Mitzvot
There are 613 Commandments or laws in Judaism., which are Jewish rules or commandments. They cover many issues, including instructions about food, punishments and how God should be worshipped.
Jews agreed to follow these rules when they were given to 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. as part of the An agreement or promise.. Following these laws is a core part of Jewish identity for many Jews.
The mitzvot can be read as a continuous list in theA code of Jewish religious law written by Moses Maimonides, a leading twelfth-century rabbi., written by Moses Maimonides. Maimonides was a Jewish philosopher who contributed to Jewish understanding and interpretation of the Torah.
Types of mitzvot
One way of thinking of the mitzvot is as 鈥榩ositive鈥 and 鈥榥egative鈥 rules:
- 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 to avoid offending God and cover areas such as worship and festivals. These mitzvot form a 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 as a community in a way that God finds acceptable. 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 important mitzvot as they are the basis for moral behaviour. Some laws 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 personal desires - although it might be hard at times to obey all of God鈥檚 commands, stay focused
Following the mitzvot
The mitzvot are seen as points of guidance to help Jewish people use their The idea that humans are free to make their own moral choices. correctly. Jews believe that they have free will to follow the mitzvot. They believe that, by following the mitzvot, they will live a good life, meaning that they will be closer to God. Some Jews believe this will also help them to be judged well in the afterlife and achieve a place in The garden of Eden, used by Jews to mean heaven or paradise..
The story of The first human beings according to Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions. shows how God gave free will but also that there are negative consequences if that free will is used to go against God.
Jews who live by the Torah and rabbinic law (halakhah) and who only accept changes that can be supported by the Torah. obey the mitzvot strictly. However, some laws cannot be obeyed as they refer to the The central place of Jewish worship in Jerusalem from biblical times until AD70., which no longer exists.
Question
What is a constant mitzvot?
Commandments that must always be in the minds of Jews.