Mitzvot and Misconceptions: Understanding the Biblical Commandments

When it comes to the Biblical commandments, it seems the majority of Bible readers have developed their understanding largely through the lens of Christian thought.

This is unfortunate as the church has historically struggled to understand the commandments, their usefulness, and which ones apply to Gentiles.

Key figures in later church history have taken a polemical position, eg. Martin Luther, contributing to the popular idea that the commandments are somewhat oppositional to faith (Sola Fide).

As a result, opinions today range from 'Jesus abolished the commandments', to “One Law” theology, (the idea that erases Jewish and Gentile distinction, presuming that both are to observe all the commandments equally.)

This last position becomes increasingly more complicated when One Law adherents give it a go without the time-tested Jewish Oral tradition - which we've demonstrated is vital to upholding the written commands¹. This position can also serve as a subtle form of replacement theology.

Nevertheless, misunderstandings like these have given root to a false dichotomy that pits faith against works; obedience vs grace. Yet, the New Testament attests that faith and works are essential³.

In this work, we'll shed some light from the Jewish perspective. Though we cannot do this topic justice in such a short work, we'll try to clear up a few common misconceptions about the commandments, known as Mitzvot.

Misconception #1 - Two Categories of Mitzvot

Virtually everyone is familiar with the idea of the "10 Commandments." It is less commonly understood that these are regarded more as categories than individual commandments.

In fact, they are not called commandments in the text, but utterances (Aseret haDibrot). When counting the individual commandments in the Bible, the Rabbis found 613! As such, the 613 commandments are how we observe the 10 categories.

An analogy: Suppose Moses was given an 11th line on the tablets, 'Thou shall obey the laws of driving an automobile'. To observe this command, you'd need hundreds of specific do's and do-nots; when to use a turn signal, who has the right-of-way at a stop sign, reasonable speed limits, environmental considerations, and more. Eventually, you'd encounter new situations requiring additional rulings, like driving while operating a smartphone. (This is how the written and oral Torah(s) work together.)

The 613 mitzvot are subdivided into (2) main categories; (248) to-dos, and (365) do-nots, or prohibitions. By and large, both categories are incumbent upon Jews, while it is the latter that are more relevant to Gentiles.