This blog was inspired by a discussion we had during our Torah For The Nations Zoom class.

Our classes are more like family discussions, we may start out with a specific topic it seems to always lead us into a discussion of other subjects. Our rabbi, Rabbi Pesach Sherbow desires his classes to revolve around life application of living out the behavioral guidelines found in the Torah for the non-Jewish nations i.e. Shevah Mitzvot Bnei Noach/Noahide Laws.

Those that are outside of the study of the Shevah Mitzvot or behavioral guidelines as I have come to call them, struggle with them, they do not know the Jewish way of studying Torah and how Jewish thought plays a major role in their process of study.

A struggle some have with the behavioral guidelines of Genesis, is that they are not found in a listed format like the 10 Commandments is in the book of Exodus. The issue of the 10 Commandments is another whole lesson. What needs to be understood is the covenant in which the behavioral guidelines of Genesis appears was given to Israel as part of their covenant at Mount Sinai by the Creator. It now falls under the duty of the Jews to teach the world these behavioral guidelines that the Creator desires for all humanity.

In the book, The Noahide Laws Study Edition, it explains it like this in lesson 5 on Deriving The Noahide Laws I pg. 6, “A few of the Noahide laws are not directly commanded, but are rather implied by the history of God’s relationship with man.“

A topic discussed often in our class is the subject of ‘kindness’, it was during this time I shared a thought that I had been meditating on for a few days.

Six of the guidelines were passed down to Noah from Adam. After the flood a seventh one was given to Noah by God. The story can be read in Genesis 9. Take time to read and meditate on Genesis 9 and you will see that God is having a conversation with Noah and his sons. Then when you can go back to Genesis 1 and slowly read up through Noah. When you look deeply into the story from Adam through Noah, their relationship with God was a conversation spoken through action.

A few of the Noahide laws are not directly commanded, but are rather implied by the history of God’s relationship with man.

Now meditate on this, living out the desires of our Creator given to us through the Behavioral Guidelines, is our part of the conversation with God.

As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

Terry W. Hayes
8/2020

Photo Credit: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash