The basis of all
commandments is the belief that G-d who is the creator
of all things, and capable of doing everything, has
commanded us to fulfill them. Habakkuk summed it up
by stating that a righteous person shall live through
his belief. Also in Chapter 9:23 of Jeremiah it is
stated: “But let he who glories, glory in this,
that he understands and knows Me, that I am the L-rd
who exercises loving kindness, judgment and righteousness
in the world: for it is these things that I desire,
says the L-rd.”
The Gaon, Rabbi Shmuel
Ben Hafni, stated that the important commandment for
the people of other nations is the belief that the
L-rd our G-d is the Creator and director of the world,
that He is actively involved in the lives of every
person and that He is One.
The Rambam writing
to Rav Hasdai stated: “Quoting from our sages,
the righteous people from other nations have a place
in the world to come, if they have acquired what they
should learn about the Creator.”
In the category of
the belief in the one true G-d, the seven commandments
to the children of Noah include the prohibitions against
worshiping other gods and against blasphemy (which
includes professing atheism). There are, of course,
many commandments connected with the belief in the
one true G-d. They include:
(a) Loving G-d
(b) Praying to Him
(c) Thanking Him for His generosity
(d) Trusting Him
(e) Honoring Him
(f) Sanctifying his Holy Name
(g) Prohibiting the desecration of his Holy Name
(h) Moving away from those who do not believe in
Him such as atheists, infidels and impious people
(i) Having a direct relationship with Him, not through
any intermediaries. This is why it is forbidden
to pray among others to any angels or to the dead
or to any person past, present or future!
(a) Loving G-d: Inasmuch as the Israelites
were commanded not only to love G-d, but that they
should also teach all mankind to love G-d, we see
that all people are supposed to love Him. One of the
first to do so was Abraham the Patriarch (Sifri Vetchanan),
and in the Sefer Mitzvot it says, “This mitzvah
[loving G-d] includes that we should call every human
being to believe in Him and worship only Him…
See to it that you make Him beloved to your fellow
men just as your forefather Abraham did.”
(b) Praying to G-d: Noah was punished
for not praying so that his fellow men might be saved
from the flood. According to the sages (Zohar Leviticus
p15b)., this is the reason that the flood is named
after Noah. However, the destruction of Sodom is another
case. This event is not named after Abraham because
he did pray to save the people of Sodom before it
was destroyed. One type of prayer is a request by
a human being to G-d. There is also a thanksgiving
prayer that is an important obligation from a person
for all the things for which he is thankful such as:
his occupation that gives him a livelihood, health,
family, etc. and especially if something good has
occurred to him personally. This brings us to thanksgiving.
(c) Thanking G-d for His generosity:
Again the best example is from Abraham. In the Gemara
Sota: 10, Abraham in Beersheva would invite people
to eat and drink with him. At the end of the meal
he would request from them that they should bless
and thank G-d for his generosity.
(d) Trusting in G-d: Joseph was punished
by two years being added to his stay in prison because
he requested help in getting a prison release from
Pharaoh’s wine chief instead of putting his
full trust in G-d (Genesis Rabbah 29:3).
(e) Honoring G-d:
To honor one’s father and one’s mother
is a threshold to honoring the heavenly Creator Father
who begat us. One should honor and give credit to
all wise Torah teachers and sages, especially those
who teach you Torah. He who does not fully honor his
Torah teachers dishonors G-d. A person must be very
careful in fulfilling this commandment. To give honor
to G-d, he must give honor
to the Torah and to its wise teachers. Honoring G-d
also extends to honoring all of G-ds creations because
they are His creations. In particular one should honor
elderly persons because these persons have most likely
witnessed in their lifetime many instances of G-d’s
intervention. Through my giving honor to them I am
honoring someone who recognizes the greatness of the
Creator. The importance of fulfilling oaths and vows
made in G-d’s name can be understood in the
framework of giving honor to G-d.
(f) To be willing
to make every effort for the Sanctification of His
Holy Name: There are opinions that in some situations,
a non-Israelite is even called upon to die as a martyr
to protect the honor of G-d (i.e. not to worship other
gods). All agree that he must be willing to die rather
than to commit murder. The person must know that everything
occurring is according to the will of G-d and accept
it without complaining against Him. This commandment
is part of the previous one.
(g) Prohibition against
desecrating G-d’s name: This was one of the
reasons that the people of Sodom were punished. In
this respect a G-d fearing person must be especially
careful in the manner in which he conducts himself.
If he does not act properly, others will point to
him and say. “Look how unethically (or however
badly) that person is acting and he is a believer
in G-d.” This constitutes a desecration of His
name in an indirect way.
(h) Not Having Fellowship
With Unbelievers and Impious People: Relations with
unbelievers are only for the purpose already mentioned
before. It is the duty of everyone to ensure that
all human beings believe in the one true G-d and do
His will. Consequently a person must be extremely
careful that he does not bring another person to sin
by his association with the ungodly. Psalms 1:1 says.
“Happy is the man who has not walked/followed
after the advice of wicked men, who has not stood/lingered
on the path of immoral men, and who has not sat [or
made his permanent dwelling] with scoffers.”
This is especially true when participating in religious
services where the ritual or sermons, songs or prayers
are violating the Torah.
