(Mitzvot) are not only expressions of meanings given once and for all, but ways of evoking new meaning again and again. They are acts of inspiration rather than acts of compliance. They are the songs that express our wonder- Abraham Joshuah Heschel.
According to Jewish traditions, Mitzvot are the 613 commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. They are recorded in the Five Books of Moses, which is also known as the Torah. Mitzvot are God’s covenant with Israel and are classified in two major categories (Cohn-Sherbok, 397). The first category is statues concerned with ritual performances characterized as obligations between human beings and God. The other category is judgments that consist of ritual laws that would have been adopted by society even if God had not decreed them (Cohn-Sherbok, 397). This includes such laws regarding murder and theft. These commandments consist of 365 negative or prohibited commandments and 248 positive prescriptions or duties.
The Mitzvot are very important to Judaism because they come from God as his direct commands on how to live a holy life in accordance with His will. In modern times, such traditional and mystical ideas have lost their force. Therefore, many branches of Judaism do not always live entirely by the code of Jewish law in performing Mitzvot. All though they don’t perform Mitzvot, they still find them very significant since they are considered to be the direct words given to Moses from God. The Jewish religion is a strong faith, which is steeped in tradition. Through the years, rules and regulations have been changed to accommodate modern times. But, the main precepts of Mitzvot have never changed. Orthodox Jews see themselves as trying to follow all the Mitzvot. Reform and other Liberal Jews would see themselves also as being devout.
This quote expresses the meaning again and again in order to emphasis what God commanded. Not all people are in compliance with all of the 613 commandments of Mitzvot. Many of...