Comprehensive religious law
The 613 Mitzvot in Judaism
The traditional Jewish enumeration of 613 commandments in the Torah, including positive duties and prohibitions concerning worship, justice, family, food, property, compassion and communal life.
- Tradition or school
- Judaism
- Framework type
- Comprehensive religious law
- Authority classification
- Traditional
- Observance
- Mixed requirements
- Research status
- Identified for research
- Origin period
- Commandments rooted in the Torah; the number 613 is attested in rabbinic tradition and later systematically classified.
- Origin region
- Ancient Israel and the later rabbinic Jewish world
- Attributed origin
- The Torah; later enumeration by rabbinic authorities, especially Maimonides and other medieval classifiers
- Intended audience
- The people of Israel, with individual commandments applying differently to priests, rulers, judges, men, women, landholders and the community
- Published constituent items
- 12
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Alternative names: The 613 Commandments; Taryag Mitzvot
Original name: תרי״ג מצוות
Transliteration: Taryag mitzvot
Primary texts and authority
The commandments are drawn from the Torah. The traditional total of 613 was developed in rabbinic literature and classified in works including Maimonides’ Sefer HaMitzvot and Mishneh Torah.
Rules, principles or steps
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Worship and relationship with God
Commands concerning exclusive worship, prayer, sacred obligations and rejection of idolatry.
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Sacred time, festivals and rest
Sabbath, festivals and duties structuring communal and religious time.
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Temple, priesthood and sacrifice
Commands connected with the ancient sanctuary, priests, offerings and ritual service.
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Food, purity and daily practice
Dietary rules, purity practices and disciplines governing ordinary life.
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Family, marriage and sexuality
Duties and prohibitions concerning parents, marriage, kinship and sexual conduct.
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Courts, testimony and justice
Requirements concerning judges, evidence, truthful testimony and fair legal process.
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Property, theft and honest commerce
Rules against theft, fraud, false measures and unjust interference with property.
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Workers, debt and economic responsibility
Duties concerning wages, loans, debt, lending, land and economic relationships.
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Charity and vulnerable people
Duties toward poor people, strangers, widows, orphans and others exposed to hardship.
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Animals, land and agriculture
Rules concerning working animals, crops, land use and agricultural obligations.
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Leadership, community and collective security
Commands affecting rulers, communal institutions, public order and war.
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Truthful speech, oaths and accountability
Duties concerning vows, oaths, truthful communication and responsibility for wrongdoing.
Historical development
The Torah does not present one numbered list of 613. Rabbinic tradition counted 248 positive commandments and 365 prohibitions, while medieval authorities disagreed about the exact membership and method of counting. Many commandments concern the Jerusalem Temple, priesthood, agriculture in the land of Israel or institutions that no longer operate in their ancient form.
Variations
Jewish communities and movements differ in interpretation, legal authority and present observance. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and secular Jewish approaches use different methods of interpretation and obligation.
Traditional interpretation
The mitzvot are commonly understood as a covenantal way of life joining worship, daily conduct, justice and communal identity. They include duties toward God and duties toward other people.
Controversies and disputes
Some commandments reflect ancient institutions, gender roles, purity systems, warfare and punishments that raise serious modern ethical questions. Counting systems also differ, so ‘the 613’ is a traditional classification rather than one uncontested scriptural table.
Truth By Reason analysis
The mitzvot contain enduring concerns about honesty, theft, workers, courts, debt, charity, family responsibility and protection of vulnerable people. Individual rules should nevertheless be evaluated separately. Scriptural or traditional authority does not by itself establish universal moral validity.
Ethical themes
Sources
- Mishneh Torah Mainstream secondary source
- Sefer HaMitzvot Mainstream secondary source
- The Torah (Pentateuch) Mainstream secondary source