The mitzvah is an integral part of Jewish belief. Most often equated with events such as a bar mitzvah or a bat mitzvah, or acts of loving kindness to others, it exemplifies one’s obligations and connection with God and the Jewish people.
But a mitzvah can encompass a wide variety of actions, from observing Shabbat, to removing leavened bread from the house before Pesach (or Passover). A Hebrew word meaning “commandments” or "obligations," Jewish mitzvahs (mitzvot in Hebrew) are written into every book of the Torah, and is embodied in everything one does as a Jew.
The 613 Mitzvahs, or Commandments in Judaism
The Torah states that the Jews were given 613 mitzvot on Mount Sinai, and that taken together, they encompass just about every aspect of human life. They touch on facets of everyday living from how one cooks a meal to the importance of acts of loving kindness. The word can refer to time-bound obligations as well as general practices of attire.
Many Orthodox Jews (and some Conservative and Reform Jews) govern their lives faithfully by these mitzvahs and believe they are divine commandments that were meant for eternal use by the Jewish people.
Secular Jews and Mitzvahs
But many Jews who do not believe that all 613 mitzvahs are a current reflection of life in the 21st century, still faithfully adhere to the commandment to observe Shabbat. They may fast on Yom Kippur and keep kosher on Pesach (the Hebrew word for Passover), but not go to synagogue every day because of distance or work.
In fact, many secular Jews still follow many aspects of their Jewish heritage through the performance of mitzvot. For example, they may not eat pork, or may refrain from drinking milk with meat meals; they may attend services on Yom Kippur because of family traditions, or they may take Saturday as a day of rest and refrain from work. Judaism’s concept of the mitzvah and religious obligation has a powerful and long-lasting influence over human instinct and habits.
Hiddur Mitzvah, or Beautifyng a Mitzvah
One of the least known mitzvahs of the Jewish religion, is the mitzvah to beautify, or enhance one’s observance of Jewish commandments. Hiddur mitzvah, or the sacred beautification of a mitzvah, encourages the Jew to extol the principles of one’s faith by elevating the level of care or attention paid to an action.
Examples of this idea can be seen in many pieces of Jewish art, such as the beautiful Hanukkah menorahs that often grace Jewish homes during Hanukkah, meticulously decorated sukkahs during Succot, and tastefully decorated Tzedakah boxes that families sometimes maintain in their homes. A ketubah (the marriage contract that adorns many Jewish homes) and the beautiful script one may see on a handwritten Torah scroll are sacred reminders of the way this mitzvah has touched Jewish life and traditions.
Hiddur mitzvah, like many mitzvahs, exemplify a way of looking at one’s connection with God. It reflects one’s desire to elevate one’s traditional observance of Jewish practice above the routine of rote action by symbolically beautifying the steps one takes to affirm the importance of being a Jew.
Other articles of interest include: The Jewish Sabbath and Its Many Conflicting Traditions and What Kristallnacht Means to Jews Today.
Sources:
JewishVirtualLibrary.org
MyJewishLearning.com
Chabad.org
ModernKetubah.com/blog
Rabbishmuel.com
Jan Lee - Jan Lee has been writing for online and print publications for more than 20 years and have been published in five countries.
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