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''Mitzvah'' ( to refer to (a) the commandments, of which there are believed to be 613, given in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible ) or (b) any Jewish Law at all. The term ''mitzvah'' has also come to express any act of human kindness, such as the Burial of the body of an unknown person. According to the teachings of Judaism, all moral laws are, or are derived from, divine commandments. Rabbi s are divided between those who seek the Purpose of the ''mitzvot'' and those who do not question them. The latter argue that, if the reason for each ''mitzvah'' could be determined, people might try to achieve what they see as the purpose of the ''mitzvah'', without actually performing the mitzvah itself. ENUMERATION See Also: 613 mitzvot The Rabbis came to assume that the Law comprised 613 commandments. According to Rabbi Simlai, as quoted in the Talmud , This Enumeration Of 613 Commandments was representative of 365 negative commandments like the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive commandments like the number of bones in the human body For a time, Gematria was a significant feature in religious thought, and so it became said that 611, the gematria value for ''torah'', was the number of commandments given via Moses , with the remaining two being identified as the first commandments of the Ethical Decalogue , given By The Mouth Of God Himself . According to R. Ismael only the principal commandments of these 613 were given on Mount Sinai, the remainder having been given in the Tent Of Meeting . According to R. Akiba they were all given on Mount Sinai, repeated in the Tent of Meeting, and declared a third time by Moses before his death. According to the Midrash , all divine commandments were given on Mount Sinai, and no prophet could add any new one (Midrash Sifra to Leviticus 27:34; Talmud, Yoma 80a). In Rabbinic Literature there are a number of works, mainly by the Rishonim , that were composed to determine which commandments belong in this enumeration:
RABBINICAL MITZVOT The biblical mitzvot are referred to in the Talmud as Mitzvot de oraita, translated as ''commandments of the law''. In contradistinction to this are rabbinical commandments, referred to as '''Mitzvot de rabbanan'''. Among the more important of these latter mitzvot are:
These seven rabbinical commandments are treated like Biblical commandments in so far as, prior to the fulfilment of each, a Benediction is recited: Blessed be the Lord who has commanded us ... The divine command is considered implied in the general law ( after meals (Deuteronomy 8:10). ACADEMIC TREATMENT Biblically, six differing law codes were given by HaShem , to Moses , at Mount Sinai :
In biblical criticism, these codes are studied separately, particularly concerning the features unique, or first appearing, in each, by Atheist s, and Apologists alike. Nevertheless, many of the Mitzvah enumerated as being from one or other of these codes are also present in others, sometimes phrased in a different manner, or with additional clauses. Also, themes, such as idolatry, sexual behaviour, ritual cleanliness, and offerings of sacrifice, are shared between all six codes, and thus, in more religiously motivated Theological studies, it is often the case that the mitzvot are organised instead by theme, rather than the location in which they are found within the bible. THE MITZVOT AND JEWISH LAW See Also: Halakha In rabbinic thought, God's will is the source of, and authority for, every moral and religious duty. In this way, the Mitzvot thus constitute the Divinely instituted ''rules of conduct''. Consequently, while Judaism regards the violation of the mitzvot to be a ''sin'', Jewish ideas concerning ''sin'' differ from those of other religions. In rabbinic thought, the commandments are usually divided into two major groups:
The system describing the practical application of the commandments is known as '' Halakha '', loosely ''Jewish Law''. The Halakha is the development of the Mitzvot as contained in the ''written law'', via discussion and debate in the Oral Law , as recorded in the Rabbinic Literature of the classical era, especially the Mishnah and the Talmud . Any mitzvah which can only be fulfilled by transgressing another law is considered unlawful. The Halakha dictates everything the Traditionalist Jew does from the moment he or she wakes up to the moment they go to sleep. It is particularly extensive, and so includes codes of behaviour applicable to virtually every imaginable circumstance, as well as many hypothetical ones. More generally, in Judaism, it is viewed that Proselyte s, on being initiated into Judaism, must be familiarised with commandments both of great and of small importance (Yeb. 47b). Many of these laws concern only special classes of people, such as Kings or The Priesthood , Levite s, or Nazarite s, or are conditioned by local or temporary circumstances of the Jewish nation, as, for instance, the agricultural, sacrificial, and Levitical laws. The majority view of classical rabbis was that the commandments will still be applicable and in force during The Messianic Era . However, a significant minority of rabbis held that most of the commandments will be nullified by, or in, the messianic era. Examples of such rabbinic views include:
There is no authoritative answer accepted within Judaism as to which mitzvot, if any, would be annulled in the messianic era. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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