these words can be translated in another way: "He who sheds the blood of a man in a man, his blood will be shed" - this is precisely to the prohibition of bloodshed in its given manifestation. And the responsibility lies not only on the doctor who performed the operation, but also on the woman herself, as an accomplice.
Secondly, what is commonly called euthanasia today. A terminally ill person is considered to be undergoing a test sent to him by the Almighty. It's like the little baby we talked about above. Yes, it can be very, even unbearably painful, but only God decides when and most importantly how it will end. Therefore, any termination of his life is considered a violation of the will of the Most High, and the one who commits euthanasia - by all accounts commits intentional murder.
Third, the murder itself. But it is permissible to kill a person who himself wants to kill another and chases after him, while you are present and can save the other. A very vital situation, especially for a Hollywood movie! The Torah says that you must act in such a situation if you can, but you must first injure such a person, and only then, if this did not stop him, shoot to defeat.
And, after all, the last thing is to starve someone to death. It is clear that this is about someone who was completely dependent on you, but a beggar who begs for alms in the center of the city in a crowded place - he seems to be dependent on those around him and can fall into this category if none of those who pass by him he will not be served. Therefore, you should always give alms if you pass by people who are asking for it.
The fourth commandment establishes forbidden sexual relations. There is much to think about here, especially for young people. We will bypass such perversions as cattle breeding and homosexuality - they are absolutely unequivocally and without any compromises considered forbidden. But we will dwell on the relationship with a married woman, father's wife, and half-sister in more detail.
First of all, where does marriage begin in Bnei Noach? Given the history of this world, the Torah gives the peoples of the world greater freedom in this regard. In principle, official weddings are generally optional, although their holding is not prohibited. The girl is important here because she is considered a bride from the moment she decides to live with such a boy or man, and a wife after such a decision is cemented by what cultured people call an act of love. It is from this moment that other people are forbidden to have any sexual contact with her. Also, a girl is allowed to have sexual relations of any nature with any man before she becomes a wife, even though she is already a bride. Spouses are considered divorced from the moment one of them makes a firm and final decision to divorce the other.
Now, as for the father's wives. In general, any woman who had sexual relations with the father (either willingly or against her) is forbidden to his children even after his death. And she can be of any age, including yours, and this should be taken into account.
In general, when meeting a girl, you should always ask if she has a boyfriend, because her answer to this question is adequate for whether she considers herself someone's wife or not. And yet, if it is known in advance that this girl has had no sexual experience, then she is considered permissible, regardless of whether she considers herself to be someone or not. And, in addition, it is better to always ask a girl if her mother is Jewish - I understand, when getting acquainted, it may sound out of place, but it will be in the name of fulfilling this commandment. After all, sexual relations of any nature between Bnei Noach and Bnei Yisrael are prohibited regardless of the girl's status.
The prohibition of theft is introduced by the fifth commandment, and its manifestations can be so diverse in our daily life that they cannot always be clearly qualified as theft. It is about what is written in the Mishneh Torah: "Theft is even if the value of the stolen thing is less than the price of the smallest coin." What is it about? About many things that can happen in our lives. For example, about an incorrect calculation when buying a product, when the seller does not give you 5 kopecks of change, referring to their absence at the cash register. Or, for example, your journey in public transport without a ticket, even if you have traveled only one stop. That is, you should be extremely attentive to the smallest details in everything related to money. And the Lubavitch Rebbe, King Moshiach, wrote about this many times. In addition, the kidnapping of a person is considered an unambiguous crime.
The sixth commandment says that you cannot eat body parts taken from a living animal. Here, to put it briefly, the law boils down to the fact that all the meat we eat today must contain a special kashrut stamp on the package. And it is better to buy it in kosher Jewish stores, if that is possible, as well as the stores themselves.
And finally, the last, seventh commandment on the appointment of judges. Its implementation is very specific. However, in any case, if you are a lawyer and you have the opportunity to somehow influence the legal mechanism of your state to bring it more in line with all of the above, without harming yourself, you should try to do it.
And one more very important aspect. This is the spiritual search conducted by each of us, each person who at least once thought about the meaning of this life and about who we are, where we come from and where we are going. Having accepted the observance of the seven laws of the descendants of Noah, you will very soon feel, in the literal sense, how your whole life will begin to be filled with a strange and still unknown meaning to you. Meaning and something else - very similar to what the sages once called a blessing...
