There is a lot of talk about mitzvos in Judaism. So what are they and what do they mean to me? The word mitzvah has been interpreted in a number of ways. Sometimes it means a commandment. Often it is considered simply a good deed or an act of kindness. But we can derive a deeper understanding by looking at the Hebrew rot, L ‘tzavot, which when translated means ‘to connect.’ G-d gave us mitzvos as a way of connecting to Him.
When G-d decided to create the world, He had a purpose in mind. In a nutshell, He wanted a dwelling place in the lower realms. And we, as created being, are privileged enough to be entrusted in bringing about this divine mission. G-d needs our mitzvahs. God needs us to connect. Our mitzvahs are crucial to bringing about G-d’s plan. Each of us has been given his or her own unique job as part of this plan. No one can do someone else’s job or rely on someone else to complete their own special part. We all have to fulfill our own role if we want the plan to work.
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There are 614 mitzvahs in Judaism. They encompass such a broad spectrum of acts that many of us may be performing a variety of mitzvos daily without even realizing it. Simple deeds like helping out a friend who may be going through a rough time or visiting someone who is sick can often be among those mitzvos of the highest stature. IT is said that the demonstration of charity alone hastens the arrival of Moshiach (the Messiah). In fact, every given moment is a penitential opportunity for one to do a mitzvah.
To perform a mitzvah, a physical object is required. The object aren’t necessarily the things that surround us. For example, your brain or heart would be considered the physical object involved in mitzvahs where thoughts and emotions are concerned. By performing a mitzvah with a prescribed physical object, this object becomes elevated and as such is able to connect back to its source—G-d. This is how G-dliness is revealed on earth and how His desire for a dwelling place is actualized.
Moshiach (or, the messianic age) is this actualization. The messianic age will not be the cessation of physical existence. On the contrary, it will be of the ultimate physicality as it was meant to be all along. It will be a place where truth and ultimate reality are self-evident one and for all. Mitzvos are the means by which we will arrive at this goal.
