The '''613 commandments''' (~~{{lang-he|~~תרי"ג מצוות}}: ''taryag mitzvot'', "613 Mitzvot"; Biblical Hebrew: '''Miṣwoth''') is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses. The numbering was first made by Rabbi Simlai in Talmud Makkot 23b.

These principles of Biblical law are sometimes called connections or commandments (''mitzvot'') and referred to collectively as the "Law of Moses" (''Torat Mosheh''~~, {{hbrtav}}{{hbrvav}}{{hbrresh}}{{hbrtav}} {{hbrmem}}{{hbrshin}}{{hbrhe}}~~), "Mosaic Law," "Sinaitic Law," or simply "the Law". The word ''mitzvot'' is plural; singular is ''mitzvah''.

Although there have been many attempts to codify and enumerate the commandments contained in the Torah, the traditional view is based on [[Maimonides]]' enumeration. The 613 commandments are either "positive commandments" to perform an act (''mitzvot aseh'') or "negative commandments" to abstain from certain acts (''mitzvot lo taaseh''). There are 365 negative commandments, corresponding to the number of days in a solar year, and 248 positive commandments, ascribed to the number of bones and significant organs in the human body (Babylonian Talmud, ''Makkot'' 23b-24a).<ref>As stated by the [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/mitzvot.html Jewish Virtual Library]: "There is also complete agreement that these 613 ''mitzvot'' can be broken down into 248 positive ''mitzvot'' (one for each bone and organ of the male body) and 365 negative ''mitzvot'' (one for each day of the solar year)."</ref> Though the number 613 is mentioned in the Talmud, its real significance increased in later medieval rabbinic literature, including many works listing or arranged by the ''mitzvot''. Three types of negative commandments fall under the ''Self-sacrifice under Jewish Law'', meaning "One should let himself be killed rather than violate it". These are murder, idolatry, and Leviticus 18.<ref>Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 74a</ref>

The 613 mitzvot are divided into three general categories. A category of mitzvoth are called Mishpatim. These include commandments that are logical and make sense, such as not to murder or rob. Another category of mitzvot are called Edot. They stand as testimonies in Judaism. For example, the Shabbath testifies to the fact that Names_of_God_in_Judaism#HaShem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and declared it holy. A third category of mitzvot are called Chukim whose rationale and purpose are no longer obvious in post-Biblical contexts.

Many of the ''mitzvot'' cannot be observed now, following the destruction of the Second Temple, although they still retain religious significance. According to one standard reckoning,<ref>~~{{cite book|last=~~Chofetz Chaim~~|title=~~, Sefer HaMitzvot HaKatzar~~|publisher=~~, Feldheim~~|location=~~, Jerusalem~~|year=~~1990~~|pages=9, 16, 17|language=Hebrew}}~~</ref> there are 77 positive and 194 negative commandments that can be observed today. There are 26 Laws and customs of the Land of Israel in Judaism.<ref>HaCohen, Yisrael Meir. ''The Concise Book of ''Mitzvoth'': The Commandments which can be Observed Today,'' Trans., Charles Wengrov. Feldheim, 1990.</ref> Furthermore, there are some time-based commandments from which women are exempt (examples include ''shofar'', ''sukkah'', ''lulav'', ''tzitzit'' and ''tefillin'').<ref>Talmud Kiddushin 29a</ref> Some depend on the special status of a person in Judaism (such as ''kohen''), while others apply only to men and others only to women.

==Significance of 613==

==References==

~~{{Reflist}}~~<references />

==External links==

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