Mitzvah

The Torah (seen here) is the scriptural source of the commandments (Mitzvot) in Judaism

Mitzvah (Hebrew: מצווה, "commandment"; plural, mitzvot; from צוה, tzavah, "command") is a word used in Judaism to refer to the commandments, of which there are 613, given in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) or any Jewish law at all. The term can also refer to the fulfillment of a mitzvah as defined above.

Rabbis are divided between those who seek the purpose of the mitzvot and those who do not question them. The latter argue that if the reason for each mitzvah could be determined, people might try to achieve what they see as the purpose of the mitzvah, without actually performing the mitzvah itself. For example, the term mitzvah could be understood to express any act of human kindness, such as the burial of the body of an unknown person.

The word "Mitzvah" is also used in the context of a coming of age ceremony for Jewish youth. The specific terms used are Bar Mitzvah (for boys) and Bat Mitzvah (for girls).

Enumeration and Significance of 613

According to Judaism, all moral laws are derived from divine commandments. The Rabbis extrapolated a total of 613 mitzvot or commandments from the Torah, which were to be followed by observant Jews.^[1] The number of these commandments represented "365 negative commandments like the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive commandments like the number of bones in the human body" (Talmud, tractate Makkoth, 23b).

According to the Midrash, all divine commandments were given on Mount Sinai, and no prophet could add any new one (Midrash Sifra to Leviticus 27:34; Talmud, Yoma 80a). However, Rabbi Ismael (90-135 C.E.) states that only the principal commandments of the 613 were given on Mount Sinai, the remainder having been given in the Tent of Meeting. According to Rabbi Akiva (c. 50–c. 135 C.E.) 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 tradition, of the 613 commandments, 248 are mitzvot aseh ("positive commandments" commands to perform certain actions) and 365 are mitzvot lo taaseh ("negative commandments" commands to abstain from certain actions). Three of the negative commandments can involve yehareg ve'al ya'avor, meaning “One should let himself be killed rather than violate this negative commandment,” and they are murder, idol-worship, and forbidden relations.

According to the Talmud (tractate Makkoth 23b), a Biblical verse states that Moses transmitted the "Torah" from God to the Jewish people: "Moses commanded us the Torah as an inheritance for the community of Jacob" (Deut. 33:04). However, there were two commandments which God delivered directly to the Jews: the first two of the Ten Commandments; these are phrased in the first person. The Talmud calculates that the numerical value of the Hebrew word "Torah" is 611. Thus, Moses's 611 commandments combined with the two directly from God add up to 613. For a time, Gematria (numerology in the Hebrew Bible) was a significant feature in Jewish religious thought, and it was said that the number 611 (the numerical value for torah) was the number of commandments given via Moses while the remaining two were given by the Mouth of God Himself.

Many Jewish [[philosophy|philosophical and mystical works (e.g. by Baal ha-Turim, the Maharal of Prague and leaders of Hasidic Judaism) find allusions and inspirational calculations relating to the number of commandments. Other works dispute that exactly 613 mitzvot exist.

The tzitzit ("knotted fringes") of the tallit ("[prayer] shawl") are connected to the 613 commandments by interpretation: principal Torah commentator Rashi bases the number of knots on a gematria: the word tzitzit (Hebrew: ציצת (Biblical), ציצית, in its Mishnaic spelling) has the value 600. Each tassel has eight threads (when doubled over) and five sets of knots, totaling 13. The sum of all numbers is 613. This reflects the concept that donning a garment with tzitzit reminds its wearer of all Torah commandments.

The Mitzvot and Jewish law

In rabbinic thought, God's will is the source of, and authority for, every moral and religious duty. In this way, the mitzvot constitute the divinely instituted “rules of conduct.” Consequently, while Judaism regards the violation of the mitzvot to be a sin, Jewish ideas concerning “sin” differ from those of other religions.

In rabbinic thought, the commandments are usually divided into two major groups:

positive commandments (obligations) – mitzvot aseh מצות עשה
negative commandments (prohibitions) – mitzvot lo ta'aseh מצות לא תעשה

The system describing the practical application of the commandments is known as Halakha or Jewish Law. Halakha is the development of the mitzvot as contained in the written law, via discussion and debate in the Oral law, as recorded in the rabbinic literature of the classical era, especially the Mishnah and the Talmud.

Halakha dictates everything the traditionalist Jew does from the moment he or she wakes up to the moment they go to sleep. It is very extensive, and includes codes of behavior applicable to virtually every imaginable circumstance, as well as many hypothetical ones. More generally, in Judaism, it is viewed that proselytes, on being initiated into Judaism, must be familiarised with commandments both of great and of small importance (Yeb. 47b).

Many of these laws concern only special classes of people, such as kings or the priesthood, Levites, or Nazarites, or are conditioned by local or temporary circumstances of the Jewish nation, as, for instance, the agricultural, sacrificial, and Levitical laws.

The majority view of classical rabbis was that the commandments will still be applicable and in force during the messianic era. 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:

That today we should observe the commandments, because we will not observe them in the world to come (Rashi).
That in the future all sacrifices, with the exception of the Thanksgiving-sacrifice, will be discontinued (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 9:7).
That all sacrifices will be annulled in the future (Tanchuma Emor 19, Vayikra Rabbah 9:7).
That God will permit what is now forbidden (Midrash Shochar Tov, Mizmor 146:5).
That most mitzvot will no longer be in force (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Niddah 61b and Tractate Shabbat 151b).

There is no authoritative answer accepted within Judaism as to which mitzvot, if any, would be annulled in the messianic era.

Rabbinic Debates

Page 14 of the Kaufmann Haggadah

The Talmudic source is not without dissent. Apart from Rabbi Simlai (early third century C.E.), to whom the number 613 is attributed, other classical sages who hold this view include Rabbi Simeon ben Azzai (Sifre, Deuteronomy 76) and Rabbi Eleazar ben Yose the Galilean (Midrash Aggadah to Genesis 15:1). It is quoted in Midrash Shemot Rabbah 33:7, Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15–16; 18:21 and Talmud Yevamot 47b.

However, some held that this count was not an authentic tradition, or that it was not logically possible to come up with a systematic count. This is possibly why no early work of Jewish law or Biblical commentary depended on this system, and no early systems of Jewish principles of faith made acceptance of this Haggadah (non-legal Talmudic statement) normative. The classical Biblical commentator and grammarian Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra denied that this was an authentic rabbinic tradition. Ibn Ezra writes "Some sages enumerate 613 mitzvot in many diverse ways [...] but in truth there is no end to the number of mitzvot [...] and if we were to count only the root principles [...] the number of mitzvot would not reach 613" (Yesod Mora, chap. 2).

Nahmanides (1194 – c. 1270 C.E.) held that this counting was the matter of a dispute, and that rabbinic opinion on this is not unanimous. Despite this, he states that "this total has proliferated throughout the aggadic literature... we ought to say that it was a tradition from Moses at Mount Sinai" (Nahmanides, Commentary to Maimonides' Sefer Hamitzvot'', Root Principle 1).

Rabbi Simeon ben Tzemah Duran states that "perhaps the agreement that the number of mitzvot is 613... is just Rabbi Simlai's opinion, following his own explication of the mitzvot. And we need not rely on his explication when we come to determine the law, but rather on the Talmudic discussions" (Zohar Harakia, Lviv, 1858, 99).

Rabbis who attempted to compile a list of the 613 commandments faced a number of difficulties:

Which statements were to be counted as commandments? Every command by God to any individual? Only commandments to the entire people of Israel?
Would an order from God be counted as a commandment, for the purposes of such a list, if it could only be complied with in one place and time? Or, would such an order only count as a commandment if it could—at least in theory—be followed at all times? (The latter is the view of Maimonides)
How does one count commandments in a single verse which offers multiple prohibitions? Should each prohibition count as a single commandment, or does the entire set count as one commandment?

In Torah Min Hashamayim ("Heavenly Torah"), Conservative Rabbi Abraham Heschel writes:

Judah ibn Bal'am denigrates those who number the mitzvot, and who attempt "to force their count to equal 613." In his opinion, this is impossible, for if we were to count all of the mitzvot, including those that were temporary commandments and those that were intended to endure, the number would be far greater than 613. "And if we confined ourselves only to those that endure, we would find fewer than this number." (Behinat Hamitzvot Rabbi Yehiel Mikhel Gutmann, Breslau, 1928, 26)

Despite these misgivings, the idea that there are 613 commandments became accepted as normative in the Jewish community. Today, even among those who do not literally accept this count as accurate, it is still a common practice to refer to the total system of commandments within the Torah as the "613 commandments."

However, the 613 mitzvot do not constitute a proper code of present-day Halakah; such codes are listed under codes of Jewish law.

Works enumerating the commandments

In practice, there is no one definitive list in the Torah that explicates the 613 laws. In some places, the Torah lists related laws together, so it is difficult to know whether one is dealing with a single law, which lists several cases, or several separate laws. Other "commandments" in the Torah are restricted as one-time acts, and would not be considered as "mitzvot" binding on other persons. In rabbinic literature, there are a number of works, mainly by the Rishonim, that were composed to determine which commandments belong in this enumeration:

Sefer ha-Mitzvoth ("Book of Commandments") by Rabbi Saadia Gaon is the earliest extant enumaration of the 613 mitzvot. Written during the period of the Geonim, Gaon's work is a simple list, though it was (later expanded by Rabbi Yerucham Fishel Perlow.)
Sefer Hamitzvot ("Book of Commandments") by Maimonides, with a critical commentary by Nachmanides. Maimonides employs a set of 14 rules (shorashim) which determine inclusion into the list. In this work, he supports his specification of each Mitzvah through quotations from the midrash halakha and the Gemara. Nachmanides makes a number of critical points and replaces some items of the list with others.
Sefer ha-Chinnuch ("Book of Education"). This work generally follows Maimonides' reckoning of the 613 commandments. It is written in the order in which the commandments appear in the Torah rather than an arrangement by category (as in Maimonides' work). In addition to enumerating the commandments and giving a brief overview of relevant laws, the Sefer ha-Chinuch also tries to explain the philosophical reasons behind the mitzvot. It has been attributed to various authors, most commonly Rabbi Aaron ha-Levi of Barcelona (the Ra'ah), though its true authorship is unknown.
Sefer ha-Mitzvoth ha-Gadol ("Large book of Commandments") by Rabbi Moses ben Jacob of Coucy.
Sefer ha-Mitzvoth ha-Katan ("Small book of Commandments") by Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil. This work was written in the form of a poem, divided into seven sections and intended to be read each week. While Isaac's work is fairly short, most editions contain lengthy commentaries.
Sefer Yere'im ("Book of the [God-]fearing") by Rabbi Eliezer of Metz (not a clear enumeration).
Sefer ha-Mitzvoth by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the "Chafetz Chaim"). The Chafetz Chaim's work follows the reckoning of Maimonides but gives only the commandments relevant today (ignoring commandments regarding temple service, ritual purity, etc.). Though the original included only those commandments relevant in all places and at all times, later editions included agricultural laws relevant today only in the land of Israel.

Rabbinical Mitzvot

The Biblical mitzvot are referred to in the Talmud as Mitzvot de oraita, translated as commandments of the law. In contrast to this are additional rabbinical commandments, referred to as Mitzvot de rabbanan. Among the more famous of these latter rabbinical mitzvot are:

The benediction, or thanksgiving for each enjoyment
Washing of the hands before eating
Lighting of the Sabbath lamp
The 'Erub, on preparation for Sabbath transfer
The Hallel liturgy on holy days
The Hanukkah lights
The reading of the Esther scroll on Purim.

These seven rabbinical commandments are treated like Biblical commandments in so far as, prior to the fulfilment of each, a benediction is recited:

Blessed be the Lord who has commanded us ...

The divine command is considered implied in the general law (Deuteronomy 17:11, and 32:7; Shab. 23a). Many of the ideas concerning the implication of Biblical mitzvot are only derived via rabbinical interpretation; for example, the reading of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-7), the binding of the tefillin and the fixing of the mezuzah (Deuteronomy 8-9), and the saying of grace after meals (Deuteronomy 8:10).

Academic treatment

Biblically, six differing law codes were given by God, to Moses, at Mount Sinai:

The Ten Commandments.
The Covenant Code, which provides more detailed laws.
The Ritual Decalogue
The Priestly Code, containing extensive laws concerning rituals and more general situations is given from above the mercy seat in the Tabernacle, once the Ark and Tabernacle have been completed. This code is extended further when events occur not quite covered by the law, causing Moses to ask Yahweh for greater clarification.
The Holiness Code is contained within the Priestly Code, close to the end, but is a distinct subsection placing particular emphasis on things which are holy, and which should be done to honor the holy. It also contains the warnings from Yahweh about what will occur if the laws are not followed, as well as promises for the event that the laws are followed.
The Deuteronomic Code is remembered by Moses, in his last speeches before death, both covering the ground of prior codes, but also adds further laws not recorded earlier, which Moses has remembered.

In biblical criticism, these codes are studied separately, particularly concerning their unique features. Nevertheless, many of the mitzvot enumerated as being from these codes are also present in others, sometimes phrased in a different manner, or with additional clauses. Additionally, themes, such as idolatry, sexual behaviour, ritual cleanliness, and offerings of sacrifice, are shared among all six codes, and thus, in more religiously motivated theological studies, it is often the case that the mitzvot are organised by theme rather than by the location in which they are found within the Hebrew Bible.

Maimonides' List

The 613 commandments and their source in scripture, as enumerated by Maimonides (1135–1204) in his Sefer Hamitzvot ("Book of Commandments"):

To know there is a God
Not to entertain thoughts of other gods besides Him
To know that He is One
To love Him
To fear Him
To sanctify His Name
Not to profane His Name
Not to destroy objects associated with His Name
To listen to the prophet speaking in His Name
Not to test the prophet unduly
To emulate His ways
To cleave to those who know Him
To love other Jews
To love converts
Not to hate fellow Jews
To reprove a sinner
Not to embarrass others
Not to oppress the weak
Not to speak derogatorily of others
Not to take revenge
Not to bear a grudge
To learn Torah
To honor those who teach and know Torah
Not to inquire into idolatry
Not to follow the whims of your heart or what your eyes see
Not to blaspheme
Not to worship idols in the manner they are worshiped
Not to worship idols in the four ways we worship God
Not to make an idol for yourself
Not to make an idol for others
Not to make human forms even for decorative purposes
Not to turn a city to idolatry
To burn a city that has turned to idol worship
Not to rebuild it as a city
Not to derive benefit from it
Not to missionize an individual to idol worship
Not to love the missionary
Not to cease hating the missionary
Not to save the missionary
Not to say anything in his defense
Not to refrain from incriminating him
Not to prophesize in the name of idolatry
Not to listen to a false prophet
Not to prophesize falsely in the name of God
Not to be afraid of killing the false prophet
Not to swear in the name of an idol
Not to perform ov (medium)
Not to perform yidoni ("magical seer")
Not to pass your children through the fire to Molech
Not to erect a pillar in a public place of worship
Not to bow down on smooth stone
Not to plant a tree in the Temple courtyard
To destroy idols and their accessories
Not to derive benefit from idols and their accessories
Not to derive benefit from ornaments of idols
Not to make a covenant with idolaters
Not to show favor to them
Not to let them dwell in the Land of Israel
Not to imitate them in customs and clothing
Not to be superstitious
Not to go into a trance to foresee events, etc.
Not to engage in astrology
Not to mutter incantations
Not to attempt to contact the dead
Not to consult the ov
Not to consult the yidoni
Not to perform acts of magic
Men must not shave the hair off the sides of their head
Men must not shave their beards with a razor
Men must not wear women's clothing
Women must not wear men's clothing
Not to tattoo the skin
Not to tear the skin in mourning
Not to make a bald spot in mourning
To repent and confess wrongdoings
To say the Shema twice daily
To serve the Almighty with daily prayer
The Kohanim must bless the Jewish nation daily
To wear tefillin (phylacteries) on the head
To bind tefillin on the arm
To put a mezuzah on each door post
Each male must write a Torah scroll
The king must have a separate Sefer Torah for himself
To have tzitzit on four-cornered garments
To bless the Almighty after eating
To circumcise all males on the eighth day after their birth
To rest on the seventh day
Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day
The court must not inflict punishment on Shabbat
Not to walk outside the city boundary on Shabbat
To sanctify the day with Kiddush and Havdalah
To rest from prohibited labor
Not to do prohibited labor on Yom Kippur
To afflict yourself on Yom Kippur
Not to eat or drink on Yom Kippur
To rest on the first day of Passover
Not to do prohibited labor on the first day of Passover
To rest on the seventh day of Passover
Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day of Passover
To rest on Shavuot
Not to do prohibited labor on Shavuot
To rest on Rosh Hashanah
Not to do prohibited labor on Rosh Hashanah
To rest on Sukkot
Not to do prohibited labor on Sukkot
To rest on Shemini Atzeret
Not to do prohibited labor on Shemini Atzeret
Not to eat chametz on the afternoon of the 14th day of Nissan
To destroy all chametz on 14th day of Nissan
Not to eat chametz all seven days of Passover
Not to eat mixtures containing chametz all seven days of Passover
Not to see chametz in your domain seven days
Not to find chametz in your domain seven days
To eat matzah on the first night of Passover
To relate the Exodus from Egypt on that night
To hear the Shofar on the first day of Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah)
To dwell in a Sukkah for the seven days of Sukkot
To take up a Lulav and Etrog all seven days
Each man must give a half shekel annually
Courts must calculate to determine when a new month begins
To afflict oneself and cry out before God in times of calamity
To marry a wife by means of ketubah and kiddushin
Not to have sexual relations with women not thus married
Not to withhold food, clothing, and sexual relations from your wife
To have children with one's wife
To issue a divorce by means of a Get document
A man must not remarry his ex-wife after she has married someone else
To perform yibbum (marry the widow of one's childless brother)
To perform halizah (free the widow of one's childless brother from yibbum)
The widow must not remarry until the ties with her brother-in-law are removed (by halizah)
The court must fine one who sexually seduces a maiden
The rapist must marry the maiden (if she chooses)
He is never allowed to divorce her
The slanderer must remain married to his wife
He must not divorce her
To fulfill the laws of the Sotah
Not to put oil on her meal offering (as usual)
Not to put frankincense on her meal offering (as usual)
Not to have sexual relations with your mother
Not to have sexual relations with your father's wife
Not to have sexual relations with your sister
Not to have sexual relations with your father's wife's daughter
Not to have sexual relations with your son's daughter
Not to have sexual relations with your daughter
Not to have sexual relations with your daughter's daughter
Not to have sexual relations with a woman and her daughter
Not to have sexual relations with a woman and her son's daughter
Not to have sexual relations with a woman and her daughter's daughter
Not to have sexual relations with your father's sister
Not to have sexual relations with your mother's sister
Not to have sexual relations with your father's brother's wife
Not to have sexual relations with your son's wife
Not to have sexual relations with your brother's wife
Not to have sexual relations with your wife's sister
A man must not have sexual relations with an animal
A woman must not have sexual relations with an animal
Not to have homosexual sexual relations
Not to have homosexual sexual relations with your father
Not to have homosexual sexual relations with your father's brother
Not to have sexual relations with someone else's wife
Not to have sexual relations with a menstrually impure woman
Not to marry non-Jews
Not to let Moabite and Ammonite males marry into the Jewish people
Not to prevent a third-generation Egyptian convert from marrying into the Jewish people
Not to refrain from marrying a third generation Edomite convert
Not to let a mamzer (a child born due to an illegal relationship) marry into the Jewish people
Not to let a eunuch marry into the Jewish people
Not to offer to God any castrated male animals
The High Priest must not marry a widow
The High Priest must not have sexual relations with a widow even outside of marriage
The High Priest must marry a virgin maiden
A Kohen (priest) must not marry a divorcee
A Kohen must not marry a zonah (a woman who has had a forbidden sexual relationship)
A priest must not marry a chalalah ("a desecrated person") (party to or product of 169-172)
Not to make pleasurable (sexual) contact with any forbidden woman
To examine the signs of animals to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher
To examine the signs of fowl to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher
To examine the signs of fish to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher
To examine the signs of locusts to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher
Not to eat non-kosher animals
Not to eat non-kosher fowl
Not to eat non-kosher fish
Not to eat non-kosher flying insects
Not to eat non-kosher creatures that crawl on land
Not to eat non-kosher maggots
Not to eat worms found in fruit on the ground
Not to eat creatures that live in water other than (kosher) fish
Not to eat the meat of an animal that died without ritual slaughter
Not to benefit from an ox condemned to be stoned
Not to eat meat of an animal that was mortally wounded
Not to eat a limb torn off a living creature
Not to eat blood
Not to eat certain fats of clean animals
Not to eat the sinew of the thigh
Not to eat meat and milk cooked together
Not to cook meat and milk together
Not to eat bread from new grain before the Omer
Not to eat parched grains from new grain before the Omer
Not to eat ripened grains from new grain before the Omer
Not to eat fruit of a tree during its first three years
Not to eat diverse seeds planted in a vineyard
Not to eat untithed fruits
Not to drink wine poured in service to idols
To ritually slaughter an animal before eating it
Not to slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day
To cover the blood (of a slaughtered beast or fowl) with earth
Not to take the mother bird from her children
To release the mother bird if she was taken from the nest
Not to swear falsely in God's Name
Not to take God's Name in vain
Not to deny possession of something entrusted to you
Not to swear in denial of a monetary claim
To swear in God's Name to confirm the truth when deemed necessary by court
To fulfill what was uttered and to do what was avowed
Not to break oaths or vows
For oaths and vows annulled, there are the laws of annulling vows explicit in the Torah
The Nazir must let his hair grow
He must not cut his hair
He must not drink wine, wine mixtures, or wine vinegar
He must not eat fresh grapes
He must not eat raisins
He must not eat grape seeds
He must not eat grape skins
He must not be under the same roof as a corpse
He must not come into contact with the dead
He must shave his head after bringing sacrifices upon completion of his Nazirite period
To estimate the value of people as determined by the Torah
To estimate the value of consecrated animals
To estimate the value of consecrated houses
To estimate the value of consecrated fields
Carry out the laws of interdicting possessions (cherem)
Not to sell the cherem
Not to redeem the cherem
Not to plant diverse seeds together
Not to plant grains or greens in a vineyard
Not to crossbreed animals
Not to work different animals together
Not to wear shatnez, a cloth woven of wool and linen
To leave a corner of the field uncut for the poor
Not to reap that corner
To leave gleanings
Not to gather the gleanings
To leave the gleanings of a vineyard
Not to gather the gleanings of a vineyard
To leave the unformed clusters of grapes
Not to pick the unformed clusters of grapes
To leave the forgotten sheaves in the field
Not to retrieve them
To separate the "tithe for the poor"
To give charity
Not to withhold charity from the poor
To set aside Terumah Gedolah (gift for the Kohen)
The Levite must set aside a tenth of his tithe
Not to preface one tithe to the next, but separate them in their proper order
A non-Kohen must not eat Terumah
A hired worker or a Jewish bondsman of a Kohen must not eat Terumah
An uncircumcised Kohen must not eat Terumah
An impure Kohen must not eat Terumah
A chalalah (party to #s 169-172 above) must not eat Terumah
To set aside Ma'aser (tithe) each planting year and give it to a Levite
To set aside the second tithe (Ma'aser Sheni)
Not to spend its redemption money on anything but food, drink, or ointment
Not to eat Ma'aser Sheni while impure
A mourner on the first day after death must not eat Ma'aser Sheni
Not to eat Ma'aser Sheni grains outside Jerusalem
Not to eat Ma'aser Sheni wine products outside Jerusalem
Not to eat Ma'aser Sheni oil outside Jerusalem
The fourth year crops must be totally for holy purposes like Ma'aser Sheni
To read the confession of tithes every fourth and seventh year
To set aside the first fruits and bring them to the Temple
The Kohanim must not eat the first fruits outside Jerusalem
To read the Torah portion pertaining to their presentation
To set aside a portion of dough for a Kohen
To give the shoulder, two cheeks, and stomach of slaughtered animals to a Kohen
To give the first shearing of sheep to a Kohen
To redeem firstborn sons and give the money to a Kohen
To redeem the firstborn donkey by giving a lamb to a Kohen
To break the neck of the donkey if the owner does not intend to redeem it
To rest the land during the seventh year by not doing any work which enhances growth
Not to work the land during the seventh year
Not to work with trees to produce fruit during that year
Not to reap crops that grow wild that year in the normal manner
Not to gather grapes which grow wild that year in the normal way
To leave free all produce which grew in that year
To release all loans during the seventh year
Not to pressure or claim from the borrower
Not to refrain from lending immediately before the release of the loans for fear of monetary loss
The Sanhedrin must count seven groups of seven years
The Sanhedrin must sanctify the fiftieth year
To blow the Shofar on the tenth of Tishrei to free the slaves
Not to work the soil during the fiftieth year (Jubilee)
Not to reap in the normal manner that which grows wild in the fiftieth year
Not to pick grapes which grew wild in the normal manner in the fiftieth year
Carry out the laws of sold family properties
Not to sell the land in Israel indefinitely
Carry out the laws of houses in walled cities
The Tribe of Levi must not be given a portion of the land in Israel, rather they are given cities to dwell in
The Levites must not take a share in the spoils of war
To give the Levites cities to inhabit and their surrounding fields
Not to sell the fields but they shall remain the Levites' before and after the Jubilee year
To build a Temple
Not to build the altar with stones hewn by metal
Not to climb steps to the altar
To show reverence to the Temple
To guard the Temple area
Not to leave the Temple unguarded
To prepare the anointing oil
Not to reproduce the anointing oil
Not to anoint with anointing oil
Not to reproduce the incense formula
Not to burn anything on the Golden Altar besides incense
The Levites must transport the ark on their shoulders
Not to remove the staves from the ark
The Levites must work in the Temple
No Levite must do another's work of either a Kohen or a Levite
To dedicate the Kohen for service
The work of the Kohanim's shifts must be equal during holidays
The Kohanim must wear their priestly garments during service
Not to tear the priestly garments
The Kohen Gadol 's breastplate must not be loosened from the Efod
A Kohen must not enter the Temple intoxicated
A Kohen must not enter the Temple with long hair
A Kohen must not enter the Temple with torn clothes
A Kohen must not enter the Temple indiscriminately
A Kohen must not leave the Temple during service
To send the impure from the Temple
Impure people must not enter the Temple
Impure people must not enter the Temple Mount area
Impure Kohanim must not do service in the temple
An impure Kohen, following immersion, must wait until after sundown before returning to service
A Kohen must wash his hands and feet before service
A Kohen with a physical blemish must not enter the sanctuary or approach the altar
A Kohen with a physical blemish must not serve
A Kohen with a temporary blemish must not serve
One who is not a Kohen must not serve
To offer only unblemished animals
Not to dedicate a blemished animal for the altar
Not to slaughter it
Not to sprinkle its blood
Not to burn its fat
Not to offer a temporarily blemished animal
Not to sacrifice blemished animals even if offered by non-Jews
Not to inflict wounds upon dedicated animals
To redeem dedicated animals which have become disqualified
To offer only animals which are at least eight days old
Not to offer animals bought with the wages of a harlot or the animal exchanged for a dog
Not to burn honey or yeast on the altar
To salt all sacrifices
Not to omit the salt from sacrifices
Carry out the procedure of the burnt offering as prescribed in the Torah
Not to eat its meat
Carry out the procedure of the sin offering
Not to eat the meat of the inner sin offering
Not to decapitate a fowl brought as a sin offering
Carry out the procedure of the guilt offering
The Kohanim must eat the sacrificial meat in the Temple
The Kohanim must not eat the meat outside the Temple courtyard
A non-Kohen must not eat sacrificial meat
To follow the procedure of the peace offering
Not to eat the meat of minor sacrifices before sprinkling the blood
To bring meal offerings as prescribed in the Torah
Not to put oil on the meal offerings of wrongdoers
Not to put frankincense on the meal offerings of wrongdoers
Not to eat the meal offering of the High Priest
Not to bake a meal offering as leavened bread
The Kohanim must eat the remains of the meal offerings
To bring all avowed and freewill offerings to the Temple on the first subsequent festival
Not to withhold payment incurred by any vow
To offer all sacrifices in the Temple
To bring all sacrifices from outside Israel to the Temple
Not to slaughter sacrifices outside the courtyard
Not to offer any sacrifices outside the courtyard
To offer two lambs every day
To light a fire on the altar every day
Not to extinguish this fire
To remove the ashes from the altar every day
To burn incense every day
To light the Menorah every day
The Kohen Gadol ("High Priest") must bring a meal offering every day
To bring two additional lambs as burnt offerings on Shabbat
To make the show bread
To bring additional offerings on Rosh Chodesh (" The New Month")
To bring additional offerings on Passover
To offer the wave offering from the meal of the new wheat
Each man must count the Omer - seven weeks from the day the new wheat offering was brought
To bring additional offerings on Shavuot
To bring two leaves to accompany the above sacrifice
To bring additional offerings on Rosh Hashana
To bring additional offerings on Yom Kippur
To bring additional offerings on Sukkot
To bring additional offerings on Shmini Atzeret
Not to eat sacrifices which have become unfit or blemished.3
Not to eat from sacrifices offered with improper intentions
Not to leave sacrifices past the time allowed for eating them
Not to eat from that which was left over
Not to eat from sacrifices which became impure
An impure person must not eat from sacrifices
To burn the leftover sacrifices
To burn all impure sacrifices
To follow the procedure of Yom Kippur in the sequence prescribed in Parsha] Acharei Mot ("After the death of Aaron's sons...")
One who profaned property must repay what he profaned plus a fifth and bring a sacrifice
Not to work consecrated animals
Not to shear the fleece of consecrated animals
To slaughter the paschal sacrifice at the specified time
Not to slaughter it while in possession of leaven
Not to leave the fat overnight
To slaughter the second Paschal Lamb
To eat the Paschal Lamb with matzah and Marror on the night of the fourteenth of Nissan
To eat the second Paschal Lamb on the night of the 15th of Iyar
Not to eat the paschal meat raw or boiled
Not to take the paschal meat from the confines of the group
An apostate must not eat from it
A permanent or temporary hired worker must not eat from it
An uncircumcised male must not eat from it
Not to break any bones from the paschal offering
Not to break any bones from the second paschal offering
Not to leave any meat from the paschal offering over until morning
Not to leave the second paschal meat over until morning
Not to leave the meat of the holiday offering of the 14th until the 16th
To be seen at the Temple on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot
To celebrate on these three Festivals (bring a peace offering)
To rejoice on these three Festivals (bring a peace offering)
Not to appear at the Temple without offerings
Not to refrain from rejoicing with, and giving gifts to, the Levites
To assemble all the people on the Sukkot following the seventh year
To set aside the firstborn animals
The Kohanim must not eat unblemished firstborn animals outside Jerusalem
Not to redeem the firstborn
Separate the tithe from animals
Not to redeem the tithe
Every person must bring a sin offering (in the temple) for his transgression
Bring an asham talui (temple offering) when uncertain of guilt
Bring an asham vadai (temple offering) when guilt is ascertained
Bring an oleh v'yored (temple offering) offering (if the person is wealthy, an animal; if poor, a bird or meal offering)
The Sanhedrin must bring an offering (in the Temple) when it rules in error
A woman who had a running (vaginal) issue must bring an offering (in the Temple) after she goes to the Mikveh
A woman who gave birth must bring an offering (in the Temple) after she goes to the Mikveh
A man who had a running (unnatural urinary) issue must bring an offering (in the Temple) after he goes to the Mikveh
A metzora must bring an offering (in the Temple) after going to the Mikveh
Not to substitute another beast for one set apart for sacrifice
The new animal, in addition to the substituted one, retains consecration
Not to change consecrated animals from one type of offering to another
Carry out the laws of impurity of the dead
Carry out the procedure of the Red Heifer (Para Aduma)
Carry out the laws of the sprinkling water
Rule the laws of human tzara'at as prescribed in the Torah
The metzora must not remove his signs of impurity
The metzora must not shave signs of impurity in his hair
The metzora must publicize his condition by tearing his garments, allowing his hair to grow and covering his lips
Carry out the prescribed rules for purifying the metzora
The metzora must shave off all his hair prior to purification
Carry out the laws of tzara'at of clothing
Carry out the laws of tzara'at of houses
Observe the laws of menstrual impurity
Observe the laws of impurity caused by childbirth
Observe the laws of impurity caused by a woman's running issue
Observe the laws of impurity caused by a man's running issue (irregular ejaculation of infected semen)
Observe the laws of impurity caused by a dead beast
Observe the laws of impurity caused by the eight shratzim (insects)
Observe the laws of impurity of a seminal emission (regular ejaculation, with normal semen)
Observe the laws of impurity concerning liquid and solid foods
Every impure person must immerse himself in a Mikveh to become pure
The court must judge the damages incurred by a goring ox
The court must judge the damages incurred by an animal eating
The court must judge the damages incurred by a pit
The court must judge the damages incurred by fire
Not to steal money stealthily
The court must implement punitive measures against the thief
Each individual must ensure that his scales and weights are accurate
Not to commit injustice with scales and[weights
Not to possess inaccurate scales and weights even if they are not for use
Not to move a boundary marker to steal someone's property
Not to kidnap
Not to rob openly
Not to withhold wages or fail to repay a debt
Not to covet and scheme to acquire another's possession
Not to desire another's possession
Return the robbed object or its value
Not to ignore a lost object
Return the lost object
The court must implement laws against the one who assaults another or damages another's property
Not to murder
Not to accept monetary restitution to atone for the murderer
The court must send the accidental murderer to a city of refuge
Not to accept monetary restitution instead of being sent to a city of refuge
Not to kill the murderer before he stands trial
Save someone being pursued even by taking the life of the pursuer
Not to pity the pursuer
Not to stand idly by if someone's life is in danger
Designate cities of refuge and prepare routes of access
Break the neck of a calf by the river valley following an unsolved murder
Not to work nor plant that river valley
Not to allow pitfalls and obstacles to remain on your property
Make a guard rail around flat roofs
Not to put a stumbling block before a blind man (nor give harmful advice) (Lifnei iver)
Help another remove the load from a beast which can no longer carry it
Help others load their beast
Not to leave others distraught with their burdens (but to help either load or unload)
Buy and sell according to Torah law
Not to overcharge or underpay for an article
Not to insult or harm anybody with words
Not to cheat a sincere convert monetarily
Not to insult or harm a sincere convert with words
Purchase a Hebrew slave in accordance with the prescribed laws
Not to sell him as a slave is sold
Not to work him oppressively
Not to allow a non-Jew to work him oppressively
Not to have him do menial slave labor
Give him gifts when he goes free
Not to send him away empty-handed
Redeem Jewish maidservants
Betroth the Jewish maidservant
The master must not sell his maidservant
Canaanite slaves must work forever unless injured in one of their limbs
Not to extradite a slave who fled to (Biblical) Israel
Not to wrong a slave who has come to Israel for refuge
The courts must carry out the laws of a hired worker and hired guard
Pay wages on the day they were earned
Not to delay payment of wages past the agreed time
The hired worker may eat from the unharvested crops where he works
The worker must not eat while on hired time
The worker must not take more than he can eat
Not to muzzle an ox while plowing
The courts must carry out the laws of a borrower
The courts must carry out the laws of an unpaid guard
Lend to the poor and destitute
Not to press them for payment if you know they don't have it
Press the idolater for payment
The creditor must not forcibly take collateral
Return the collateral to the debtor when needed
Not to delay its return when needed
Not to demand collateral from a widow
Not to demand as collateral utensils needed for preparing food
Not to lend with interest
Not to borrow with interest
Not to intermediate in an interest loan, guarantee, witness, or write the promissory note
Lend to and borrow from idolaters with interest
The courts must carry out the laws of the plaintiff, admitter, or denier
Carry out the laws of the order of inheritance
Appoint judges
Not to appoint judges who are not familiar with judicial procedure
Decide by majority in case of disagreement
The court must not execute through a majority of one; at least a majority of two is required
A judge who presented an acquittal plea must not present an argument for conviction in capital cases
The courts must carry out the death penalty of stoning
The courts must carry out the death penalty of burning
The courts must carry out the death penalty of the sword
The courts must carry out the death penalty of strangulation
The courts must hang those stoned for blasphemy or idolatry
Bury the executed on the day they are killed
Not to delay burial overnight
The court must not let the sorcerer live
The court must give lashes to the wrongdoer
The court must not exceed the prescribed number of lashes
The court must not kill anybody on circumstantial evidence
The court must not punish anybody who was forced to do a crime
A judge must not pity the murderer or assaulter at the trial
A judge must not have mercy on the poor man at the trial
A judge must not respect the great man at the trial
A judge must not decide unjustly the case of the habitual transgressor
A judge must not pervert justice
A judge must not pervert a case involving a convert or orphan
Judge righteously
The judge must not fear a violent man in judgment
Judges must not accept bribes
Judges must not accept testimony unless both parties are present
Not to curse judges
Not to curse the head of state or leader of the Sanhedrin
Not to curse any upstanding Jew
Anybody who knows evidence must testify in court
Carefully interrogate the witness
A witness must not serve as a judge in capital crimes
Not to accept testimony from a lone witness
Transgressors must not testify
Relatives of the litigants must not testify
Not to testify falsely
Punish the false witnesses as they tried to punish the defendant
Act according to the ruling of the Sanhedrin
Not to deviate from the word of the Sanhedrin
Not to add to the Torah commandments or their oral explanations
Not to diminish from the Torah any commandments, in whole or in part
Not to curse your father and mother
Not to strike your father and mother
Respect your father or mother
Fear your father or mother
Not to be a rebellious son
Mourn for relatives
The High Priest must not defile himself for any relative
The High Priest must not enter under the same roof as a corpse
A Kohen must not defile himself (by going to funerals or cemeteries) for anyone except relatives
Appoint a king from Israel
Not to appoint a convert
The king must not have too many wives
The king must not have too many horses
The king must not have too much silver and gold
Destroy the seven Canaanite nations
Not to let any of them remain alive
Wipe out the descendants of Amalek
Remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people
Not to forget Amalek's atrocities and ambush on our journey from Egypt in the desert
Not to dwell permanently in Egypt
Offer peace terms to the inhabitants of a city while holding siege, and treat them according to the Torah if they accept the terms
Not to offer peace to Ammon and Moab while besieging them
Not to destroy fruit trees even during the siege
Prepare latrines outside the camps
Prepare a shovel for each soldier to dig with
Appoint a priest to speak with the soldiers during the war
He who has taken a wife, built a new home, or planted a vineyard is given a year to rejoice with his possessions
Not to demand from the above any involvement, communal or military
Not to panic and retreat during battle
Keep the laws of the captive woman
Not to sell her into slavery
Not to retain her for servitude after having sexual relations with her

Notes

↑ The number 613 is attributed to Rabbi Simlai (early third century C.E.). Other classical sages who hold this view include Rabbi Simeon ben Azzai (Sifre, Deuteronomy 76) and Rabbi Eleazar ben Yose the Galilean (Midrash Aggadah to Genesis 15:1). It is quoted in Midrash Shemot Rabbah 33:7, Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15–16; 18:21 and Talmud Yevamot 47b.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Chill, Abraham. The Mitzvot: The Commandments and Their Rationale. Jerusalem: Urim Publications, 2000. ISBN 978-9657108147
Eisenberg, Ronald L. The 613 Mitzvot: A Contemporary Guide to the Commandments of Judaism. Rockville, MD: Schreiber Publishing, Inc., 2005. ISBN 978-0884003038
Isaacs, Ronald. Mitzvot: A Sourcebook for the 613 Commandments. Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson, 1996. ISBN 978-1568219004
Milgram, Rabbi Goldie. Meaning & Mitzvah: Daily Practices for Reclaiming Judaism through Prayer, God, Torah, Hebrew, Mitzvot and Peoplehood. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2005. ISBN 978-1580232562
Singer, Shmuel. A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot: A Halakhic Guide. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1990. ISBN 978-0881253672

External links

All links retrieved November 9, 2022.

Taryag: "Origin" of 613 Commandments by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach – Ohr Somayach International
List of the 613 Mitzvot – Judaism 101
The 613 Mitzvot According to Sefer Hamitzvot of Rambam – Jewish Virtual Library
List of Maimonides Positive Commandments – Chabad.org
List of Maimonides Negative Commandments – Chabad.org
“Mitzvah; Mitzvot” – Chabad.org

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

Mitzvah ^history
613_Mitzvot ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

History of "Mitzvah"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

[1] The number 613 is attributed to Rabbi Simlai (early third century C.E.). Other classical sages who hold this view include Rabbi Simeon ben Azzai (Sifre, Deuteronomy 76) and Rabbi Eleazar ben Yose the Galilean (Midrash Aggadah to Genesis 15:1). It is quoted in Midrash Shemot Rabbah 33:7, Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15–16; 18:21 and Talmud Yevamot 47b.

[1]