The 613 Commandments: A Complete Guide to the Mitzvot

The number 613 — written in Hebrew as תַּרְיַ"ג (Taryag) — refers to the total count of commandments found in the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. These commandments form the foundation of the covenant between God and the Children of Israel. They are collectively known as the Mitzvot (מִצְווֹת) — singular: Mitzvah (מִצְוָה).

Where Does the Number 613 Come From?

The specific number 613 is first explicitly stated in the Talmud (Tractate Makkot 23b), where Rabbi Simlai taught: "613 commandments were communicated to Moses — 365 negative commandments corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive commandments corresponding to the number of limbs in the human body."

The primary medieval codification of the 613 mitzvot was done by Maimonides (Rambam) in his Sefer HaMitzvot (Book of Commandments, 12th century). Other authorities — including Nachmanides (Ramban) and Rabbi Moshe of Coucy — produced their own lists, with minor differences in which specific commandments are counted.

Positive vs. Negative Commandments

The 613 mitzvot are divided into two categories:

• Positive commandments (מִצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה, Mitzvot Aseh) — things you are commanded to do: 248 total, corresponding symbolically to the 248 limbs of the human body
• Negative commandments (מִצְווֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, Mitzvot Lo Ta'aseh) — things you are commanded not to do: 365 total, corresponding to the 365 days of the solar year

This symmetry reflects the Torah's vision of a complete life lived in covenant — every day and every part of one's being engaged in the service of God.

Sample Commandments from the Torah

Categories of the Mitzvot

The 613 commandments span a wide range of areas of life. Scholars have grouped them into categories including:

• Worship and prayer — including the Shema, daily prayer, and the Sabbath
• Dietary laws (Kashrut) — which foods may and may not be eaten
• Family and personal conduct — marriage, purity, and interpersonal ethics
• Social justice — care for the poor, honest commerce, and treatment of workers
• Temple service — offerings, priestly duties, and festivals (many of these are not applicable today without the Temple)
• The Land of Israel — agricultural laws, tithes, and sabbatical years

Are All 613 Applicable Today?

Not all 613 mitzvot apply in all times and circumstances. Many commandments were specific to the Tabernacle or Temple service — such as the laws of sacrifice and the priestly duties — and have not been practiced since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. Others are conditional on living in the Land of Israel. Some apply only to kings, priests, or specific roles.

Of the 613, approximately 270 commandments are considered applicable in the current era according to traditional reckoning. The rest await future restoration.

The Ten Commandments Within the 613

The famous Ten Commandments (עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, Aseret HaDibrot) — delivered to Moses at Sinai and recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 — are themselves part of the 613. They represent the most foundational of all the commandments, but are not separate from the larger body of Torah law.

Explore All 613 Mitzvot on Hebroni

Hebroni's mitzvot page lists all 613 commandments with their Hebrew text, English translation, and ancient context — filterable by positive and negative, and searchable by keyword.