Mitzvah

A mitzvah is a central concept in Jewish life and law. The Hebrew word primarily refers to a commandment from God. These are religious duties that followers perform as part of their faith. In a secondary sense, the word describes a specific deed or act. This can include a person performing an act of human kindness. Many people see a mitzvah as more than just a legal duty. It often includes a sense of heartfelt sentiment and love. For example, the Torah instructs people to love their neighbors as themselves.

Jewish law is built upon these commandments through a system called Halakha. Halakha is the practical application of the mitzvot found in the Written Law, known as the Torah. This system develops through discussions and debates within the Oral Law. The Oral Law is recorded in classical rabbinic literature like the Mishnah and the Talmud. Scholars divide the commandments into different types to understand them better. Some are called mishpatim, which are laws that seem self-evident like not stealing. Others are called edot, which are testimonies that commemorate historical events. Finally, chukim are decrees where the specific rationale is not known to humans.

There are two main ways to categorize the nature of these duties. The first way is by whether they are positive or negative. Positive mitzvot are obligations that tell a person what they should do. Negative mitzvot are prohibitions that tell a person what they should not do. According to tradition, there are 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. This brings the total number of commandments to 613. Some commandments are very serious and follow the principle of yehareg ve'al ya'avor. This means a person should let themselves be killed rather than violate them. This principle applies specifically to murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual relations.

Another distinction exists between Biblical laws and rabbinic laws. Biblical mitzvot are called mitzvot d'oraita, meaning they come directly from the Torah. Rabbis in later generations also created additional laws called mitzvot derabbanan. These rabbinic laws include things like the takkanah and the gezeirah. Medieval scholars debated why one should follow laws made by rabbis. Maimonides argued that following rabbinic laws is actually a Biblical duty. He believed people must obey the decisions of Jewish religious authorities. However, the scholar Nahmanides argued there is no Biblical source for this obligation.

History provides many different views on the number 613. This specific number does not actually appear in the Hebrew Bible. The tradition was first recorded in the 3rd century CE by Rabbi Simlai. He used this number in a sermon to encourage daily observance. Not everyone agreed with this specific count over the centuries. Abraham ibn Ezra noted there were over a thousand commandments in the Bible. He observed that fewer than 300 applied to his specific time. Nachmanides also found that the exact number was a subject of dispute. Famous scholars like Maimonides eventually wrote books to try and list them all.

There are seven notable rabbinic mitzvot that are widely recognized. These include lighting Shabbat candles and lighting Hanukkah lights. Other examples are reciting a blessing for each enjoyment or washing hands before eating bread. People also construct an eruv to permit carrying in public areas on Shabbat. They might also read the Scroll of Esther on Purim. In the study of gematria, these seven laws have a special numerical value. When added to the 613 Biblical commandments, the total is 620. This number corresponds to the Hebrew phrase Keter Torah, or "The Crown of the Torah."

In modern times, the practice of mitzvot has seen new forms of outreach. In the late 1960s, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson introduced the Ten Mitzvah Campaigns. These initiatives encouraged Jews to engage in specific acts like giving charity. They also encouraged studying the Torah and keeping a home library of sacred texts. Schneerson taught that every individual mitzvah is intrinsically valuable on its own. He viewed each act as a direct link between a person and God. This approach helped many people connect with their identity through individual actions. Today, programs like Connect10n continue to build on these ideas of connection.