What are the 613 commandments?

The 613 commandments (taryag mitzvot — תרי"ג מצוות) are the full body of biblical commandments given by God to Israel through the Torah. They consist of 248 positive commandments (mitzvot aseh — "do this") and 365 negative commandments (mitzvot lo ta'aseh — "do not do this"). No single authoritative list exists that all authorities agree upon — different Rishonim (medieval authorities) compiled different lists, with Maimonides' Sefer HaMitzvot being the most well-known.

Key Takeaways

The number 613 is derived from the Talmud [Makkot 23b], with the first positive commandment being belief in God.
248 positive commandments correspond to the limbs of the human body; 365 negative commandments correspond to the days of the solar year.
Multiple authorities compiled lists of the 613, and they disagree on which commands qualify — the most authoritative list is Maimonides' Sefer HaMitzvot.
Not all 613 apply to every Jew — some apply only to Kohanim, some only to kings, some only when the Temple stands, and some differ between men and women.
Jacob alluded to keeping all 613 commandments even while living with the wicked Laban, hinted at in the word garti (גַּרְתִּי, "I sojourned"), whose gematria equals 613.

The Source of the Number 613

The number 613 originates in the Talmud Bavli:

"613 commandments were stated to Moses at Sinai... What is the verse? 'Moses commanded to us the Torah' — the numerical value (gematria) of the word Torah (תורה) is 611, plus the first two commandments heard directly from God." [Makkot 23b]

[Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 1:1] confirms that the first positive commandment is belief in God — "I am the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:2).

248 + 365: A Body-and-Time Framework

The [Midrash Mishlei 31:5] provides a beautiful structural explanation:

"רמ"ח מצוות עשה, כנגד רמ"ח איברים שבאדם: כל איבר ואיבר אומר לו לאדם 'בבקשה ממך עשה בי מצוה זו', ושס"ה מצוות לא תעשה כנגד ימות החמה, וכל יום ויום אומר לאדם 'אבקש ממך שלא תעשה בי עבירה זו'."

"248 positive commandments correspond to the 248 limbs of a person — each limb says to a person, 'Please, perform a commandment through me.' And 365 negative commandments correspond to the days of the solar year — each day says, 'Please, do not commit a transgression on me.'"

This teaches that the mitzvot are not merely legal obligations — they are woven into the very fabric of human existence, both bodily and temporal.

Progressive Revelation of Commandments

Commandments were given incrementally throughout history, not all at once at Sinai:

| Patriarch/Era | Commandment(s) Added | |---|---| | Adam | 6 commandments (e.g., prohibition of idolatry, bloodshed, theft) | | Noah | + Prohibition of ever min ha-chai (eating a limb from a living animal) | | Abraham | + Circumcision (brit milah) | | Jacob | + Prohibition of the sciatic nerve (gid ha-nasheh) | | Judah | + Levirate marriage (yibbum) | | Israel at Sinai | Full 613 |

[Midrash Mishlei 31:5]

Who Compiled the 613? Major Rishonim Lists

Several authorities compiled formal lists. The major ones are:

Maimonides (Rambam) — Sefer HaMitzvot and organized throughout his Mishneh Torah. He established 14 governing principles (shorashim) for what qualifies as a biblical commandment.
Nachmanides (Ramban) — Disagreed with Rambam on several entries and wrote critical glosses (hasagot) on Sefer HaMitzvot.
Rav Saadia Gaon — One of the earliest to compile such a list (Azharot).
Sefer HaChinuch — Attributed to a 13th-century Spanish authority; organized the 613 according to the weekly Torah portion.
Semag (Sefer Mitzvot Gadol) — By Rabbi Moshe of Coucy.

The key disagreement between Rambam and Ramban is often about whether certain rabbinic expansions or sub-categories of commands constitute independent biblical mitzvot.

Jacob's Hint to All 613

[Rashi on Genesis 32:5] offers a striking gematria (numerological) teaching:

"I have sojourned (garti — גַּרְתִּי) — in gematria is 613, meaning that I managed to live with the evil Laban and still keep the 613 commandments; I didn't learn from his bad actions."

This illustrates a beloved Torah theme: the tzaddik (righteous person) maintains complete Torah observance even in the most spiritually hostile environment.

Practical Notes on Applicability

Not all 613 are applicable to every Jew or in every era:

Many depend on the Temple (Beit HaMikdash) and cannot be observed today (e.g., sacrifices, priestly service).
Some apply only to Kohanim (priests) or Levites.
Some apply only to kings of Israel.
Some differ between men and women — women are exempt from time-bound positive commandments (mitzvot aseh she-hazman gerama), though the scope of this exemption is debated.
Many are land-dependent — applying only in the Land of Israel (e.g., agricultural tithes, shemitah).

Practically, the number of commandments fully applicable to an ordinary Jewish person today is significantly smaller.

For personal guidance on halachic practice, consult your local rabbi or posek.