and Observing the Seven Noahide Commandments
בס”ד
To accept the “yoke of Heaven”
The Hebrew term for “accepting the yoke of Heaven” is kabalat ol Malchut Shamayim, where “Malchut” refers to Kingship. This suggests a more positive connotation: accepting the Kingship of G-d. Jews affirm His Kingship three times daily through the recitation of the Shema Israel.
The word “shema” (שמע) is an acronym for שאו מרום עיניכם — “raise your eyes on high.” [To whom?] To ש-ד-י מלך עולם — A-mighty King of the world.1
Although Noahides are permitted to recite verses from the Tanach, including the opening verse of the Shema, they should refrain from reciting the full Shema because it includes specific commandments meant solely for Jews. For instance, the Shema mentions commandments such as affixing a mezuzah to a doorpost (Deut. 6:9, 11:20), wearing tefillin (Deut. 6:8, 11:18), and donning tzitzit on a four-cornered garment (Numbers 15:37-41). These are exclusively Jewish obligations. However, Noahides may recite the verse, “Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One” (Deut. 6:4), which speaks of G-d’s unity—a belief that applies to both Jews and Noahides.2
Noahides are not commanded to recognize G-d’s Kingship daily as Jews do, but it is a natural extension of belief in G-d to acknowledge and declare His Kingship.
There are various forms of this declaration. Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet, for example, composed one published in The Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner.
Another version can be found in “The Order”3 Reprinted with permission, such as the following example:
Almighty G-d, we accept upon ourselves Your sovereign kingship and mastery:
- You alone are our G-d.
- You alone are our King.
- You alone are omnipotent and eternal.
- You alone are our Creator and Savior.
- You alone do we worship and to You alone do we give thanks.
As it is written in Your holy Torah: “You shall know this day and take it to your heart that G-d alone is G-d; in the heavens above and on the earth below – there is none other!” (Deuteronomy 4:39)
And, “You shall love your G-d with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
And, “Fear G-d, your G-d, and serve Him, and swear in His Name alone.” (Deuteronomy 6:13)
Accepting G-d’s Kingship means committing to obey His Divine commandments to the best of one’s ability, even when they challenge one’s emotions or rational thinking. It also involves leaving behind former customs and practices, just as Abraham did when he recognized that there is only one G-d and followed His commands.
We see this in Genesis 12:1
| Now the L-RD said unto Abram: ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee. | א וַיֹּאמֶר ד’ אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, |
Abraham left behind the customs and values of his homeland and of the house of his father, which were in conflict with the Torah, embracing instead the values founded on G-d’s teachings. Abraham’s willingness to follow G-d extended even to difficult commands, such as the near-sacrifice of his son Isaac, as recounted in Genesis 22:2
| 2 And He said: ‘Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’ | וַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶ֨ךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ |
Although such commands defy human instincts and emotions, Abraham chose to act as G-d commanded. This is the genuine way to accept G-d’s Kingship, kabalat ol Malchut Shamayim. For Noahides, this means taking upon themselves the Seven Noahide Laws and observing them to the best of their ability.
The Seven Noahide Laws
The Seven Commandments for Noahides are found in both the Tanach and the Talmud. Rabbi Yochanan taught from Genesis 2:164:
“And the L-rd G-d commanded man saying, ‘from all of the trees of the garden shall you eat’ (Genesis 2:16). “And the L-rd G-d commanded”—this refers to laws, as another verse states, ‘for I know him, and how he commands his children, etc.’ (Genesis 18:19)
“The L-rd”—this refers to blasphemy, as another verse states, ‘and one who desecrates the Name of Hashem will surely die’. (Leviticus 24:16)
“G-d”—this refers to idolatry, as another verse states, ‘you shall not have any other gods’ (Exodus 20:2).
“Man”—this refers to murder, as another verse says, ‘one who spills the blood of man, etc.’ (Genesis 9:6)
“Saying”—this refers to sexual immorality, as another verse states, ‘(saying) if a man sends his wife away, and she leaves him and marries another man…’ (Jeremiah 3:1)
“From any of the trees of the garden”—and not something acquired by theft “You may surely eat”—but not the limb of a live animal
This teaching gives us the seven main categories of the Noahide Laws:
- Laws of Justice
- Prohibition of Blasphemy
- Prohibition of Idolatry
- Prohibition of Murder
- Prohibition of Sexual Immorality
- Prohibition of Theft
- Prohibition of Eating the Limb of a Living Animal
Each category includes various details several details
One does not necessarily need a Beth Din (a Jewish court of law consisting of three Orthodox Jewish men) or witnesses to accept these commandments. This commitment can be made either privately or publicly. Maimonides teaches that such acceptance is a matter of the heart. However, making a public declaration can offer personal reinforcement and serve as a powerful testimony to others. A suggested text may be used for public declarations.
The text that can be used is the following
Noahides take upon themselves the Seven Laws because they recognize that these were divinely given to Moses and are included in the Torah, both the Written and Oral Torah. As Rambam (Maimonides) states in Laws of Kings and Wars 8:11:
“Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their observance is considered one of ‘the pious among the gentiles’ and will merit a share in the world to come. This applies only when he accepts them and fulfills them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moses, our teacher, that Noah’s descendants had been commanded to fulfill them previously. However, if he fulfills them out of intellectual conviction, he is neither a resident alien, nor one of ‘the pious among the gentiles,’ nor one of their wise men.”
This quotation from Rambam confirms that recognizing the divine origin of the Seven Laws and the authority of Moses is essential for Noahides to be acknowledged as the pious among the gentiles.
The Oral Torah
The 8th principle of Torah-based Faith that was enumerated by Rambam (Maimonides) is5:
I fully believe that all of the Torah, as we possess it today, was given to Moses by G-d.
This means that we believe that G-d gave both the Written and Oral Torah to Moses. The Written Torah” was transcribed by Moses “from the mouth of the Almighty” and is contained within the Torah scroll. The Oral Torah was handed down by word of mouth from Moses to Joshua, then to the Elders, the Prophets, and the Great Assembly.
The Men of the Great Assembly were a group of 120 prophets and sages, including notable figures such as Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordecai, Daniel, Simeon the Just, and the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. These individuals formed the central religious authority at the beginning of the Second Temple period, which began in the 4th century BCE. This assembly played a crucial role in shaping Jewish tradition, including formalizing the prayers and blessings that are still used to this day.
In addition to their liturgical contributions, the Men of the Great Assembly were responsible for systematizing much of the Oral Torah. They organized it into a structured, memorized form that became known as the Mishnah. For generations, the Mishnah was passed down orally, with students committing its teachings to memory. Over time, it evolved into a curriculum for study that provided the foundational principles for Jewish law and tradition.6
During the Roman rule and subsequent Jewish exile, there was a growing fear that the Oral Torah, which had been transmitted orally for centuries, might be forgotten due to the persecution of the Jewish people and the dispersion of scholars. To prevent this, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi took the decisive step of compiling and transcribing the Mishnah in approximately 198 CE, giving it its final written form. This marked a significant milestone in Jewish history, as it ensured the preservation of the Oral Torah for future generations.
In the centuries that followed, rabbinical scholars continued to engage in discussions and debates about the Mishnah’s teachings. These discussions, which delved deeper into the meaning and application of the laws in the Mishnah, were also eventually recorded by Rav Ashi and his son Mar bar Rav Ashi and became known as the Gemara. Together, the Mishnah and Gemara form the Talmud, with the most prominent version being the Babylonian Talmud, which remains a central text in Jewish learning and law.
A personal note
I made the promise in a personal way in prayer to G-d. That was the “official” moment for me when I left Christianity for good, but did not yet know about the Noahide Code.
The second time – in the time of Corona – I was allowed to take the pledge via Zoom with 3 Rabbis. This was for me to dissolve the baptismal vow I had made at the age of 13.
The third time, I was blessed with the opportunity to take the pledge before a Beth Din in Jerusalem.
All three vows had their value. The first one because it was a starting point of something new. The second is the nullification of a previous promise. The third is a testimony to the Jewish People themselves and in the process, for myself, the reinforcement of my first promise.
By Angelique Sijbolts
With Thanks to Rabbi Tani Burton for his feedback
Sources:
- This is taught by Rabbi David Abudarham. ↩︎
- See also The Divine Code by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, Part I, Chapter 3 and p. 33 ↩︎
- The Order by Raymond L. Petterson
You can find a link to the book on the bookpage of the website: Reprinted with permission ↩︎ - Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 56b – see also Introduction to the Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach, Part One ↩︎
- See also Noahides and the Oral Torah ↩︎
- Learn more about the Great Assembly and Temurah 14b ↩︎
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