The above division is a simple way of viewing everything that the Jewish tradition has to say about the Seven Noahide Commandments. Each source comes to us from the hands of
My first inclination was to translate and explain the oldest rulings first — those in the Tosefta.* Then I would list the discussions in the Talmud * that amplify the content of the Tosefta. Next, I would introduce the codes and rulings that are based on the Talmud.
However, I soon realized that this approach would distort the true picture of the Seven Commandments and probably confuse anyone who was trying to gain a better understanding of the subject.
Why? The nature of the Talmud is to develop relationships and contexts for the thousands of oral teachings that existed at the time. The discussions in the Talmud generally start as proposals or theses. Then the Sages test each proposal against other oral rulings. A proposal that is contradicted by evidence from another ruling is rejected, and a new proposal is presented.
Therefore, a few lines of the Talmud taken out of context lose their significance. Are the lines a statement of conjecture or a firm conclusion? Are they limited in scope or broadly significant? Are they tentatively accepted on the spot but later confined to a specific case?
I am now presenting the subject starting with the works of Rabbi Moses Maimonides.* His foremost work is a code of Jewish law and tradition, the Mishneh Torah * — usually referred to simply as "Maimonides' Code." The Code is the most comprehensive and yet succinct presentation of the Jewish tradition. It is organized by subject and presented as a series of related rulings. Each ruling tends to stand on its own.
Maimonides' Book of the Commandments is an overview and introduction to the Code.
By placing Maimonides' works first on the list, I am able to explain the earlier Tosefta, the later Talmud, and the Midrash as to how they fit into a larger picture.
So far, this is one scheme, one picture — that of Rabbi Moses Maimonides. It remains for me to discover the extent that any other giant of an authority formulates a diverging scheme. However, even were I to find divergence, I would be obligated to interpret the disagreement in the smallest way possible. This "minimizing argument" is a basic principle in Torah study.
(This priciple is called "parsimony" or "economy" in contemporary scientific research.)
Tosefta - toh SEFF tuh
Talmud - TAHL mood; This web site contains bibliographies of books which introduce the Talmud. Some of these books also explain how the Tosefta fits into the teachings of the Rabbinic Sages.
Maimonides - my MAHN ih deez
Mishneh Torah - MISH neh TOH ruh