Chapter 8

10. Moses did not give the Torah and the commandments as an inheritance except to Israel, as it says (Deuteronomy 33:4): "The Torah... is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob," and to all those who wish to convert from among the other nations, as it says (Numbers 15:15): "The convert will be like you." However, someone who does not wish to accept the Torah and the commandments should not be forced to do so.

Similarly, the Almighty commanded Moses to compel all the inhabitants of the world to accept the commandments given to the descendants of Noah. Anyone who does not accept these commandments is to be executed. A person who formally accepts these commandments is called a resident alien (Ger Toshav). This applies everywhere. This acceptance must be made in the presence of three Torah scholars. Anyone who accepts circumcision and then remains uncircumcised for twelve months is considered one of the nations.

11. Anyone who accepts the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is meticulous in their observance is considered one of the "righteous among the nations" and will merit a share in the World to Come. This applies only when they accept and fulfill 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 had previously been commanded to fulfill them. However, if one fulfills them out of intellectual conviction, one is neither a resident alien, nor one of the "righteous among the nations," nor one of their sages.

Chapter 9

1. Six precepts were commanded to Adam:

a) the prohibition of worshipping false gods;

b) the prohibition against cursing God;

c) the prohibition against murder;

d) the prohibition of incest and adultery;

e) the prohibition against stealing;

f) the mandate to establish laws and courts of justice.

Although we received all these commandments from Moses, and they are concepts that the intellect itself tends to accept, it is clear from the words of the Torah that Adam received commandments regarding them. The prohibition against eating the flesh of a live animal was added for Noah, as it says (Genesis 9:4): "However, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." Thus, there are seven mitzvot. These matters remained the same throughout the world until Abraham. When Abraham came, in addition to this, he was commanded regarding circumcision. He also recited the morning prayer. Isaac separated the tithes and added an additional prayer before sunset. Jacob added the prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve. He also recited the evening prayer. In Egypt, Amram received commandments regarding other mitzvot. Finally, Moses came and completed the Torah.

2. A Noahide who worships false gods is responsible as long as they worship them in an accepted manner. A Noahide is executed for any foreign cult that a Jewish court would deem capital punishment. However, a Noahide is not executed for a foreign cult that a Jewish court would not deem capital punishment. Nevertheless, even if a Noahide is not executed for these forms of worship, they are forbidden to participate in all of them. We must not allow them to erect a monument, plant an Asherah pole, or make images and similar things, even if only for the sake of beauty.

3. A Noahide who curses the Name of God, whether using God's unique name or one of His other names, in any language, is liable. This law does not apply to Jews.

4. A Noahide who kills any soul, even a fetus in its mother's womb, must be executed. Likewise, if he kills a person who would otherwise have died in the near future, places a person before a lion, or lets a person starve to death, he must be executed because, in one way or another, the person was killed. Similarly, he must be executed if he kills a persecutor when he could have saved the potential victim by mutilating one of the persecutor's limbs. These laws do not apply to Jews.

5. There are six illicit sexual relations forbidden to a Noahide:

a) his mother;

b) his father's wife;

c) a married woman;

d) her maternal sister;

e) a male;

f) an animal.

These prohibitions are derived from the verse (Bereshit 2:24): "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.".

""His father" - refers to his father's wife;

""his mother" - should be understood simply;

""He will join his wife" - and not his colleague's wife;

""his wife" - and not a man;

""They shall become one flesh" - this excludes a domestic animal, beast, or bird, since man can never become "one flesh" with them.

The prohibition of relations with a maternal sister is derived from the verse (Bereshit 20:13): "She is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not of my mother. Thus, she became my wife.".

6. A Noahide is guilty of having relations with his mother, even if she was seduced or raped by his father and never married him. She is, nevertheless, his mother. A man is guilty of having relations with his father's wife, even after his father's death. He is guilty of having relations with a man, whether a minor or an adult, and with an animal, whether young or old. In the latter case, only the Noahide is executed, not the animal. We are only commanded to kill an animal with which a Jew has had relations.

7. A Noahide is not executed for adultery with his neighbor's wife unless they have relations in the normal manner after she has had relations with her husband at least once. However, if she was merely consecrated or underwent a wedding ceremony but had never had relations with her husband, he is not guilty of having relations with her, as it says (Genesis 20:3): "For she has been possessed by her husband." When does the above apply? When a Noahide has relations with a Noahide woman. However, a Gentile who has relations with a married Jewish woman is responsible whether their relations were conducted in a normal or abnormal manner. Similarly, a Gentile who has relations with a Jewish virgin who has been consecrated is stoned to death for her sake, as is the law concerning Jews. If he has relations with her after she has undergone the wedding ceremony but has not had relations with her husband, he is strangled to death, as is Jewish law. However, if he has relations with a Jewish woman after she has married, it is as if he had relations with the wife of his Gentile neighbor and he is executed by beheading.

8. A Noahide who chooses one of his servants as a slave and then has relations with her is executed for violating the prohibition against adultery. However, he is not held responsible for the relationship until it becomes public and everyone refers to her as "the wife of X, the slave." When is the relationship with her permitted again? When he separates her from his slave and uncovers her hair in the marketplace. When is a Noahide woman considered divorced? When her husband takes her from his home and sends her away alone, or when she leaves his domain and goes her own way. They do not have a written divorce process. The matter does not depend solely on the man's will. Whenever he or she decides to separate, they can do so, and in that case, they are no longer considered married.

9. A Noahide is guilty of violating the prohibition against stealing, whether from another Gentile or a Jew. This applies to someone who robs a person by force or steals money, a kidnapper, an employer who withholds a worker's wages, and similar acts, including a worker who eats from their employer's produce while not working. In all these cases, they are guilty and considered a thief. Regarding Jews, the law is different. Similarly, a Noahide is guilty of stealing an item worth less than a prutah. Therefore, if a Noahide steals an item worth less than a prutah and another Noahide steals it back, both are executed for it.

10. Similarly, a Noahide is guilty of violating the prohibition against eating a limb or flesh of a living creature. This applies regardless of the quantity involved, as the specification of minimum quantities applies only to Jews. A Noahide is permitted to consume the blood of a living creature.

11. The prohibition applies to a limb or meat that is separated from a domestic animal or beast. However, it seems to me that a Noahide is not executed for eating a limb taken from a live bird.

12. Whoever kills an animal, even if the two signs distinguishing it are cut off as if it had been slaughtered kosher, while the animal is convulsing, the limbs and flesh that are separated from it are forbidden to a Noahide because of the prohibition of a limb from a living creature.

13. All the prohibitions that apply to a Jew regarding a limb of a living creature also apply to Noahides. Furthermore, there are cases in which a Noahide would be considered guilty and a Jew would not, since a Noahide is guilty of possessing a limb or flesh of a living creature, whether a domestic animal or a beast, whether of a kosher or non-kosher species. A limb or flesh severed from an animal that is convulsing, even if a Jew has already cut off the two signs, is forbidden to a Noahide because it is a limb of a living animal.

14. How are the Noahides to fulfill the commandment to establish laws and courts? They are obligated to establish judges and magistrates in every major city to pronounce judgment on these six mitzvot and admonish the people concerning their observance. A Noahide who transgresses these seven commandments shall be executed by beheading. For this reason, all the inhabitants of Shechem were obligated to die. Shechem kidnapped. They observed and were aware of his actions, but they did not judge him. A Noahide is executed based on the testimony of one witness and the verdict of a single judge. No warning is required. Relatives may serve as witnesses. However, a woman may not serve as a witness or judge for them.

Chapter 10

1. A Noahide who inadvertently violates one of his commandments is exempt from all punishment, except for one who inadvertently kills. In such a case, the blood redeemer is not executed for killing the murderer, nor can the murderer seek asylum in a city of refuge. However, the court will not execute him. When does the above apply? When he inadvertently violates a commandment without sinful intent; for example, a person who has relations with his neighbor's wife under the impression that she is his own wife or unmarried woman. However, if he knew that she was his neighbor's wife but did not know that it was forbidden, or it occurred to him that this act was permitted, or he killed without knowing that killing is forbidden, he is considered close to having sinned intentionally and is executed. This is not considered an involuntary violation, since he should have learned his obligations and did not.

2. A Noahide who is forced by another person to violate one of their commandments may transgress it. Even if forced to worship false gods, they may worship them. For Noahides are not commanded to hallow God's name. A minor, deaf, or simple-minded Noahide is never punished because they are not bound by any commandment.

3. A Noahide who converted, was circumcised and immersed in the mikveh, and then decided to abandon God and return to his former status as a resident alien (Ger Toshav), is not granted permission to do so. Rather, he must remain an Israelite in all matters or be executed. If he was a minor and was immersed by the court, he may object to his conversion when he reaches the age of majority and assume only the status of a resident alien. However, if he does not object as soon as he reaches the age of majority, he is no longer given the opportunity to object, and his status is that of a righteous convert. Therefore, if a Jew has relations with a minor girl who was immersed in the mikveh by a court, the money owed to her as payment for her ketubah or as a fine for raping or seducing her is placed in the court's custody until she reaches the age of majority and does not object to her conversion. This measure is taken to prevent him from receiving the money, reaching the age of majority, and then objecting to his conversion. In this way, he would benefit as a Noahide from funds to which he is only entitled under Jewish law.

4. A Noahide who converts after cursing God's name, worshipping false gods, having relations with another Noahide's wife, or killing another Noahide is exempt from punishment. However, if he converts after killing a Jew or having relations with a Jew's wife, he is guilty. He is beheaded for killing the Jew and strangled to death for having relations with a Jew's wife. This latter punishment is applied because the laws governing him have changed.

5. It has already been explained that Noahides are always executed by beheading, except in cases where one has relations with the wife of a Jew or a consecrated maiden. In the latter case, he is stoned to death. If he has relations with the wife of a Jew after marriage, but before they have consummated their marriage, he is executed by strangulation.

6. According to Oral Tradition, Noahides are forbidden from crossbreeding animals and grafting different tree species. However, they are not executed for violating this prohibition. A Gentile who strikes a Jew can be condemned to death for causing even the slightest harm. However, he is not executed.

7. Only Abraham and his descendants were commanded to be circumcised, as it says in Genesis 17:9-10: "Keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you… circumcise every male." The descendants of Ishmael are excluded, as is clear from Genesis 21:12: “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” The descendants of Esau are also excluded, for Isaac said to Jacob in Genesis 28:4: “May God grant you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham,” implying that only he is the true descendant of Abraham, who maintains his faith and righteous conduct. Therefore, only they are obligated to be circumcised.

8. Our Sages related that the descendants of Keturah, who are the descendants of Abraham who came after Isaac and Ishmael, are also obligated to circumcision. Since, nowadays, the descendants of Ishmael have intermingled with the descendants of Keturah, all are obligated to be circumcised on the eighth day. However, they are not punished for failing to fulfill this mitzvah.

9. A gentile who studies Torah is under heavenly death. He should only dedicate himself to the study of its seven mitzvot. Likewise, a gentile who rests, even on a weekday, observing that day as Shabbat, is under heavenly death. Needless to say, this also applies if he creates a holiday for himself. The general principle governing these matters is: they should not be allowed to originate a new religion or create mitzvot for it. If a gentile studies Torah, observes Shabbat, or creates a religious practice, a Jewish court should beat him, punish him, and inform him that he is under heavenly death. However, he should not be executed.

10. We should not prevent a Noahide who wishes to perform one of the Torah commandments in order to receive a reward from doing so, provided he does it as required. If he brings an animal to be sacrificed as a burnt offering, we should receive it. If he gives charity, we should accept it from him. It seems to me that it should be given to poor Jews so that the Noahide may obtain his sustenance from the Jews, and they are commanded to support him if necessary.

11. The Jewish court is obligated to appoint judges for these resident aliens to judge them according to these statutes, so that the world may not be corrupted. If the court deems it appropriate to appoint judges from among the resident aliens themselves, it may do so. If it deems it appropriate to appoint them from among the Jews, it may do so.

12. If two idolaters come before you to have their dispute judged according to Jewish law, and both wish to be judged according to the law of the Torah, they must be judged according to it. If one wishes to be judged according to the law of the Torah and the other does not, they are only obligated to be judged according to their own laws. If there is a dispute between a Jew and an idolater: if the Jew is better off according to his laws, he is judged according to his laws. When the judgment is rendered, the judges explain: "Your law compels this judgment." If the Jew is better off according to our laws, he is judged according to the law of the Torah. When the judgment is rendered, the judges explain: “Our law compels this judgment.” It seems to me that this approach is not followed with respect to a resident alien. Rather, he is always judged according to his laws. Similarly, it seems to me that with regard to respect and honor, and also with regard to charity, a resident alien should be treated like a Jew, for behold, we are commanded to support him, as it says (Deuteronomy 14:21): “You shall not eat any animal that has not been properly slaughtered… give it to the resident alien in your towns to eat.” Although our Sages advised against repeating a greeting to them, that statement applies to idolaters and not to resident aliens. However, our Sages commanded us to visit Gentiles when they are sick, to bury their dead as well as dead Jews, and to support their poor as poor Jews, for the sake of peace. Behold, Psalm 145:9 says: “God is good to all, and his mercies extend over all his works,” and Proverbs 3:17 says: “The ways of the Torah are pleasant ways, and all its paths are peace.”.