The Seven Commandments
Moral touchstones for all humanity
Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not.
Jeremiah 50:2
One Father created us all. He Who lovingly grants us life, free will, and dominion over planet Earth also blesses us with the gift of guiding law. Every person in every nation lives connected to the First Covenant and to its holy author.
What is moral? What is righteous? This may sound confusing, but it's actually quite simple. It's doing the opposite of what the Noahide Commandments forbid.
Here are the Seven Noahide Commandments - seven headings or "families" of "thou shalt not" prohibitions - with their legal and moral opposites:
What's the difference between the Ten Commandments that were Revealed to the People of Israel through Moses at Mt. Sinai after the Exodus from Egypt, on the one hand, and the Universal Seven Laws?
The Ten Commandments and the specific laws - 613 separate laws in the Five Books of Moses - include many ritual and symbolic laws that aren't necessarily "logical laws" that are clear to the human moral sense. God commands Israel but not all humanity to keep the Seventh Day Sabbath; for instance, God commands Israel but not all humanity to avoid taking His Name in vain; God commands Israel but not all humanity to outlaw all "coveting." It's very important to get this aspect of Biblical Law and Revelation correct: no "burden of the law" falls on non-Jews, who are obligated only by the Seven Commandments, but the Bible's moral laws and commandments are for the enlightenment, guidance, and spiritual elevation of absolutely everyone.
The commandment, in Hebrew, comes from the root "connection." By fulfilling a commandment, human beings connect with the Lord God Himself.
The Seven Commandments are all logical laws. They all follow logically from the Universal Revelation that God made us all "in the "Image of God." Scripture emphasizes this point several times (Genesis 1:26, 1:27, 5:1). That is, God put the whole human family on notice: every human being is sacred, has an inviolable personality, and is not just a thing, animal or object.
The Seven Commandments - the entire human race's eternal precepts of morality, decency, and spiritual guidance - follow, logically and chronologically. Life and the world are real, for instance: therefore, one should not cause animals unnecessary pain, and one should eat, not like an animal or monster, but like the elect of God's Creation.
The Bible points to the Seven Commandments in Genesis chapter 9 and its clearly significant seven declarations of the word "covenant."
These Seven laws are the common inheritance of all humanity, including the Jewish people. In fact, they direct us to every single "logical law" - laws and commandments appealing directly to the human moral sense—apart from the Bible's many ritual and symbolic laws and statutes.
The Rabbis, Prophets, and Sages of Israel have kept this Universal inheritance - this ancient treasure - alive. Now it's time to learn it, keep it, and acquire wisdom about the God Who made it - if the world can only rise above its ancient prejudices and hatred for the 'other' enough to profit from this enormous treasure trove of sacred Wisdom. We've spoken here about this Wisdom only in very general terms. There's considerably more to it! About the nature of work, for instance, and honesty in business; about birth control and abortion and cloning and so-called mercy killings; about conduct in war, and war crimes; about conduct in families, marriage, and parenthood. There is so much here...
*Democratic self-rule is the only system of government based on the infinite sacredness of every human being - the only earthly creature capable of understanding and seeking freedom, justice, and truth. Even when the government isn't democratic, we should still aspire to democracy.