MITZVAH. Quite possibly the most important word in Judaism. Question: But what is a mitzvah? a good deed a commandment from God a Jewish responsibility Answer: All of the above. In order to lead meaningful lives and to make the world a better place, we must all assume many responsibilities, like visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the environment, taking care of the elderly, freeing those who are enslaved. Each of these is a mitzvah, a commandment from God. By performing mitzvot, we learn the proper way to live-how to treat others, our family, our friends, our community, our planet, and ourselves. Question: What do mitzvot have to do with me? Answer: You are what you do. Mitzvot are Jewish values in action. They teach us the Jewish way to live our lives--everything from observing Shabbat and celebrating the holidays to helping the homeless and supporting Israel. You will soon celebrate (or have recently celebrated) becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Judaism teaches that at that time you are old enough to begin taking on adult responsibilities. That means you are now ready to perform mitzvot. Question: Where do the mitzvot come from? Answer: We learn about mitzvot by studying the Torah. By Torah, I mean not only the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) but all the Jewish wisdom that has been handed down through the ages. This includes wisdom from the Bible, the Talmud, Midrash, even books and stories written in our own day.