Rambam law

A fundamental text which deals with the seven Mitzvahs of Bnei Noach, is the Mishneh Torah.

It was written by Rabbi Moses son of Maimon, called Maimonides and Rambam.

In chapters 8-11 of the Laws of Kings, he describes the path of the righteous Gentile, and the commandments which pertain to him.

The following explication of the commandments to the Gentiles, is taken from the Rambam.

[Words in square brackets are our explanation rather than translation of the Rambam's text.]
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1. Our teacher Moshe (Moses), did not bequeath the Torah and the commandments, to anyone except Yisroel (i.e. the Jews).,

As it is written "an inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob" [Deuteronomy 33:4].

And to anyone from the other nations who wishes to convert, as it says: "like you, like the convert"
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[Numbers 15:15 "One Law will be for you, and for the convert who dwells in your midst. Throughout your generations the convert will be like you before the L-ord..."

One who does not wish to convert, does not need to.

And so too did Moshe our teacher command from the mouth of G-d, to teach all of the people of the world, to accept the Commandments, which were commanded to the children of Noah]

2. Whoever accepts the seven commandments, and is careful to do them; he is from the righteous of the nations of the world, and he has a portion in the world to come.


That is, if he accepts them and does them, because the Holy One Blessed be He commanded them; and informed us about them through Moshe our teacher: that the children of Noah were commanded to obey them.

But if he did them because of his own philosophical conclusions, he is not a Bnei Noach; and is not from the righteous of the nations.

[There are three levels:


1. One who does not violate the seven commandments, whether for the right reasons or the wrong ones; is not liable in the way that a violator is punished.

2. One who accepts upon himself, and follows through, by properly fulfilling the seven commandments for the right reason - because the G-d of the Jews commanded them - is one of the righteous of the nations, and has a place in the world to come.

3. One who accepts the seven commandments, in front of a Rabbinical Court, properly constituted for this purpose (and fulfills them), is a Bnei Noach.
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Adam, the first man was commanded about six things:

1. Strange worship [That is worship of other gods.

This is often translated as idol worship, but in fact, worship of anyone or anything, either in addition to or instead of G-d, is a violation, whether or not images of any kind are used.]

2. Cursing G-d, 3. Murder, 4. Sexual crimes, 5. Theft or robbery, 6. Laws [I.e. the children of Noah are required to set up courts to judge on these commandments.]
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Even though all of these are a tradition from Moshe our teacher, and they are logical, we can see from the words of the Torah, that they were commanded. He [G-d] added for Noah, the commandment not to eat meat removed from an animal, while it was still alive.

As it says [Genesis 9:4]: "But meat with its life [I.e. it was removed while the animal was still alive], which is its blood, you shall not eat.”

Thus there are seven commandments.

This is the way it was until Avraham (Araham) our father.
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In addition to these [i.e. the seven], Avraham was commanded to do circumcision; and he instituted the morning prayer service [called Shacharit].

Yitzchak (Isaac) instituted tithing [I.e. giving ten percent of his goods for the service of G-d].

[Rabeinu Avraham ben David of Posquierre, points out, that Avraham began tithing.], and added another prayer service in the afternoon.

And Ya'akov (Jacob) added the commandment, not to eat the Gid Hanasheh (sciatic nerve); and added the prayer of the evening service.

And in Egypt, Amram was commanded additional commandments; until Moshe our teacher came, and the Torah was completed through his hands.
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4: A Gentile who worshipped other gods is liable. This is only, if he worshipped, it in its manner of being worshipped.

5: A Gentile who curses G-d, whether he used the special four letter name of G-d, or any other name of G-d, in any language is liable.

6. A Gentile who murdered a person, even a fetus in its mother's womb, is liable.

7.Certain sexual crimes are forbidden for Gentiles.

The Torah specifies six relationships in this prohibition: a man with his mother, a man with his father's wife, a man with someone else's wife, a man with his maternal sister, a man with another man, and a man with an animal.

This is derived from the verse [Genesis 2:24]

"Therefore a man shall leave his father" (this is the prohibition of cohabiting with his father's wife)

"and his mother" (the prohibition to cohabit with his mother)

"and shall cling unto his wife" (his wife and not his friend's wife, his wife and not another man)

"and they shall be one flesh" (to exclude cohabiting with a domestic or wild animal or a bird, with whom he can not be one flesh)].

And from the verse [Genesis 20:12] "And also in truth she is my sister the daughter of my father, not the daughter of my mother and she became my wife", we derive the prohibition of cohabiting with his maternal sister.


She may not have two husbands at the same time.

Divorce and remarriage is permitted.

8. He is punishable for cohabiting with his father's wife even after his father died..

He is punishable for cohabiting with another male; whether a child or an adult.

And for bestiality,whether with a young or a grown animal.
And the person is executed himself, but the animal is not. [If a Jewish person has sex with an animal, the animal is killed also.]

9. A Gentile is not punishable for cohabiting with someone else's wife, unless the marriage had been consummated; and unless he had natural intercourse with her.

Note that adultery refers only to the case of a man, who cohabits with someone else's wife. It does not matter, whether he is married or not.

10. Either party can choose to end the marriage. Whenever he or she wants to separate [that is divorce], they may do so.

11. A Gentile is punishable for theft, whether he stole from a Gentile or a Jew; whether he stole money [or property]; or stole [i.e. kidnapped] a person.

This also includes someone who didn't pay his hired worker.

In all of these cases, he is punishable, and is a thief, even if he stole something of insignificant value.

Even if one Gentile stole an insignificant amount, and another stole it from him, they are both liable.

12. A Gentile, is forbidden to eat even a small amount of meat, that was removed from an animal while it was still alive; and is punishable for it.

14. If a Gentile slaughtered an animal, it is forbidden to eat meat which was cut off of it, before the animal ceased to move.
15. Gentiles are forbidden to eat meat removed from a living animal.

16. In what way are the Gentiles to set up law courts? They must establish judges in every single town, to judge on the other six commandments; and to warn people against violating them.

17. A Gentile, who sinned in error, is not punished.

18. A Gentile who was forced to violate one of the commandments [e.g. with threat of death if he refuses], is allowed to violate it.

Even if he is forced to worship other gods, he may do so if forced.

[19. A Gentile who converted to Judaism, may not later change his mind, and return to just fulfilling the seven commandments of the children of Noah.

Conversion is accomplished through three things:

1. Circumcision (for men only). If he was already circumcised, a symbolic drop of blood is drawn from the place of the circumcision).

2. Accepting the Torah and all of its commandments, and rejecting all other gods and religions.

3. Immersion in a Mikveh, (ritual bath).

All three of these must be done under the auspices of, and in the presence of, an Orthodox Rabbinical Court.


Anyone who sincerely wishes to accept the entire Torah, and accept to comply with all of the commandments, and to become part of the Jewish people, can contact hamikdash3@yahoo.com for further information.]

21. Through tradition we also know, that Gentiles are prohibited from cross-breeding different species of animals.

They are also forbidden to graft one kind of tree, onto another. They are not executed for violations of these two prohibitions.

22. Circumcision was only commanded to Avraham and his descendants, as it says [Genesis 17:9] "You and your seed after you".


23. The Sages said, that the children of Keturah, who are the seed of Avraham, who came after Yishmael and Yitzchak, are obligated in circumcision.

And since they got mixed up with the children of Yishmael, they are all [i.e. all of the Arabs] obligated in circumcision on the eighth day, but they are not punishable for violating this.

24. A Gentile should not study Torah, except those parts which are relevant to him; i.e. the seven commandments.

So too, a Gentile should not keep the Sabbath like a Jew. He must do at least one of the labors, which Jews are forbidden to do on the Sabbath, [such as turning on a light].

Gentiles also should not make up holidays for themselves. The general principal is, that they should not make up new religions or commandments.

25. If a Gentile wants to do additional Mitzvot of the Torah, in order to receive reward, he may.

In a time when the Temple is standing, we accept animals sacrifices for burnt offerings.