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  "title": "The 613 Mitzvot",
  "summary": "The Torah contains 613 commandments — 248 positive and 365 negative. They are the operating program of a Jewish life.",
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    "article": {
      "slug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot",
      "title": "The 613 Mitzvot",
      "deck": "The Torah contains 613 commandments — 248 positive and 365 negative. They are the operating program of a Jewish life.",
      "summary": "Summary. The Talmud (Makkot 23b–24a) records Rabbi Simlai’s teaching that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot — 248 positive (mitzvot aseh, “thou shalt”), corresponding to the limbs of the body, and 365 negative (mitzvot lo ta’aseh, “thou shalt not”), corresponding to the days of the solar year. The Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot enumerates them with halachic precision; the medieval Sefer HaChinukh treats each mitzvah with its biblical source, halachic detail, and rationale. Not all 613 are operative today; many depend on the existence of the Temple, the Jubilee year, or kings of Israel.",
      "level": "essential",
      "sectionSlug": "essentials",
      "tags": [
        "mitzvot",
        "commandments",
        "halacha"
      ],
      "publishedAt": "2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z",
      "wordCount": 694,
      "readMinutes": 3
    },
    "section": {
      "slug": "torah-texts",
      "title": "Torah & Texts"
    },
    "image": null,
    "blocks": [
      {
        "type": "summary",
        "body": "Summary. The [Talmud](/glossary.json#letter-T) ([Makkot 23b–24a](https://www.sefaria.org/Makkot.23b-24a)) records Rabbi Simlai’s teaching that the [Torah](/glossary.json#letter-T) contains 613 mitzvot. Of those, 248 are positive ([mitzvot aseh](/glossary.json#letter-M), “thou shalt”), corresponding to the limbs of the body, and 365 are negative ([mitzvot lo ta’aseh](/glossary.json#letter-M), “thou shalt not”), corresponding to the days of the solar year. The [Rambam](/glossary.json#letter-R)’s [Sefer HaMitzvot](https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaMitzvot) enumerates them with [halachic](/glossary.json#letter-H) precision. The medieval [Sefer HaChinukh](https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaChinukh) treats each [mitzvah](/glossary.json#letter-M) with its biblical source, halachic detail, and rationale. Not all 613 are operative today. Many depend on the existence of the Temple, the Jubilee year, or kings of Israel.",
        "text": "Summary. The Talmud (Makkot 23b–24a) records Rabbi Simlai’s teaching that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot. Of those, 248 are positive (mitzvot aseh, “thou shalt”), corresponding to the limbs of the body, and 365 are negative (mitzvot lo ta’aseh, “thou shalt not”), corresponding to the days of the solar year. The Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot enumerates them with halachic precision. The medieval Sefer HaChinukh treats each mitzvah with its biblical source, halachic detail, and rationale. Not all 613 are operative today. Many depend on the existence of the Temple, the Jubilee year, or kings of Israel."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "What “Mitzvah” Means",
        "text": "What “Mitzvah” Means"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Mitzvah is commonly translated “commandment.” The Editor of this guide (and many others) prefer “holy act.” The term carries both connotations: being commanded by God, and being a sanctifying deed in itself. Both senses are correct. A mitzvah is something a Jew does because God commanded it, and the doing changes the doer.",
        "text": "Mitzvah is commonly translated “commandment.” The Editor of this guide (and many others) prefer “holy act.” The term carries both connotations: being commanded by God, and being a sanctifying deed in itself. Both senses are correct. A mitzvah is something a Jew does because God commanded it, and the doing changes the doer."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Positive and Negative",
        "text": "Positive and Negative"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "The 248 mitzvot aseh include keeping [Shabbat](/glossary.json#letter-S), putting on [tefillin](/glossary.json#letter-T), lighting [Hanukkah](/glossary.json#letter-H) candles, loving one’s neighbor ([Vayikra 19:18](https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.19.18)), and honoring one’s parents. The 365 mitzvot lo ta’aseh include the prohibitions against murder, theft, idolatry, eating leaven on [Pesach](/glossary.json#letter-P), and shaving with a razor. By traditional accounting the negative commandments are graver: violating a “thou shalt not” incurs a heavier penalty than omitting a “thou shalt.”",
        "text": "The 248 mitzvot aseh include keeping Shabbat, putting on tefillin, lighting Hanukkah candles, loving one’s neighbor (Vayikra 19:18), and honoring one’s parents. The 365 mitzvot lo ta’aseh include the prohibitions against murder, theft, idolatry, eating leaven on Pesach, and shaving with a razor. By traditional accounting the negative commandments are graver: violating a “thou shalt not” incurs a heavier penalty than omitting a “thou shalt.”"
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Operative Today",
        "text": "Operative Today"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "By the traditional accounting, roughly 369 mitzvot remain operative in our day, 126 of the 248 positive and 243 of the 365 negative. The [Sefer HaChinukh](/glossary.json#letter-S)’s often-quoted figure of 270 is narrower. It counts only the mitzvot that bind every Jew without any particular circumstance ever having to arise. The rest depend on conditions that do not currently obtain: the [Beit HaMikdash](/glossary.json#letter-B), the Jubilee, the agricultural laws of the Land of Israel applied to Jewish farmers in a Jewish state, the laws of kings, the laws of slaves. With the establishment of the State of Israel and the partial return of Jewish agricultural life to the Land, the operative count has crept upward. [Shemittah](/glossary.json#letter-S) (the sabbatical year for agricultural land) is observed by religious Israeli farmers today.",
        "text": "By the traditional accounting, roughly 369 mitzvot remain operative in our day, 126 of the 248 positive and 243 of the 365 negative. The Sefer HaChinukh’s often-quoted figure of 270 is narrower. It counts only the mitzvot that bind every Jew without any particular circumstance ever having to arise. The rest depend on conditions that do not currently obtain: the Beit HaMikdash, the Jubilee, the agricultural laws of the Land of Israel applied to Jewish farmers in a Jewish state, the laws of kings, the laws of slaves. With the establishment of the State of Israel and the partial return of Jewish agricultural life to the Land, the operative count has crept upward. Shemittah (the sabbatical year for agricultural land) is observed by religious Israeli farmers today."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Categories",
        "text": "Categories"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Mitzvot are categorized in several useful ways. Mitzvot [bein adam la-makom](/glossary.json#letter-B) govern the relationship between a person and God (prayer, [kashrut](/glossary.json#letter-K), Shabbat). Mitzvot [bein adam le-chaveiro](/glossary.json#letter-B) govern the relationship between a person and his fellow (theft, slander, honesty in business, returning lost objects). [Chukim](/glossary.json#letter-C) are mitzvot given without reason (kashrut categories, [shaatnez](/glossary.json#letter-S), [parah adumah](/glossary.json#letter-P), the red heifer). [Mishpatim](/glossary.json#letter-M) are mitzvot with an apparent rational basis (the prohibitions on murder, theft, and the like). [Eidot](/glossary.json#letter-E) are testimonial mitzvot, those that bear witness to historical events (Pesach, [Sukkot](/glossary.json#letter-S), tefillin).",
        "text": "Mitzvot are categorized in several useful ways. Mitzvot bein adam la-makom govern the relationship between a person and God (prayer, kashrut, Shabbat). Mitzvot bein adam le-chaveiro govern the relationship between a person and his fellow (theft, slander, honesty in business, returning lost objects). Chukim are mitzvot given without reason (kashrut categories, shaatnez, parah adumah, the red heifer). Mishpatim are mitzvot with an apparent rational basis (the prohibitions on murder, theft, and the like). Eidot are testimonial mitzvot, those that bear witness to historical events (Pesach, Sukkot, tefillin)."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[B’diavad](/glossary.json#letter-B): What Is Enough?",
        "text": "B’diavad: What Is Enough?"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Jewish law recognizes the principle of b’diavad, “after the fact.” It is a minimally acceptable performance of a mitzvah that still discharges the obligation. The Talmud ([Berachot 25b](https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.25b), [Kiddushin 54a](https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.54a)) teaches that the Torah was not given to ministering angels, and that God does not act unfairly toward His creatures ([Avodah Zarah 3a](https://www.sefaria.org/Avodah_Zarah.3a)). Sincere effort, even imperfect, has Halachic standing. [Rabbi Moshe Feinstein](/glossary.json#letter-M) told Jews struggling to observe fully, over and over again, that incremental sincere observance is vastly better than nothing. (See the Editor’s article “B’diavad: What Is Enough?” reformatted in this Field Guide.)",
        "text": "Jewish law recognizes the principle of b’diavad, “after the fact.” It is a minimally acceptable performance of a mitzvah that still discharges the obligation. The Talmud (Berachot 25b, Kiddushin 54a) teaches that the Torah was not given to ministering angels, and that God does not act unfairly toward His creatures (Avodah Zarah 3a). Sincere effort, even imperfect, has Halachic standing. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein told Jews struggling to observe fully, over and over again, that incremental sincere observance is vastly better than nothing. (See the Editor’s article “B’diavad: What Is Enough?” reformatted in this Field Guide.)"
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Where Denominations Diverge",
        "text": "Where Denominations Diverge"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Orthodox](/glossary.json#letter-O) treats the 613 as binding wherever operative. Conservative and [Reform Judaism](/glossary.json#letter-R) vary. Conservative officially maintains halachic obligation with modern application, while Reform treats mitzvot as opportunities for meaning rather than as binding law. The classical Reform [Pittsburgh Platform](/glossary.json#letter-P) of 1885 dismissed many ritual mitzvot as “Mosaic legislation” no longer binding. The 1999 Pittsburgh Platform reinstated the language of mitzvah as a serious category. All denominations agree on the ethical mitzvot of the Decalogue, and on the commandment to love one’s neighbor.",
        "text": "Orthodox treats the 613 as binding wherever operative. Conservative and Reform Judaism vary. Conservative officially maintains halachic obligation with modern application, while Reform treats mitzvot as opportunities for meaning rather than as binding law. The classical Reform Pittsburgh Platform of 1885 dismissed many ritual mitzvot as “Mosaic legislation” no longer binding. The 1999 Pittsburgh Platform reinstated the language of mitzvah as a serious category. All denominations agree on the ethical mitzvot of the Decalogue, and on the commandment to love one’s neighbor."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Sources",
        "text": "Sources"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Talmud Bavli](/glossary.json#letter-T), Makkot 23b–24a — Rabbi Simlai on 613.",
        "text": "Talmud Bavli, Makkot 23b–24a — Rabbi Simlai on 613."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Rambam, [Sefer HaMitzvot](/glossary.json#letter-S).",
        "text": "Rambam, Sefer HaMitzvot."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Sefer HaChinukh.",
        "text": "Sefer HaChinukh."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Berachot 25b; [Avodah](/glossary.json#letter-A) Zarah 3a.",
        "text": "Berachot 25b; Avodah Zarah 3a."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Vayikra](/glossary.json#letter-V) 19:18 — the love commandment.",
        "text": "Vayikra 19:18 — the love commandment."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[How Many of the Torah's Commandments Still Apply?](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/541686/jewish/How-Many-of-the-Torahs-Commandments-Still-Apply.htm) — Chabad.org.",
        "text": "How Many of the Torah's Commandments Still Apply? — Chabad.org."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Masechet Makkot 21a-24b](https://www.ou.org/life/torah/masechet_makkot_21a24b/) — OU.",
        "text": "Masechet Makkot 21a-24b — OU."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[The 613 Commandments (Mitzvot)](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/756399/jewish/The-613-Commandments-Mitzvot.htm) — Chabad.org.",
        "text": "The 613 Commandments (Mitzvot) — Chabad.org."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[What Is a Mitzvah?](https://aish.com/what-is-a-mitzvah/) — Aish.",
        "text": "What Is a Mitzvah? — Aish."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Further Reading",
        "text": "Further Reading"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, By His Light.",
        "text": "Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, By His Light."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, A Code of Jewish Ethics (vols. 1–2).",
        "text": "Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, A Code of Jewish Ethics (vols. 1–2)."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Sefaria’s 613 Mitzvot table.",
        "text": "Sefaria’s 613 Mitzvot table."
      }
    ],
    "related": [
      {
        "slug": "essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew",
        "title": "Who is a Jew?",
        "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.json"
      },
      {
        "slug": "essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god",
        "title": "What Does Judaism Teach About God?",
        "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.json"
      },
      {
        "slug": "essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife",
        "title": "Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?",
        "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.json"
      },
      {
        "slug": "essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus",
        "title": "Why Do Jews Not Believe in Jesus?",
        "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus.json"
      }
    ],
    "goDeeper": [
      {
        "slug": "going-deeper-deeper-facts-the-oral-torah-and-its-authority",
        "title": "The Oral Torah and Its Authority",
        "level": "deeper",
        "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-facts-the-oral-torah-and-its-authority.json"
      },
      {
        "slug": "going-deeper-deeper-facts-pirkei-avot",
        "title": "Pirkei Avot",
        "level": "deeper",
        "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-facts-pirkei-avot.json"
      },
      {
        "slug": "going-deeper-deeper-facts-midrash",
        "title": "Midrash",
        "level": "deeper",
        "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-facts-midrash.json"
      }
    ],
    "glossary": {
      "avodah": {
        "term": "Avodah",
        "hebrew": "עֲבוֹדָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Literally 'service' or 'work' — the worship of God, especially prayer, and one of the three pillars on which, Pirkei Avot teaches, the world stands. It also names the Yom Kippur liturgy recalling the High Priest's Temple service.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-three-pillars-torah-avodah-gemilut-chasadim"
      },
      "beit-hamikdash": {
        "term": "Beit HaMikdash",
        "hebrew": "בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Holy Temple in Jerusalem — the First destroyed in 586 BCE, the Second in 70 CE. Much of Jewish prayer and practice remembers it and looks toward its restoration.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "halacha": {
        "term": "Halacha",
        "hebrew": "הֲלָכָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Jewish law — literally \"the way one walks\" — the legal system that develops from the Torah's mitzvot through the Mishnah, Talmud, and the great codes; the movements differ on how binding it is, not on its centrality to the tradition.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-questions-what-is-halacha"
      },
      "hanukkah": {
        "term": "Hanukkah",
        "hebrew": "חֲנֻכָּה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The eight-day winter festival of lights, commemorating the Maccabees' rededication of the Temple and the oil that burned for eight days. Its central mitzvah is lighting the hanukkiah each night.",
        "moreSlug": "holidays-rabbinic-festivals-hanukkah"
      },
      "kashrut": {
        "term": "Kashrut",
        "hebrew": "כַּשְׁרוּת",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The system of Jewish dietary law — which foods may be eaten, how animals must be slaughtered, and the strict separation of meat and dairy.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-kashrut-the-basics"
      },
      "moshe-feinstein": {
        "term": "Moshe Feinstein",
        "hebrew": "משה פיינשטיין",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895–1986) was the dominant American halachic authority of the twentieth century; his responsa, collected as Igrot Moshe, repeatedly counsel that incremental, sincere observance is far better than an ambitious burst that ends in burnout.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-questions-what-is-halacha"
      },
      "orthodox-judaism": {
        "term": "Orthodox Judaism",
        "hebrew": null,
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Orthodox Judaism holds Halacha as fully binding and the Shulchan Aruch as its canonical code; it spans Haredi and Hasidic communities as well as Modern Orthodoxy, and is the starting point from which this Field Guide is written, even as it engages seriously with other denominations.",
        "moreSlug": "how-to-use-this-field-guide"
      },
      "pesach": {
        "term": "Pesach",
        "hebrew": "פֶּסַח",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Passover — the spring festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, observed with the seder meal, matzah, and the removal of chametz from the home.",
        "moreSlug": "holidays-shalosh-regalim-pesach"
      },
      "pittsburgh-platform": {
        "term": "Pittsburgh Platform",
        "hebrew": null,
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Adopted by American Reform rabbis in 1885, the Pittsburgh Platform dismissed most ritual mitzvot as outdated \"Mosaic legislation\"; a second Pittsburgh Platform in 1999 reversed course, restoring the language of mitzvah as a serious religious category within Reform Judaism.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot"
      },
      "rambam": {
        "term": "Rambam",
        "hebrew": "רמב״ם",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138–1204), known by the acronym Rambam and in the Latin West as Maimonides, was the towering rationalist codifier and philosopher of medieval Judaism — author of the legal code Mishneh Torah and the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed. His formulation of God's unity and incorporeality remains foundational to Jewish theology across denominations.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god"
      },
      "reform-judaism": {
        "term": "Reform Judaism",
        "hebrew": null,
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Reform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis.",
        "moreSlug": "how-to-use-this-field-guide"
      },
      "sefer-hachinukh": {
        "term": "Sefer HaChinukh",
        "hebrew": "ספר החינוך",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "This anonymous medieval work walks through all 613 mitzvot in the order the Torah presents them, giving each its biblical source, its Halachic detail, and a suggested rationale — making it a favorite teaching text for beginners.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot"
      },
      "sefer-hamitzvot": {
        "term": "Sefer HaMitzvot",
        "hebrew": "ספר המצוות",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot systematically enumerates and defines the Torah's 613 commandments, establishing the rules for what counts as one of the 613 — a foundational reference for nearly every later discussion of the mitzvot.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot"
      },
      "shabbat": {
        "term": "Shabbat",
        "hebrew": "שַׁבָּת",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The seventh day — the weekly day of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, marked by candle lighting, kiddush, festive meals, and rest from creative work.",
        "moreSlug": "where-to-start-your-first-shabbat"
      },
      "sukkot": {
        "term": "Sukkot",
        "hebrew": "סוכות",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The autumn Festival of Booths, one of the three pilgrimage festivals — seven days of dwelling in the sukkah and waving the four species, in 'the season of our joy.'",
        "moreSlug": "holidays-shalosh-regalim-sukkot"
      },
      "talmud": {
        "term": "Talmud",
        "hebrew": "תלמוד",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-article"
      },
      "talmud-bavli": {
        "term": "Talmud Bavli",
        "hebrew": "תלמוד בבלי",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Babylonian Talmud, completed around 500 CE in the academies of Babylonia — the more extensive of the two Talmuds and the authoritative one for Jewish law.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-article"
      },
      "torah": {
        "term": "Torah",
        "hebrew": "תּוֹרָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "vayikra": {
        "term": "Vayikra",
        "hebrew": "ויקרא",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Book of Leviticus, third of the Five Books of the Torah, named for its opening word, 'And He called'; its concerns are the sanctuary, the offerings, and holiness.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "bdiavad": {
        "term": "b'diavad",
        "hebrew": "בְּדִיעֲבַד",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "A halachic term meaning 'after the fact' — describing something acceptable once it has already been done, though not the way one should choose in advance (l'chatchilah).",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "bein-adam-la-makom": {
        "term": "bein adam la-Makom",
        "hebrew": "בֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'Between a person and God' — the classical category of mitzvot governing our relationship with God, such as Shabbat and prayer, as distinct from duties toward other people.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "bein-adam-le-chaveiro": {
        "term": "bein adam le-chaveiro",
        "hebrew": "בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'Between a person and their fellow' — the mitzvot governing how we treat other people, such as honesty and kindness. The Mishnah teaches that Yom Kippur does not atone for these until one has made things right with the person wronged.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "chukim": {
        "term": "chukim",
        "hebrew": "חֻקִּים",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Mitzvot given without stated reasons — such as the categories of kashrut or the red heifer — accepted as divine decree (singular: chok). They are classically contrasted with mishpatim, laws whose reasons are evident.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-facts-chukim-mishpatim-and-eidot"
      },
      "eidot": {
        "term": "eidot",
        "hebrew": "עֵדוֹת",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Testimonial mitzvot — commandments that commemorate events or truths, such as Pesach, Sukkot, and tefillin. One of the three classical categories of mitzvot, alongside chukim and mishpatim.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-facts-chukim-mishpatim-and-eidot"
      },
      "mishpatim": {
        "term": "mishpatim",
        "hebrew": "מִשְׁפָּטִים",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Commandments whose moral logic is evident, such as the prohibitions of murder and theft — one of the three classical categories of mitzvot, alongside chukim and eidot.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-facts-chukim-mishpatim-and-eidot"
      },
      "mitzvah": {
        "term": "mitzvah",
        "hebrew": "מִצְוָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "A commandment — one of the Torah's 613 divine instructions, and by extension any religious duty or good deed. The plural is mitzvot.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot"
      },
      "mitzvot-aseh": {
        "term": "mitzvot aseh",
        "hebrew": "מִצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The 248 positive commandments — the 'thou shalts' of the Torah, such as honoring parents and dwelling in the sukkah.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot"
      },
      "mitzvot-lo-taaseh": {
        "term": "mitzvot lo ta'aseh",
        "hebrew": "מִצְווֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The 365 negative commandments — the 'thou shalt nots' of the Torah, such as the prohibitions of theft and idolatry.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot"
      },
      "parah-adumah": {
        "term": "parah adumah",
        "hebrew": "פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The red heifer, whose ashes purified those who had contact with the dead — the Torah's classic example of a chok, a law observed without an evident reason.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "shaatnez": {
        "term": "shaatnez",
        "hebrew": "שַׁעַטְנֵז",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Torah's prohibition on wearing cloth that mixes wool and linen — a classic chok, a law observed without an evident reason.",
        "moreSlug": "editors-desk-halacha-shaatnez-wool-and-linen"
      },
      "shemittah": {
        "term": "shemittah",
        "hebrew": "שְׁמִטָּה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Sabbatical year — every seventh year, when the Torah requires the land of Israel to rest and debts to be released.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "tefillin": {
        "term": "tefillin",
        "hebrew": "תפילין",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Two small leather boxes containing Torah passages, bound with straps on the arm and head during weekday morning prayer, fulfilling the command to bind God's words 'as a sign upon your hand.'",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-judaica-tefillin"
      }
    }
  },
  "links": [
    {
      "rel": "parent",
      "title": "Torah & Texts",
      "href": "/sections/torah-texts.json"
    },
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      "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.json"
    },
    {
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      "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.json"
    },
    {
      "rel": "related",
      "title": "Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?",
      "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.json"
    },
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      "title": "Why Do Jews Not Believe in Jesus?",
      "href": "/articles/essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus.json"
    },
    {
      "rel": "related",
      "title": "The Oral Torah and Its Authority",
      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-facts-the-oral-torah-and-its-authority.json"
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      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-facts-pirkei-avot.json"
    },
    {
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      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-facts-midrash.json"
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  ]
}