Man’s Education Begins
And the Lord God commanded man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die.
Genesis 2:16-17
The Sages and great Torah teachers of Israel teach us that Genesis 2:16-17 is the beginning of man’s moral training. He was created to be a moral and ethical being; this was to be humanity’s path in which they are to walk.
This moral training began with an instruction, one that was not rational to his intellect. If left alone without any instruction from the Creator, man, with all his intellect, would have never prescribed such a prohibition upon himself. Such a prohibition was contrary to all his senses and his nature. There could only be one conclusion, one reason and purpose for such a prohibition that went beyond man’s intellect; it was the absolute Will of G-d.
Divine Responsibility
Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch, in his Chumash on Genesis 2:16, teaches us that the Hebrew word that’s” translated as ‘commanded’ is related to another Hebrew word which means “to assign someone to a post”. And then he goes on to make the assertion, “One who is bound by a mitzvah/command is also the guardian of that command”. In the military, when a soldier is given a specific command, they are required to perform and guard that order until it is completed or they are relieved of duty.
The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) taught, “Any Gentile who accepts the seven commands and is careful to observe them is of the pious of the nations of the world” and will have a portion in the World to Come. This is so provided that one accepts them and observes 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 were originally commanded about them” (Mishneh Torah, book Shoftim – Laws of Kings and their Wars Chapter 8:11)
Sheva Mitzvot B’nei Noah/The Noahide Laws
- Do not worship idols (or false gods).
- Do not curse God (Blasphemy).
- Do not murder.
- Do not commit sexual immorality (including adultery and incest).
- Do not steal.
- Do not eat a limb removed from a live animal (cruelty to animals).
- Establish courts of justice (and legal systems to uphold these laws).
The inspiration for this blog came to me while teaching on Genesis 2:16-17 in my Outreach Noah class. The statement by Rabbi Hirsch, “One who is bound by a mitzvah/command is also the guardian of that command,” reminded me of a time while I was learning and preparing to join the Jewish people and their covenant with G-d (later on, I came to the conclusion it was not my path to walk). I remembered that I carried a little book in my pocket called “The 6 Constant Mitzvot.”
The Torah contains 613 mitzvot/commandments/instructions given to the Jewish people within the Sinai covenant. Many of those commandments are regulated to specific times, places, genders, occupations, positions, and tribal affiliations. But, there are six constant commandments, that are applicable at all times and places, regardless of what your status is within the nation. These commandments require more of an internal consciousness than they do physical action.
The 6 Constant Mitzvot:
- Know there is a G-d.
- Don’t believe in other gods.
- G-d is one.
- Love G-d.
- Fear G-d.
- Don’t be misled by your heart and eyes.
What can we learn from this?
King David tells us in Psalms 16:8 “I have set G-d always before me” – “I no longer seek His presence in the heights but I have set Him before my eyes in everything I do on earth.” Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch
King David did not just have a religious faith or follow commands out of rote. He made G-d and the Torah that he was responsible for, personal – he set G-d before him in all his thoughts and deeds.
We of the nations of the world have the opportunity to apply this principle in our own lives; we can set G-d before us and personalize what He has assigned us to do – the Sheva Mitzvot B’nei Noach/ the Seven Noahide Laws.
Mindfulness not Passive Awareness
The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) emphasized being careful to observe the commandments. To be conscious of them at all times, internalize the commandments, be constantly aware, because at any moment, a situation could arise producing an opportunity for your observance of a commandment
There is a principle within Stoic philosophy called ‘prosoche’ (attention): this involves constant paying attention – a moment-to-moment watchfulness over one’s own actions, judgments, and thoughts.
When we look at this philosophical principle from the Stoics, we find contained within it, both principles from the Rambam and Rabbi Hirsch – being careful in your observance and guardianship.
To help build a life of mindfulness toward our Divine responsibilities, there are a few things that we can do.
- Morning meditations focus on a particular commandment for the day. If you have a copy of The Divine Code, go to the section that covers that commandment that you want to meditate on and pick out a small section, a sentence or, small paragraph. Just enough to spend a few 5-10 minutes of time for reflection.
- Taking an evening review of the day before bed time. Make an honest account of your progress and failures. This is not a time of to beat yourself up.
- Journaling your meditations and evening reviews of the day.
- Include talking to the Creator during your morning and evening meditations.
I want to conclude with king David’s principle for making his covenant responsibilities personal for him.
May we in our covenant with the Creator adopt the same principle for our lives.
Psalms 16:8 I have set G-d before my eyes in everything I do on earth.
Terry W. Hayes
2/2026
Emuna Trek 