The Seven Commandments Given to the Children of Noah

"And the LORD God commanded the man" (Genesis 2:16). Our Rabbis taught: The children of Noah were commanded seven commandments: laws of justice, blessing [i.e. cursing] the Name, idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, bloodshed, and robbery, and a limb torn from a living animal. Rabbi Chanina ben Gamliel says: Also concerning blood taken from a living animal. Rabbi Chidka says: Also concerning castration. Rabbi Shimon says: Also concerning sorcery. Rabbi Yose says: Concerning everything stated in the passage about sorcery a son of Noah is warned, "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son through fire... and because of these abominations the LORD your God is dispossessing them before you" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12); He punished only because He had first warned. Rabbi Elazar says: Also concerning forbidden mixtures [kilayim]. The children of Noah are permitted to wear mixed fabrics and to sow mixed seeds; they are forbidden only the crossbreeding of animals and the grafting of trees. From where are these derived? Rabbi Yochanan said: For the verse states "and He commanded [vayetzav]" - these are the laws of justice, and so it says, "For I have known him, that he will command" (Genesis 18:19). "The LORD" - this is cursing the Name, and so it says, "And one who blasphemes the name of the LORD" (Leviticus 24:16). "God" - this is idolatry, and so it says, "You shall not have other gods" (Exodus 20:3). "Concerning the man" - this is bloodshed, and so it says, "One who sheds the blood of man" (Genesis 9:6). "Saying" - this is forbidden sexual relations, and so it says, "Saying, if a man sends away his wife" (Jeremiah 3:1). "From every tree of the garden" - and not robbery. "You may surely eat" - and not a limb torn from a living animal. When Rabbi Yitzchak came, he taught the opposite assignments. "And He commanded" - this is idolatry. What is the implication? Rav Chisda and Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi differed: one said from "They have turned aside quickly from the way" (Exodus 32:8); the other said from "Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he willingly went after the command" (Hosea 5:11). The difference between them concerns a gentile who made an idol but did not bow to it: the one who derives it from "they made" holds him liable from the moment of making; the one who derives it from "he willingly went after the command" holds him liable only once he goes after it and worships it. Our Rabbis taught: "But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat" (Genesis 9:4) - this is a limb torn from a living animal. Rabbi Chanina ben Gamliel says: It refers to blood taken from a living animal; he reads it, "its blood with its life you shall not eat." And the Rabbis hold that verse comes to permit creeping creatures [otherwise]. Rabbi Shimon says: Also concerning sorcery, for it is written, "You shall not let a sorceress live" (Exodus 22:17), and it is written, "Whoever lies with a beast" (Exodus 22:18); whoever is included in "whoever lies" is included in "you shall not let a sorceress live." Rabbi Elazar says: Also concerning forbidden mixtures, for the verse states, "You shall keep My statutes" (Leviticus 19:19) - statutes that I already enacted for you long ago: "You shall not crossbreed your animal with mixed kinds; you shall not sow your field with mixed kinds." And were the children of Noah commanded concerning laws of justice? Has it not been taught: Israel was given ten commandments at Marah - the seven that the children of Noah had accepted, and they added to them laws of justice, as it is written, "There He set for them a statute and an ordinance" (Exodus 15:25), and Shabbat and honoring father and mother, as it is written, "as the LORD your God commanded you" (Deuteronomy 5:16), and Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: "as He commanded you" means at Marah? Rav Pappa said: This Tanna is of the school of Menasheh, who removes "justice and cursing" and inserts "castration and forbidden mixtures." For the school of Menasheh taught: The children of Noah were commanded seven commandments: idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, bloodshed, robbery, a limb from a living animal, castration, and forbidden mixtures. Rabbi Yehudah says: Also concerning cursing the Name. And some say: Also concerning laws of justice. According to whom is the teaching of Rav Yehudah: "And the LORD God commanded the man" - I am God, do not curse Me; I am God, do not exchange Me [for idols]; I am God, let My fear be upon you? According to the view of "some say." And the school of Menasheh, if it does not expound "and He commanded," from where does it derive these laws? In truth it does not expound it, and each of these is written on its own. Idolatry and forbidden relations, as it is written, "And the earth was corrupt" (Genesis 6:11), and the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Wherever "corruption" is stated it refers only to idolatry and forbidden relations - idolatry, as it is written, "lest you act corruptly" (Deuteronomy 4:16); forbidden relations, as it is written, "for all flesh had corrupted" (Genesis 6:12). Bloodshed, as it is written, "one who sheds the blood of man" (Genesis 9:6). Robbery, as it is written, "like the green herb I have given you all" (Genesis 9:3); and Rav Levi said, like the green herb of the field and not like the green herb of a garden [i.e. not what belongs to another]. A limb from a living animal, as it is written, "But flesh with its life, its blood" (Genesis 9:4). Castration, as it is written, "Swarm in the earth and multiply in it" (Genesis 9:7). Forbidden mixtures, as it is written, "of the birds after their kind" (Genesis 6:20).