Prelude to the project

[Hrvatski Noahid]

https://hesedyahu.wordpress.com/2019/10/13/prelude-to-the-project/

So yes, it’s my aim to take each book about the seven laws that I possess and have read and judge its content based on a certain lens. What is that lens?

I believe the Talmud to be one of the foundational text, other than the Jewish Bible, regarding the seven laws and that the place within it that discusses those laws is Sanhedrin 56-60. There are statements within there that form my lens on the content of the seven. Here are the statements.

Seven laws were enjoined upon the descendants of Noah: justice, cursing the name, idolatry, forbidden sexual partners, murder, robbery and flesh from a living animal.

———

With respect to idolatry, such acts for which a Jewish Court decrees sentence of death [on Jewish delinquents] are forbidden to the heathen; but those for which a Jewish Court inflicts no capital penalty on Jewish delinquents are not forbidden to him.

———

Their prohibition is their death penalty. Since the only punishment mentioned in the Torah for transgressing a Noahide commandment is execution, any descendant of Noah who transgresses is liable to be executed. 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 commandments…

——-

When the tanna counts the seven commandments, he counts only those that require one to sit and refrain from action. He does not count commandments that require one to arise and take action.

The Gemara challenges: But the commandment of establishing courts of judgment is a command to stand up and take action, and nevertheless he counts it among the seven commandments. The Gemara answers: This command contains a requirement to stand up and take action, i.e., the obligation to establish courts and carry out justice, and it also contains a requirement to sit and refrain from action, i.e., the prohibition against doing injustice.

These are various statements taken from that particular section of the Talmud that almost always finds their way into the books about the seven laws that I read. They are normally taken as final conclusion. They’ll be what I use to judge the seven laws books that I have.

I’m sure I’ll comment on other things in the books, such as when rabbis seem to overreach regarding what they can command a gentile that is outside the seven laws. I think it’s important to highlight this because although the Jews can describe to us what the seven are, or their details, I see no basis for a claim that they can essentially dictate to us outside the seven. Teach outside the seven? Sure. Command outside the seven? Not so sure about any right to rule Gentiles outside their jurisdiction. In fact, I’m quite sure they have no judicial power outside their own people, the Jews.

Again, yes, I know I’m just a non-Jew. I know I don’t have my head in Jewish literature as (some) rabbis may have regarding the seven laws or regarding their Jewish law. I may not seem Torah educated. But that’s exactly the reason why I’m doing it. I don’t have the culture-bleed they seem so prone to, to conflate Jewish and Gentile Torah laws and standards. I’m not a rabbi follower and have no attachment to the mystical sides of Judaism or its rites. I’m coming at this from the Gentile angle, only interested in the “legal” parts of the law or how we should actually act, not necessarily believe based on the commandments. I’m not an authority and I don’t claim to be an expert. No one has to listen to me or even respect what I’m doing. It’ll be a fun reason to actually re-read these books and learn again.

So, sooner or later (hopefully sooner), off I go.