Mitzvot – the 613 Jewish commandments, or rules, found in the Tenakh
(Pronounced mitz-vot)
Note: The singular of Mitzvot is Mitzvah
To remember the meaning of Mitzvot in Judaism, use the following mnemonic:
Getting his mitts on lots of money was pivotal (Mitzvot) to his plans, but the actor broke the rules by not turning up at showtime (613) and ended up broke. (To see why "showtime" = 613 you need to have read our section on Remember Numbers.)
The Mitzvot guide Jews on how to live a good life – they believe that disobeying them will bring punishment.
Jews believe God gave these laws to Moses as part of the covenant on Mount Sinai.
The mitzvot can be divided into two categories:
- 248 positive laws, telling Jews what they should do.
- 365 negative laws, telling Jews what they should not do.