The Noachide Laws
The Jewish Religion A Companion - Jacobs, p. 366
The seven laws given to Noach, the father of all mankind
after the Flood. The doctrine of the Noachide laws is based on the constant
appeals in the Scriptures to Gentiles to behave justly and practice
righteousness, implying that all human beings know either instinctively or by
tradition what constitutes justice and righteousness. These seven laws seem
to be basic rules by which all humans are expected to live. They constitute
the Torah for the Gentile world. Opinions are divided in the Rabbinic
literature on the precise formulation of these seven principles but the
accepted view of the seven is that they consist of the prohibition of
idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery and incest (counted as one), robbery,
the need to establish a proper system of justice; and the prohibition against
eating flesh torn from a living animal. A 'son of Noach' (ben Noach) is the
name given to a Gentile. He is obliged to keep the Noachide laws and if he
does he belongs among 'the righteous of the nations of the world' who have a
share in the World to Come. Maimonides (Melachim
8:11) is unusual in qualifying this that the 'son
of Noach' is obligated to keep the laws because he believes that they have
been revealed by G-d, otherwise he belongs among 'the wise of the nations of
the world' and not among the 'saints' of the nations of the world.