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What does mitzvah mean?
What does the Hebrew word'mitzvah' mean?
Is Mitzvah a feminine noun?
How many Mitzvahs are there?
In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word mitzvah (/ ˈ m ɪ t s v ə /; Hebrew: מִצְוָה, mīṣvā, plural מִצְווֹת mīṣvōt [mit͡sˈvot]; "commandment") refers to a commandment from God to be performed as a religious duty.
What is a mitzvah? The simple meaning of the word mitzvah is command. It appears in various forms with that meaning about 300 times in the Five Books of Moses. It generally refers to the Divine commandments to the Jewish people, things He wants us to do or not do.
One often hears someone Jewish saying, “It’s a mitzvah!” usually referring to a charitable, beneficial act performed by another person. However, the Hebrew word mitzvah does not mean “a good deed” in that sense. Mitzvah literally means “commandment.”
Jun 22, 2023 · In Judaism, a mitzvah (plural: mitzvot) is a commandment, obligation, or associated deed that serves as a means of fulfilling one’s religious duties and connecting with God. The term “mitzvah” is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “commandment” or “obligation.”
- Origins
- The 613 Commandments
- The Rabbis' Commandments
- The Mitzvah Tank
The first appearance of the word mitzvah is in Genesis 26:4-5 when God is speaking to Isaac about staying put despite the famine that was plaguing the land. The term mitzvah goes on to appear more than 180 more times throughout the Hebrew Bible, or Torah, frequently in reference to the commands that God gave to individuals or the greater Israelite ...
The concept of the 613 mitzvot, although it is not explicitly mentioned in the Torah itself, arose in the 3rd Century CE in the Talmud, Tractate Makkoth23b, If you've heard someone discuss a good deed or nice thing someone did or was considering doing and heard someone say, "It's a mitzvah," this isn't exactly the correct usage of the term. Althoug...
Beyond the 613 mitzvot from the Torah, there are mitzvot d'rabbanan (דרבנן), or commandments from the rabbis. Essentially, the 613 commandments are known as mitzvot d'oraita (דאורייתא), which the rabbis understood to be strictly mandated by the Bible. Mitzvot d'rabbanan are additional legal requirements that were mandated by the rabbis. A good exa...
If you live in New York, Los Angeles, or another major metropolitan area with a large Jewish population, chances are you've seen The Mitzvah Tank. Operated by the Chabad Lubavitch movement, this tank drives around and provides opportunities for Jews who otherwise might not to fulfill various mitzvot, including putting on tefillin or, during certain...
MITZVAH (Heb. מִצְוָה), a commandment, precept, or religious duty. The term is derived from the Hebrew root צוה which means "to command" or "to ordain." In common usage, mitzvah has taken on the meaning of a good deed.
Interestingly, the Hebrew word mitzvah, which is commonly translated as commandment, is related to the Aramaic word tzavta, to attach. 1 In this light, rather than seeing them simply as rules dictated by a king to his subjects, mitzvot take on a more intimate, even romantic, connotation.
