Mitzvot and Moral Responsibilities

Commandments as a way of life

In Judaism, belief in God is connected to how people live. A mitzvah is a commandment; mitzvot is the plural. Jewish tradition identifies 613 mitzvot in the Torah, including 248 positive commandments about what to do and 365 negative commandments about what not to do.

Jews understand these commandments as part of their covenant with God: the special relationship involving commitments between God and the Jewish people. Following them expresses faithfulness to that relationship. They guide worship, food choices, business dealings and treatment of other people, making religion part of everyday life rather than something confined to prayer.

Halakhah, usually translated as ‘Jewish law’, provides the rules and guidance for putting the commandments into practice. Its meaning is associated with ‘the path that one walks’: it guides a way of living. Observing the mitzvot can help Jews become closer to God, develop good character and build a community in which people treat one another fairly. Some Jews also connect obedience with God's judgement, reward and punishment.

Responsibilities towards God and other people

The mitzvot can be grouped according to the relationship they concern.

• Mitzvot between humans and God concern religious duties such as worship, observing Shabbat and following dietary laws. These express obedience to God and sustain Jewish religious identity.
• Mitzvot between humans and other humans concern duties such as honouring parents, giving charity and not stealing or murdering. These protect people and help create a just society.

These categories are connected. Treating another person fairly is also a way of obeying God. Equally, religious observance can remind people of the values that should guide their behaviour.

Orthodox Jews generally regard both kinds as binding, because they understand the Torah's commandments as divinely given. A commandment does not lose its importance simply because it is difficult or its purpose is not immediately obvious. However, not all 613 can be carried out by every person: some concern particular roles, while others depend on the Temple, which no longer exists.

Reform Jews may distinguish between enduring moral obligations and ritual practices that can be interpreted or adapted in modern circumstances. Many place particular emphasis on ethical commandments because their contribution to justice and human wellbeing remains clear. This does not mean that Reform Jews reject worship, Shabbat or other rituals; these can still express faith and identity.

There are therefore reasons for different judgements about importance. Moral mitzvot directly protect people from harm, so they may seem especially urgent. Religious mitzvot sustain the covenant and the relationship with God, so Orthodox Jews can argue that people should not rank commandments simply according to personal preference. A balanced judgement recognises that both contribute to Jewish life, while particular circumstances may make one duty take priority.

Justice and repairing the world

Justice means acting fairly, respecting people's dignity and putting right wrongdoing. In Judaism, it is not limited to punishment in a court. It also concerns whether people can live with dignity, including people who are poor or vulnerable, whether Jewish or non-Jewish.

Micah 6:8 describes what God requires: ‘to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God’. This connects religious faith with action towards others. A person cannot separate devotion to God completely from the way they treat people.

Tikkun olam means ‘repairing the world’. It encourages action to improve society and care for the world and its inhabitants. Helping people in poverty, volunteering for charities and caring for the environment are ways of putting this principle into practice. For many Jews, repairing the world is also a way of drawing closer to God: belief becomes a responsibility to improve life on Earth.

A concrete example is Mitzvah Day, which began in Britain in 2008. Jews and non-Jews work together on projects addressing poverty, the environment and care for others. Activities have included ‘Sunshine to Seniors’, helping older people, and tree planting. The day gives these responsibilities a shared focus, but they apply throughout the year.

Charity and loving kindness

Tzedakah means charitable giving understood as a duty of justice and righteousness. Giving is not simply a generous extra: it is a responsibility towards people with fewer resources. The belief that wealth is entrusted by God encourages Jews to use it to help others.

The manner of giving matters as well as the amount. The medieval Jewish thinker Maimonides described eight levels of giving. His highest level helps someone become self-sufficient, for example through a loan, partnership or other support that enables them to earn a living. This addresses the cause of their dependence and protects their dignity.

Gemilut hasadim means acts of loving kindness. Unlike charitable giving, kindness need not involve money. It can mean visiting someone who is lonely, caring for an older person or offering practical help without expecting anything in return. Leviticus 19:18 teaches, ‘Love your fellow as yourself’, supporting concern for others rather than only for one's own interests.

These principles reinforce one another. Giving resources can promote justice; giving time can show kindness; both can contribute to repairing the world. Their influence reaches beyond the individual through charities, community projects and support for Jewish and non-Jewish neighbours.

Why human life is sacred

The sanctity of life is the belief that human life is holy and precious because it comes from God. Genesis 1:26 describes humanity as made in God's ‘image and likeness’. This is a claim about human value, not that God has a human body. It gives a religious reason to respect every human life.

Because God is the giver of life, Jews believe they have a responsibility to protect it and make good use of it. This underlies opposition to murder and, traditionally, to deliberately ending life through euthanasia. It also encourages practical care for people whose lives are threatened.

Pikuach nefesh is the duty to save human life. It takes priority over most other mitzvot when life is at risk. For example, a doctor may answer an emergency call and provide treatment on Shabbat. A person may eat non-kosher food if necessary to survive, or be exempt from fasting on Yom Kippur if fasting would endanger their life.

This is not permission to set aside commandments whenever they are inconvenient. It applies because protecting life is itself a religious obligation. There are also exceptional prohibitions that cannot normally be overridden even to save life: murder, idolatry and forbidden sexual relations, including incest and adultery. Saving one person does not justify murdering another.

Does saving life matter more than observing commandments?

There is a strong argument that saving life has priority: a human being has sacred value, and preventing death protects the possibility of a whole future life. The permission to set aside Shabbat restrictions in an emergency shows how seriously Judaism takes this duty.

However, this need not mean that the mitzvot are unimportant. They guide the ordinary decisions through which people honour God, protect others and build a good society. Pikuach nefesh is itself a religious duty, and its exceptions show that saving life is not an unlimited justification for any action.

A justified conclusion is that saving life normally takes priority when duties conflict in a life-threatening situation, while the mitzvot remain essential guides to everyday life. Protecting life and obeying God are therefore usually complementary rather than competing aims.

Free will makes obedience a choice

Free will is the ability to choose how to act. Jews believe that humans can choose whether to follow the mitzvot: commandments provide guidance, but they do not remove personal responsibility.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, ‘I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.’ The instruction to choose shows that obedience is not automatic. It also connects choices with consequences.

For example, someone who has the opportunity to steal can choose to respect another person's property instead. The commandment gives a standard for judging the action; free will allows the person to act on it or reject it. Choosing kindness or giving charity likewise puts moral teaching into practice.

Many Jews connect this responsibility with God's judgement. Freedom to disobey does not mean that disobedience is morally acceptable or has no consequences. The relationship is therefore clear: the mitzvot guide choices, free will makes choices possible, and individuals are responsible for how they use that freedom.