Mitzvot Religious & Moral Principles Overview What this booklet covers: The meaning of the term Mitzvot The significance of the Mitzvot Different groupings of Mitzvot including: o Positive commandments (aseh) that say what must be done/followed o Negative commandments (lo ta ase) that say what must be avoided o Ethical and ritual Mitzvot and how they create relationship between Man and G-d and/or man and man The meaning of Divine Providence for Jews The relationship between free will and the Mitzvot Issues related to key moral principles, including the preservation of human life as a principle that takes precedence over all other commandments (Pikuach Nefesh) Issues related to the Mitzvot, including the existence of different lists of Mitzvot compiled by scholars Common and divergent emphases placed on the concept of the Mitzvot by different Jewish groups, including the importance of interpersonal relationships as the principle underlying all the Mitzvot Sources of wisdom and authority 1
The meaning of the term Mitzvot Contrary to popular opinion, a mitzvah is not a good deed. Quite simply, the word mitzvah comes from the Hebrew root tzavah, meaning command. So the word mitzvah is properly translated as commandment. The plural is the word mitzvot. The difference between a good deed and a commandment is clear. A good deed is something that is the right thing to do according to human logic (usually frames as a moral value), and it is usually optional to do it. A mitzvah is something that is the right thing to do by G-d s logic, and it has to be done. The significance of the mitzvot Judaism holds that all humans have mitzvot to keep. For Jews there are a total of 613 mitzvot. Non-Jewish people are expected to keep the seven Noahide Laws. The greatest significance of the mitzvot for the Jewish People is that they are the laws that define how we are supposed to behave. The commentators have identified a total of 613 mitzvot (although they differ in the precise list of what these are). These 613 are grouped in different ways as will be explained below. The mitzvot either through fulfilling specific mitzvot or by fulfilling them as a whole form the Jewish People s side of covenants with G-d. They serve two main purposes: They serve as a guide as to how G-d wants people to interact with each other and with Him. They are how G-d measures the loyalty of the people to Him, and are therefore important when G-d judges and decides reward and punishment. Different groupings of mitzvot As mentioned above, mitzvot are grouped in different ways: Positive and negative The 613 mitzvot are grouped into 248 positive mitzvot (termed Aseh in Hebrew) and 365 negative mitzvot (termed Lo ta ase in Hebrew). Positive mitzvot are those that tell us to do something, such as wearing tzitzit. Negative mitzvot are those that warn against certain behaviours such as not stealing. 2
Occasionally, mitzvot are expressed in both ways e.g. Shabbat where there is a positive mitzvah to Remember Shabbat and a negative mitzvah to Guard Shabbat. Between Human & G-d (Ritual) and Between Humans & Other Living Beings (Moral/Ethical) Another two groupings of mitzvot are those that explain how Jews are supposed to relate to G-d (Ritual Mitzvot) and how Jews are supposed to relate to other living beings people and animals (Moral Mitzvot). Examples of ritual mitzvot are believing in one G-d or praying (in Temple times this would include sacrifices). Examples of moral mitzvot are lashon Hara or not being cruel to animals. The Rabbis say that if you were unsure about what to improve on first your relationship with other living beings or your relationship with G-d you should focus on the moral mitzvot first, since our everyday lives are far more involved with interactions with people than with G-d. The Jewish Prophets consistently emphasised G-d s displeasure at people who offered the most lavish of sacrifices whilst oppressing the poor or needy. Chukim & Mishpatim The mitzvot can also be grouped into Chukim (mitzvot that humans cannot understand) and mishpatim (mitzvot that humans can understand). Examples of chukim are kashrut or not wearing wool & linen in the same garment. Examples of mishpatim are tzedakah or not killing. G-d-given and Rabbinic Mitzvot Those mitzvot that are given directly in the Torah are Biblical in origin i.e. they are given by G-d. The Rabbis, however, were given permission in the Torah to create mitzvot under certain circumstances. These are Rabbinic. An example of a G-d-given mitzvah is that of keeping Shabbat or Kashrut. The specifics of how these are to be kept are also derived from the Torah. Usually, Rabbinic mitzvot help to strengthen the observance of a G-d-given mitzvah, or in response to changing circumstances. Two examples of this are: 3
a) Muktzeh. This is the Rabbinic mitzvah of avoiding touching anything that cannot be used on Shabbat e.g. a pen. Whilst the G-d given mitzvah of Shabbat specified 39 general prohibited actions, including not writing, the Rabbis felt that to protect this mitzvah people should avoid even touching a writing instrument so that it would be almost impossible to break Shabbat even accidentally. b) Second day Chag in the Diaspora. In the Torah there is a command to keep seven days of Pesach and Sukkot, with one holy day at the beginning and one at the end. However, when the Jews were exiled from Israel, it became difficult for Jewish communities to accurately calculate the calendar. To avoid the possibility of mistakenly celebrating Pesach or Sukkot at the wrong time, the Rabbis ordered than an extra day should be celebrated outside Israel with two holy days at the beginning and two at the end. Meaning of Divine Providence for Jews There is an old joke that can help us understand Divine Providence a little more. A man was on a cruise when he fell overboard. He was in the water and someone on the ship shouted they would throw him a lifebuoy. The man replied, it s ok G-d will save me. So the ship sailed on. A little while later, a fishing boat sailed passed and offered to pick him up. Again, the man said, it s ok G-d will save me. So the boat sailed on. A little while later, a helicopter appeared and hovered to prepare to pick him up. Again, the man replied, it s ok G-d will save me. So the helicopter flew away. A few minutes later, the man became so exhausted that he stopped swimming and drowned. When he went up to Heaven, he stood in front of G-d and complained, G-d. I don t understand. There I was in front of people saying You would help me and instead of that you left me to drown! G-d replied, What do you mean I left you to drown? I sent you a lifebuoy, a fishing boat, a helicopter Divine Providence is the term given to the idea that G-d watches and is involved in the world. Bur how much G-d is involved, and in what ways has been a matter of debate for many. The man in the story was obviously looking for a direct miracle and overlooked that G-d s involvement might not always be so direct. Like the man in the story, perhaps how much we understand Divine Providence may depend on how much we are prepared to acknowledge G-d s involvement. Judaism maintains that G-d is continuously watching and involved in the world. In fact, Judaism states that if it were not for the continuous involvement of G-d in the world, 4
the world would cease to exist in an instant. Nevertheless, it can be difficult at times for humans to sense G-d s involvement. It is obviously easier to see G-d s involvement in the world from Biblical stories. Every Biblical story will involve G-d, either directly or indirectly. But if you look at Biblical episodes closely, you see that being able to perceive G-d s direct involvement lessens over time and His involvement can be usually only be sensed by a few individuals. A good example of Divine Providence can be found in the story of Jonah. In this story we find that at every juncture, G-d guides what happens in the story. Two Jewish festivals also celebrate the different kinds of Divine Providence Chanukah & Purim. Chanukah celebrates how G-d involved Himself in history by guiding a lesser force to victory over a more powerful force and then showing His approval by making the oil last for eight days. These interventions by G-d to guide the course of history were easily sensed by those who were involved in the original event. Purim celebrates G-d s hidden involvement in history. His name is not mentioned once in the whole story and yet the sequence of events were guided by Him to ensure that Haman was not victorious. To some, Divine Providence can be seen today through the establishment and flourishing of the State of Israel. Indeed, in Birchat Hamazon, some Religious Zionists will add the phrase that G-d will bless the State of Israel which is described as Reishit Tzemichat Ge ulateinu meaning The beginning of the Redemption, which alludes to the idea that the State of Israel is the first part of G-d s ultimate plan to bring all Jews to live in the Land of Israel with the Messianic Age. Free Will and the Mitzvot One of the basic principles in Jewish faith is that of Free Will. This means that Judaism believes that G-d created humans with the ability and necessity of making choices about behaviour. These choices give value to human life. No other living being has the ability to make moral choices. The mitzvot were given by G-d as a guide for people to make the correct choice. In other words, the mitzvot are a guide to how life is meant to be lived in any given circumstance. Free Will is closely associated with Reward & Punishment, which is part of Divine Providence. Since humans have the ability to choose, this also means they can be rewarded for the correct choice or punished for the wrong choice. A good example of 5
this is found in the Shema where G-d promises crops and rain in the Land of Israel as a reward for correct behaviour, but famine and exile for incorrect behaviour. Issues related to key moral principles As mentioned above, there are ritual and moral/ethical mitzvot. Morality is the term used to explain behaviour between ourselves and other living beings humans and animals. Every element of interaction between humans and other living beings could be framed in terms of morality. Unsurprisingly, there are many mitzvot that cover moral principles. Some of them are mentioned in the Sources of Wisdom section below. Underlying all the moral/ethical mitzvot is the importance of interpersonal relationships and the idea of how far someone must go in order to enhance the lives of others. Overriding almost all of these moral and ritual mitzvot is the principle of Pikuach Nefesh. This concept is dealt with in more detail elsewhere in this course, but in simple terms it means that preserving human life takes precedence over almost all other mitzvot. As examples of this, one must break Shabbat or even Yom Kippur (both of which would normally be considered a very serious sin) in order to save a life. In practical terms, this would mean that it is permissible to drive someone to hospital in a life-threatening situation, or eating non-kosher food/medicine in order to preserve life. Issues related to the Mitzvot, including the existence of different lists of Mitzvot compiled by scholars The Talmud tells us (Tractate Makkot 23b) that there are 613 commandments in the Torah. This number is derived from the idea that the gematria of the Hebrew word Torah is 611 to which is added the two commandments that were heard by everyone at Mount Sinai, this making a total of 613. The tzitzit worn by males to remind them of the mitzvot have a similar connection to the number 613 (the gematria of the word tzitzit is 600 add the 8 strings and 5 knots equals 613) Whilst the number 613 has become an accepted number, it is not without argument. Some Rabbinic commentators, principally the Ibn Ezra, did not agree and even Ramban (Nachmanides) suggested that Rabbinic approval for this number was not unanimous. However, he suggests that since this number has the approval of many it could be considered a tradition from Sinai. 6
Early Jewish works, including the Talmud, do not provide us with a list of these commandments. Over time, several great Jewish scholars have compiled a complete listing of these commandments. Although they all agree on the vast majority of the commandments, they do disagree concerning a number of them. These disagreements are over whether certain commandments are independent commandments, or whether they are part of another commandment and are not counted on their own. The list most commonly used follows the opinion of Maimonides, how he lists them in his great work, the Mishneh Torah. The following are some of the issues related to these mitzvot and listing them: Many of these commandments (such as all the commandments associated with sacrifices) are not practicable as long as there is no Temple in Jerusalem. Therefore they cannot be kept today. Should some statements from G-d, especially those to individuals and not to the entire people, be listed as general commands? Should mitzvot that are only applicable to one part of the population e.g. specific mitzvot for men or women, and are therefore not able to be kept by others, be included? It should be noted that whilst there are disagreements over how one mitzvah or another should be listed, there is no disagreement that they are mitzvot in nature. Common and divergent emphases on Mitzvot In general, any differences on the emphases of mitzvot will follow the Orthodox and non-orthodox outlooks. The following are some common and divergent emphases: Commonalities Mitzvot, at their core, are commands as to how G-d wants the Jewish People to behave G-d demands a different level of mitzvot for Jews compared to non-jews. This does not mean elitist but means more responsibility There are different types of mitzvot Differences Some mitzvot are not practicable in the modern world, especially ritual mitzvot relating to the Temple. Orthodox Judaism will continue to count them as mitzvot even if they cannot be fulfilled at the moment, because they believe that the Temple 7
8 will be rebuilt in Messianic times. Non-Orthodox Judaism maintains that it is more important to focus on moral mitzvot, and since they believe the Messianic age will not necessarily involve the rebuilding of the Temple the ritual mitzvot should not be counted.
Things to do 1. For each of the following examples, decide if there is a difference between it being a good deed or a mitzvah (or both): o Helping an old person across the road o Standing up when your parent comes into the room o Finding the owner of a lost item o Shooing the mother bird from the nest when taking its eggs o Not kicking the cat 2. Make a list of some positive and negative mitzvot that you know of. What is the difference between how a positive and negative mitzvah is kept? 3. Why do you think the Torah expects Jewish people to keep more mitzvot than non- Jewish people? 4. Shabbat is a mitzvah that is expressed in the Torah as both a positive and negative mitzvah. Explain how things that are done or not done on Shabbat reflect this. Use specific examples in your answer. 5. Which are the more important mitzvot in your opinion ritual or moral? Fully explain your answer. 6. Is it possible to sense Divine Providence in the twenty first century? 7. Explain the concept of free will in Judaism in one paragraph your own words 8. The number of mitzvot does not matter. How far do you agree and disagree with this statement. Explain both sides fully. 9
Sources of Wisdom Source 1 I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life (Devarim 30:19) Source 2 Everything is decided by Heaven, except the fear of Heaven itself (Talmud) Source 3 Book of Jonah & Divine Providence. Examples include: Chapter 1 G-d creates a storm and a fish that swallows Jonah Chapter 2 G-d listens to Jonah s repentance Chapter 3 G-d listens to the people s repentance Chapter 4 G-d teaches Jonah why He allowed wicked people to repent Source 4 May He (G-d) bless the State of Israel which is the first stage of our redemption (from Birchat Hamazon) Source 5 And it shall come to pass if you surely listen to the commandments that I command you today, to love the L-rd your G-d and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul. Then I will give rain to your land, the early and the late rains, that you may gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle and you will eat and you will be satisfied. Beware, lest your heart be deceived and you turn and serve gods of others and worship them. And the anger of the L-rd will blaze against you, and He will close the heavens and there will not be rain, and the earth will not give you its fullness, and you will perish quickly from the good land that the L-rd gives you. (from the second paragraph of the Shema prayer) 10