The commandments were given so that all humans could participate in the boundless good that the Creator wished to bestow on humankind. Maimonides taught that non-Jews who obey the seven commandments out of the conviction of love and respect for God have a portion in the World-to-Come (the Messianic era). Although they are worded in the negative ("you shall not..."), that simply emphasizes the importance of avoiding evil. But they have highly positive effects. Their benefit appears in three distinct areas. The prohibitions against idolatry and blasphemy teach man to revere and worship one Supreme Being, which is the foundation for all ethics, reminding us that all come from one Source. The prohibitions against murder, sexual immorality (primarily adultery and incest), robbery, and perversion of justice serve as the foundations for social morality among human beings. The prohibition against eating flesh from a living animal instills in humans basic instincts of kindness toward lower creatures and reminds him to curb his own animal appetites.

Because of the distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish observance, it is clear that Judaism teaches tolerance of other legitimate faiths and creeds. It categorically denies that a non-Jew must live by Torah or forever be condemned to "purgatory." The Jewish nation has no monopoly on heaven. In fact, active efforts to convince non-Jews to take on Torah observance or "convert" are considered inappropriate; it is almost a form of racism, saying that our religion is better than yours. Nonetheless, while Jews do not seek to proselytize, individuals from among the nations of the world who have a spiritual yearning to join the Jewish people and take on all the obligations of Torah, replete with its rituals and observances, may do so by the process of a conversion.