I’ve always wondered about this. Here’s an explanation of the 613 Laws that the Jews have written:
From the book entitled “Simple Church” by Tom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN.
“The religious leaders had developed a religious system with 613 Laws. They chose the number 613 because that was how many separate letters were in the text containing the Ten Commandments. Then they found 613 commandments in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). They divided the list into affirmative commands (do this) and negative command (don’t do this).
There were 248 affirmative commands, one for every part of the human body, as they understood it. There were 365 negative commands, one for each day of the year. They further divided the list into binding commands and nonbinding commands. Then they spent their days debating whether the divisions were accurate and ranking the commands within each division.”
What Are the 613 Laws?
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The number 613 comes from Jewish tradition, particularly from a 3rd-century rabbi named Rabbi Simlai, who stated that the Torah contains 248 positive commandments (things to do) and 365 negative commandments (things not to do).
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These are not laws added to the Bible, but rather a count of all the commands already found in the Torah, compiled and systematized.
Categories of the Laws
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Positive Mitzvot (248) – These are commands to do something, like:
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Honor your father and mother.
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Observe the Sabbath.
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Give to the poor.
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Negative Mitzvot (365) – These are prohibitions, like:
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Do not steal.
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Do not murder.
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Do not eat unclean animals.
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These laws cover every area of life, including:
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Worship and the Temple
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Civil justice and government
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Family and marriage
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Dietary restrictions (kosher laws)
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Ritual purity
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Ethical behavior
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Festivals and holy days
Where Did the List Come From?
The most well-known list of the 613 commandments was compiled by Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, also known as the Rambam) in the 12th century. He organized them into a comprehensive system in his work Sefer HaMitzvot (Book of the Commandments).
Why Are They Important in Judaism?
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For observant Jews, these commandments are a way of expressing covenant faithfulness to God.
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Keeping the mitzvot is not about earning salvation but about living a holy life, in obedience to the God of Israel.
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Some laws (like sacrifices) are no longer practiced because the Temple in Jerusalem no longer stands.
How Does Christianity View the 613 Laws?
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Christians believe (KNOW!) that Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).
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Many Christian theologians view the 613 laws as divided into:
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Moral laws (still relevant—e.g., love your neighbor)
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Ceremonial laws (fulfilled in Christ—e.g., sacrifices, festivals)
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Civil laws (specific to ancient Israel’s society)
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Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews discuss how the Law points to Christ and how salvation is by grace through faith, not by law-keeping.
A Few Famous Examples from the 613
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Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments (part of the 613)
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Leviticus 19:18 – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
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Deuteronomy 6:5 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (This is the Shema, one of the most central commandments)
Last edited on 04.27.2025