Table of Contents
The Seven Noahide Laws, in Hebrew Sheva Mitzvot B’nei Noach, are a set of universal moral rules drawn from the Torah. In Jewish tradition God gave them as a guide for all humanity, not only for Jews, and they are meant to keep a society just and moral.
The list comes from the Talmud. A baraita, an early teaching quoted there, names all seven.
The Talmud says every descendant of Noah was given seven laws.
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…
Talmud, Sanhedrin 56a, William Davidson Edition (Sefaria), short excerpt for review and study
The other four in the baraita are forbidden sexual relations, bloodshed, robbery, and eating a limb from a living animal. Only the last one is spelled out in the Torah itself: after the Flood, Noah is told not to eat flesh with its life in it (Genesis 9:4, KJV). The story of Noah and his sons is on Noah’s family.
The Seven Noahide Laws
- Do Not Worship Idols
Do not worship false gods. This law upholds the belief in one God. - Do Not Blaspheme
Do not curse or show disrespect for the name of God. - Do Not Murder
Killing another human being is strictly forbidden, because human life is sacred. - Do Not Engage in Sexual Immorality
Avoid forbidden sexual relations. Later rabbinic tradition lists adultery, incest, homosexual acts and bestiality under this law. This law protects the family and sets limits in intimate relationships. - Do Not Steal
Do not take what is not yours without permission. This law protects property. - Establish Courts of Justice
Set up laws, courts and judges to enforce the other laws and keep justice in society. - Do Not Eat the Flesh of a Living Animal
Do not eat meat taken from an animal that is still alive. This law forbids cruelty to animals.
Tradition sees these laws as the base of right conduct for all people, and of a peaceful society built on respect for God, for others and for the natural world.
The Noahide Laws and the Law of One
This page sets the Noahide Laws next to the Law of One, the teaching given in the channeled Ra Material (see channeling). The Noahide Laws are specific and practical, and deal with how people act in society. The Law of One is a spiritual teaching about growth and unity. Ra put its core like this in the first session.
Ra says that you are everything, and that this is the Law of One.
You are every thing, every being, every emotion, every event, every situation. You are unity. You are infinity. You are love/light, light/love. You are. This is the Law of One.
Ra, The Law of One, Session 1.7, 15 January 1981, L/L Research, short excerpt for review and study
The pairs below line up one Noahide law with one key idea of the Law of One. The Noahide numbers follow the first list.
- Do not deny God, and Unity and Acknowledgement of the Creator. The first Noahide law asks people to accept one God, a single divine source. The Law of One teaches that all is one, and that all things are part of one infinite Creator.
- Do not blaspheme God, and Respect for the Infinite Creator. The second law asks for reverence for God. In the Law of One, respect for the Creator means seeing the divine in all things and treating all of life as sacred. Both ask for reverence.
- Do not murder, and Service to Others and Honor for All Beings. The third law protects the sanctity of life. The Law of One speaks of “service to others”, which grows out of the idea that all beings are part of the Creator. To kill another is to harm oneself, since all are connected.
- Do not engage in sexual immorality, and Balance and Responsible Expression of Sexual Energy. The fourth law asks for ethical sexual conduct and respect for relationships. The Ra Material speaks of “sexual energy transfer” and treats sexual energy as sacred. It warns against using another person and favours a loving, balanced expression of it.
- Do not steal, and Integrity in Actions. Theft breaks trust between people. In the Law of One, integrity matters for spiritual growth, and honesty and respect for what belongs to others serve the whole.
- Do not eat flesh taken from a living animal, and Respect for Life and Harmony with Nature. The seventh law can be read as respect for life and for the natural world. The Law of One holds all forms of life as sacred and asks people to live in harmony with nature.
- Establish courts of justice, and Self-Governance and Social Balance. The sixth law makes society fair and lawful. The Law of One stresses self-governance and inner balance, and societies built to keep harmony. Both aim at structures that keep things fair.
Summary of Parallels
The Noahide Laws lay a base for ethical conduct and a peaceful society. The Law of One takes the same ideas into the spiritual realm: unity, respect for the Creator in all things, and service to others as a path of growth.
Both point people toward greater harmony. The Noahide Laws do it through clear rules about what people do. The Law of One does it through principles about a deeper, universal connection.
How the two differ
The Noahide Laws are concrete, so they are easier to apply directly. But because they are so specific, they can be read differently in different settings and cultures. The Law of One is more abstract. That makes it harder to misread, but also harder to apply in daily life. Set side by side, the two show a balance between practical rules and broader spiritual principles.
