...the entire world descended from Noah.
ואע''ג דישראל נמי בני נח נינהו כיון דאיתקדש אברהם אבינו איקרו על שמיה ולא על שם נח:
Even though Jews are also children of Noah, once Avraham became holy, his descendants were called by his name and not by the name of Noah.
SEVEN NOAHIDE LAWS
- Do not profane G‑d’s Oneness in any way. Acknowledge that there is a single G‑d who cares about what we are doing and desires that we take care of His world.
- Do not curse your Creator.
No matter how angry you may be, do not take it out verbally against your Creator. - Do not murder.
The value of human life cannot be measured. To destroy a single human life is to destroy the entire world—because, for that person, the world has ceased to exist. It follows that by sustaining a single human life, you are sustaining an entire universe. - Do not eat a limb of a living animal.
Respect the life of all G‑d’s creatures. As intelligent beings, we have a duty not to cause undue pain to other creatures. - Do not steal.
Whatever benefits you receive in this world, make sure that none of them are at the unfair expense of someone else. - Harness and channel the human libido.
Incest, adultery, rape and homosexual relations are forbidden.
The family unit is the foundation of human society. Sexuality is the fountain of life and so nothing is more holy than the sexual act. So, too, when abused, nothing can be more debasing and destructive to the human being. - Establish courts of law and ensure justice in our world.
With every small act of justice, we are restoring harmony to our world, synchronizing it with a supernal order. That is why we must keep the laws established by our government for the country’s stability and harmony.
עולא אמר... שלשים מצות שקבלו עליהם בני נח
Ulla said: Bnei Noach accepted 30 mitzvos
It is not stated [explicitly] what these [30 mitzvos] are, or where they are derived from.
שלשים מצות שעתידין בני נח לקבל עליהן.
...in the future, Bnei Noach will accept 30 mitzvos upon themselves.
(א) עַל שִׁשָּׁה דְּבָרִים נִצְטַוָּה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן. עַל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְעַל בִּרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם. וְעַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים. וְעַל גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת. וְעַל הַגֵּזֶל. וְעַל הַדִּינִים. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכֻּלָּן הֵן קַבָּלָה בְּיָדֵינוּ מִמּשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ. וְהַדַּעַת נוֹטָה לָהֶן. מִכְּלַל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה יֵרָאֶה שֶׁעַל אֵלּוּ נִצְטַוָּה. הוֹסִיף לְנֹחַ אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ט, ד) "אַךְ בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ". נִמְצְאוּ שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת. וְכֵן הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם עַד אַבְרָהָם. בָּא אַבְרָהָם וְנִצְטַוָּה יֶתֶר עַל אֵלּוּ בְּמִילָה. וְהוּא הִתְפַּלֵּל שַׁחֲרִית. וַיִּצְחָק הִפְרִישׁ מַעֲשֵׂר וְהוֹסִיף תְּפִלָּה אַחֶרֶת לִפְנוֹת הַיּוֹם. וְיַעֲקֹב הוֹסִיף גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה וְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַרְבִית. וּבְמִצְרַיִם נִצְטַוָּה עַמְרָם בְּמִצְוֹת יְתֵרוֹת. עַד שֶׁבָּא משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ וְנִשְׁלְמָה תּוֹרָה עַל יָדוֹ:
(1) Adam, the first man, was commanded with six commandments: 1) idolatry, 2) “blessing” (euphemistically) the Name (of G-d), 3) murder, 4) illicit sexual relations, 5) thievery and, 6) establishing a system of justice. Even though all of these have been received as a Tradition from Moses our Teacher and we can understand the rationale for them, nevertheless, from (verses in) the Torah (we learn that) it was these that they were commanded. A seventh commandment forbidding the eating of a limb torn from a live animal was added for Noah, as it says, “Even flesh, life is in the blood, do not eat of it” (Genesis 9:4). These commandments were universally applicable - until Abraham. With Abraham, circumcision was also commanded and he prayed Shacharis (the Morning Prayer). Isaac separated out a tithe and added another prayer in the afternoon and, with Jacob, the prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve was added, as was the Maariv (Evening) Prayer. In Egypt, Amram was commanded with other precepts. Ultimately, Moses came, and the Torah was completed with him.
(יא) כָּל הַמְקַבֵּל שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת וְנִזְהָר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן הֲרֵי זֶה מֵחֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְהוּא שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל אוֹתָן וְיַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁצִּוָּה בָּהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּתּוֹרָה וְהוֹדִיעָנוּ עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁבְּנֵי נֹחַ מִקֹּדֶם נִצְטַוּוּ בָּהֶן. אֲבָל אִם עֲשָׂאָן מִפְּנֵי הֶכְרֵעַ הַדַּעַת אֵין זֶה גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב וְאֵינוֹ מֵחֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְלֹא מֵחַכְמֵיהֶם:
(11) Anyone who accepts upon himself and carefully observes the Seven Commandments is of the Righteous of the Nations of the World and has a portion in the World to Come. This is as long as he accepts and performs them because (he truly believes that) it was the Holy One, Blessed Be He, Who commanded them in the Torah, and that is was through Moses our Teacher we were informed that the Sons of Noah had already been commanded to observe them. But if he observes them because he convinced himself logically81By his own intellect and conscience, but he does not agree that they were commanded by G-d., then he is not considered a Resident Convert and is not of the Righteous of the Nations of the World, but merely one of their wise.
תורת מנחם י"א ניסן תשמ"ה ח"ג ע' 1715
שבע מצוות בני־נח תוכנם ונקודתם — קיום העולם באופן ד״לשבת יצרה״. ונמצא, שעל ידם שוללים ענין של מלחמה ורעב, ״לא רעב ולא מלחמה״,: לדוגמא איסור גזל — שולל ענין של מלחמה, וכן ענין של רעב שכן כשאינו גוזל מחבירו, יש לו מה לאכול, ואינו רעב. וכיו״ב בשאר הפרטים הקשורים עם ישוב העילם. ולכן כשמחפשים דרכים כיצד לעזור ולסייע למדינות הנמצאות במעמד ומצב של ״רעב״, או למנוע מעמד ומצב של ״מלחמה״, הרי הדרך לזה היא להוסיף בקיום שבע מצוות בני־נח. שעי״ז זוכים לקיום העולם באופן ד״לשבת יצרה״.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, April 2, 1985
The point of the Seven Noahide Laws is to settle the world. Through these Laws, war and famine will be negated, [as Rambam writes, that in the Messianic era there will be] "no famine and no war."
For example, the prohibition of stealing negates war and hunger, for when one doesn't steal from another, one has what to eat and isn't hungry. The same applies in other similar areas.
Therefore, when one is looking for ways to help countries that are experiencing famine, or for how to prevent war, the way to accomplish this is by adding in the fulfillment of the Seven Noahide Laws. Through this we will merit to sustain the world.
תורת מנחם י"ב תמוז תשמ"ה ח"ד ע' 2464
המעמד ומצב במדינה זו הוא שלבני ישראל יש קשרים והיכרות אם אינם־יהודים, והקב״ה הצליחם והם תופסים מקום בעיני העמים ומתחשבים עמהם. ישנם אמנם כאלו ששוכחים על העיקר. הם חושבים שהמטרה בכל זה היא כדי שיוכלו לקבל מעט כבוד (או כבוד הרבה...), או שיהי׳ להם עסק טוב ויוכלו להרויח יותר דולרים... גם זה אמת ״און זאל אים זיין צו געזונט״... אבל ח״ו לחשוב שזוהי כל מטרת הקב״ה בזה שהצליח אותו להיות בעל השפעה בין העמים, בכדי שייעשה ״מקבל״ מאינו־יהודי! ......וכן בעניננו: אף שיתכן שמקבל הוא תועלת אמיתית מהאינו־יהודי, אין להסתפק בכך, להשאר רק ״מקבל״, אלא צריכים לנצל ההיכרות הלזו להשפיע על האינו־יהודי.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, July 1, 1985
The situation in our country is that every Jew has relationships with non-Jews. Hashem has made us successful, and we are respected. There are, however, some [of us] who forget the main thing: they think that the purpose of these relationships is that we will receive a little honor (or a lot of honor...); or that we will do some good business deals and make a lot of money... that is also true, and may he be successful!... but G-d forbid to think that the entire purpose that G-d had in mind when He made us successful is that we should only receive from non-Jews! That is not the way the world is supposed to work! When it comes to the 7 Noahide Laws, it should not suffice that we remain just a recipient, we must also have an influence in these relationships [i.e., by teaching the Noahide Laws].