Mitzvot in the Torah
The Law; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. contains 613 The singular form of the word ‘mitzvot’ (commandments or laws in Judaism)., which are Jewish rules or commandments, covering many aspects of Jewish life, some in great detail. Jews agreed to follow these rules when The man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. received them as part of the An agreement or promise. with God. For many Jews, following these laws is a core part of their religious identity.
Types of mitzvot
The mitzvot can be divided into two categories, ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ rules that Jews should do or not do:
- There are 248 positive mitzvot, which explain what Jews should do. These rules are known as mitzvot aseh.
- There are 365 negative mitzvot, which explain what Jews should not do. These rules are known as mitzvot lo taaseh.
Alternatively, the mitzvot can be divided up according to their purpose:
- Ritual mitzvot explain what Jews should or should not do in order to avoid offending God. These mitzvot cover areas such as worship and festivals and are focused on the personal covenant between a Jewish person and God. The first four of the The list of rules, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Also known as the Decalogue. are the most important of the ritual mitzvot.
- Moral mitzvot explain how Jews should act when dealing with other people. They help Jews to live together in a community as they believe God wants them to. Commandments five to ten of the Ten Commandments are important moral mitzvot as they are the basic rules for how Jews should treat each other. Some of the moral mitzvot are judgements from God, for example “you shall not steal” - these are known as mishpatim.
- There are also six constant mitzvot. These are rules or laws that should always be in the minds of Jews:
- Know there is a God.
- Do not believe in other gods.
- Know that God is one.
- Love God.
- Fear God.
- Do not be misled by your desires - although it might be hard at times to obey all of God’s commands, stay focused.
