Are the Seven Noahide Laws Unchangeable?
13 Principles of Faith of Rambam
9. I fully believe that this Torah is unchangeable, that there is no other, which comes from G-d.
Part 1
All the Jewish people witnessed at Mount Sinai where they heard the Words of G-d, His Torah. When the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, it was also decreed that nothing should be added to or taken away from it. No commandments may be added, no commandments may be taken away or changed.
The seven Noahide Commandments, although originating in Adam and Noah, were passed on to the nations by G-d through Moses. This placed the seven Noahide Commandments within the system of Torah study and these Commandments must be interpreted and understood within the context of the Torah. Since the Torah is immutable, the 7 Noahide Laws are unchangeable as well.
This is the dept of Rambam's words (Laws of Kings 8:11): "Any Gentile [Noahide] who accepts the seven commandments and is careful to observe them is of the 'pious of the nations of the world' and will have a portion in the World to Come. This is so provided that one accepts them and observes them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moses our teacher that the descendants of Noah were originally commanded about them."
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
The Divine Code, written by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, 4e edition p. 31
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further.
NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.
Comments