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In its primary meaning, the Hebrew language word (; , mīṣvā , plural מִצְווֹת mīṣvōt ; "commandment") refers to a commandment Divine law to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discussion of these commandments. According to religious tradition, there are 613 such commandments.
In its secondary meaning, the word mitzvah refers to a deed performed in order to fulfill such a commandment. As such, the term mitzvah has also come to express an individual act of human kindness in keeping with the law. The expression includes a sense of heartfelt sentiment beyond mere legal duty, as "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
For some mitzvot, the purpose is specified in the Torah; though, the opinions of the are divided between those who seek the Teleology of the mitzvot and those who do not question them. The former believe that if people were to understand the reason for each mitzvah, it would help them to observe and perform the mitzvah. The latter argue that if the purpose for each mitzvah could be determined, people might try to achieve what they see as the ultimate purpose of the mitzvah, while rejecting the mitzvah itself.
However, this opinion was not universally accepted. Abraham ibn Ezra observed that there were over a thousand divine commandments in the Bible, but fewer than 300 applied to his time. Nachmanides found that the number was in dispute and uncertain. The number 613 is a rabbinical tradition rather than an exact count.
In rabbinic literature there are a number of works, mainly by the Rishonim, that attempt to enumerate 613 commandments. Probably the most famous of these is Sefer Hamitzvot by Maimonides.
Medieval rabbis discussed the question of why a Jew should be required to follow rabbinic mitzvot, as they were not commanded by God, but rather by the rabbis. According to Maimonides, one who keeps rabbinic mitzvot is in fact following a Biblical commandment to obey the decisions of the Jewish religious authorities (, )Sefer HaMitzvot, Shoresh 1; see also Shabbat 23a According to Nahmanides, there is no biblical source for the obligation to keep rabbinic mitzvot.Nahmanides, Hasagot to Sefer HaMitzvot
In addition, many of the specific details of the Biblical mitzvot are only derived via rabbinical application of the Oral Torah (Mishna/Gemarah); for example, the Jewish prayer in any language and the recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-7) twice a day in any language, the binding of the tefillin and the fixing of the mezuzah (Deuteronomy 6:8-9), and the saying of Birkat Hamazon (Deuteronomy 8:10).
These seven rabbinical commandments are treated like Biblical commandments insofar as, prior to the performance of each, a Berakhah is recited ("Blessed are You, O our God, King of the universe, Who has commanded us ..."). In gematria, these seven, added to the 613 Biblical commandments, form a total of 620, corresponding to the numerical value of the phrase Keter Torah ("The Crown of the Torah").
The commandments are divided into positive ("thou shalt") and negative ("thou shalt not") commandments. According to Jewish tradition, the 613 commandments contain 365 negative commandments and 248 positive commandments.
Many commandments concern only special classes of peoplesuch as kings, Kohanim (the priesthood), , or are conditioned by local or temporary circumstances of the Jewish nation, as, for instance, the agricultural, sacrificial, and Levitical laws. Some are sex-dependent: for example, women are exempt from certain time-related commandments (such as shofar, sukkah, lulav, tzitzit and tefillin).Talmud Kiddushin 29a
Three types of negative commandments fall under the self-sacrificial principle yehareg ve'al ya'avor, meaning "One should let oneself be killed rather than violate it". These are murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual relations.Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 74a For all other commandments, one must violate the commandment if the only alternative is to be killed.
According to Rabbi Ishmael, only the principal commandments were given on Mount Sinai, the remainder having been given in the Tabernacle. Rabbi Akiva, on the other hand, was of the opinion that they were all given on Mount Sinai, repeated in the Tent of Meeting, and declared a third time by Moses before his death. According to the Midrash, all divine commandments were given on Mount Sinai, and no prophet could add any new ones.Midrash Sifra to Leviticus 27:34
The system describing the practical application of the commandments is known as Halakha. Halakha is the development of the mitzvot as contained in the Written Law (Torah), via discussion and debate in the Oral Torah, as recorded in the rabbinic literature of the classical era, especially the Mishnah and the Talmud. The halakha dictates and influences a wide variety of behavior of Orthodox Judaism.
There is no accepted authoritative answer within Judaism as to which mitzvot, if any, would be annulled in the Messianic era. This is a subject of theoretical debate and, not being viewed as an immediately practical question, is usually passed over in favor of answering questions of the practical halakha.
In the late 1960s, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, introduced a series of outreach initiatives known as the Ten Mitzvah Campaigns. These efforts encouraged Jews of all backgrounds to engage in specific mitzvot, including donning Tefillin, lighting Shabbat candles, affixing a Mezuzah, daily Torah study, giving Tzedakah, maintaining a home library of sacred texts, observing Kashrut dietary laws, fostering love among fellow Jews, ensuring Jewish education for children, and upholding family purity laws. In a departure from prevailing models of religious outreach, Schneerson emphasized the performance of individual commandments as intrinsically valuable, regardless of broader observance. Each mitzvah was framed as a direct link between the individual and God, capable of spiritual transformation on its own. The campaigns also marked a shift by encouraging public performance and visibility of mitzvot, aiming to strengthen Jewish identity and connection across diverse levels of religious commitment. Building on this foundation, programs such as "Connect10n" continue this approach, offering ten-week structures focusing on individual mitzvot to broaden access to Jewish practice.
Rabbinic mitzvot
The Biblical mitzvot are referred to in the Talmud as mitzvot d'oraita, translated as commandments of the Law (Torah). In addition, rabbis of later generations decreed a number of additional laws, which are known as rabbinic laws ( mitzvot derabbanan). Types of rabbinic laws include the takkanah and the gezeirah.
The seven rabbinic mitzvot
Seven notable mitzvot d'rabbanan are as follows:This list is first mentioned in Keter Torah by R' David Vital, and later in the Tanya.
Categories of mitzvot
The commandments have been divided also into three general categories: mishpatim; edot; and chukim. Mishpatim ("laws") include commandments that are deemed to be self-evident, such as not to murder and not to steal. Edot ("testimonies") commemorate important events in Jewish history. For example, the Shabbat is said to testify to the story that HaShem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and declared it holy. Chukim ("decrees") are commandments with no known rationale, and are perceived as pure manifestations of the Divine will.
Six constant mitzvot
Out of the 613 Mitzvot mentioned in the Torah, there are six mitzvot which the Sefer Hachinuch calls "constant mitzvot": "We have six mitzvot which are perpetual and constant, applicable at all times, all the days of our lives".Sefer Hachinuch, introduction
Mitzvot and Jewish law
In rabbinic thought, the commandments are usually divided into two major groups, positive commandments (obligations) – mitzvot aseh and negative commandments (prohibitions) – mitzvot lo ta'aseh .
Applicability in the messianic age
The majority view of classical rabbis was that the commandments will still be applicable and in force during the Messianic Age. However, a significant minority of rabbis held that most of the commandments will be nullified by, or in, the messianic era. Examples of such rabbinic views include:
See also
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