Rabbi Nisan Dovid Dubov’s booklet and website a relatable guide to Seven Noahide Laws
Sometimes, the deepest and most important messages are found in the simplest of packages. Bearing just the word “One” on its cover, a small booklet of 40 pages released in the United Kingdom has been widely shared, bringing with it a vision for a universal code that every human being can adhere to. Its lessons, all short and easily relatable, are based on the Seven Noahide Laws, Judaism’s creed for humanity.
The booklet and companion website, oneuniversalcode.org, are the brainchild of Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov, director of Chabad Lubavitch in Wimbledon and prolific Chabad.org author and lecturer.
Written during the extended coronavirus lockdowns in the United Kingdom, the rabbi says he had been toying with and refining the idea for decades.
His involvement with the Noahide Laws began when he was pursuing advanced rabbinic studies in 1987 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He, together with Rabbi Levi Garelik, was called to a meeting with Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel, author and senior aide of the Rebbe— Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
“Rabbi Mindel told us that he was working on a guide to the seven laws, and he needed us to research the relevant texts and sources,” recalls Rabbi Dubov. “He told us that the Rebbe had said it was a three-day project. We got to work and discovered that the literature was so vast and spread out, it could take three years.”
Based on the Rebbe’s reaction to their work (which was never published), as well as that of others, he understood that it was important to make sure that the Seven Noahide Laws do not become regarded as a religion of their own, but serve as basic moral and ethical guidelines that anyone could embrace and adopt as guiding principles in their lives.
After writing, revising and rethinking, the rabbi distilled his work into 30 short, uplifting teachings. Laid out in an aesthetically pleasing manner, they read more like poetry than instruction and are eminently digestible.
For example, the entry titled “Relationships” reads:
Seek a partner who offers love, respect and works on their self-improvement.
Intimacy is a relationship of the soul.
Lasting relationships are founded on the qualities of
loyalty, trust, commitment and unconditional love.
You can’t change others, but you can change yourself.
Appreciate what you have.
‘Yes, dear’, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you’ are great words.
Under “Time,” it offers:
The world says, ‘time is money’. In truth time is life.
Life is too short to waste.
Gossip, envy, anger and unfounded criticism all waste valuable time.
A day with some good in it is a day used well.
We all juggle with priorities — make time for what is truly important.
Use your time well — make every day count.
In addition to English, the book has thus far appeared in German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. A Chinese version is currently in the final stages of editing.
The rabbi is open about the fact that the book is sourced in Jewish tradition. Yet, he reports that he has received very positive feedback from a diverse range of religious leaders, who see their beliefs and traditions within its teachings.
With the vaunted championships currently taking place in his town of Wimbledon, the rabbi is glad to report that the thousands of tennis spectators will consume something more substantive than strawberries and cream: their own complimentary copies of “One.”
Paper and ebook copies of “One” can be purchased online at: oneuniversalcode.org
