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Concept
Mitzvah
Summary
In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (ˈmɪtsvə; מִצְוָה, mīṣvā mit͡sˈva, plural מִצְווֹת mīṣvōt mit͡sˈvot; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God 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 Talmudic rabbis are divided between those who seek the purpose of the mitzvot and those who do not question them. The former believe that if people were to understand the reason the purpose 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 purpose of the mitzvah, while rejecting the mitzvah itself.
The feminine noun (מִצְוָה) occurs over 180 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible. The first use is in Genesis where God says that Abraham has "obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments (מִצְוֹתַי ), my statutes, and my laws". In the Septuagint the word is usually translated with entolē (ἐντολή). In Second Temple period funeral inscriptions the epithet phil-entolos, "lover of the commandments", was sometimes inscribed on Jewish tombs. Other words are also used in Hebrew for commands and statutes; the Ten Commandments (עשרת הדיברות), for example, are the "Ten Words".
613 commandments
Jewish tradition states that there exist 613 commandments. This number does not appear in the Hebrew Bible.
Official source
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