mitzvah

or mits·vah

[ Sephardic Hebrew meets-vah, mits-; English, Ashkenazic Hebrew mits-vuh ]

noun

, Hebrew.

, plural mitz·voth, mitz·vot, mitz·vos [meets-, vawt, mits-, mits-, vohs]; English mitz·vahs [mits, -v, uh, z].

1. any of the collection of 613 commandments or precepts in the Bible and additional ones of rabbinic origin that relate chiefly to the religious and moral conduct of Jews.
2. any good or praiseworthy deed.

mitzvah

/ ˈmɪtsvə; mitsˈvɑ /

noun

1. a commandment or precept, esp one found in the Bible
2. a good deed

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitzvah¹

First recorded in 1720–30; from Hebrew miṣwāh “command, commandment”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitzvah¹

from Hebrew: commandment

Example Sentences

I feel like I would have appreciated my bat mitzvah experience more as an adult.

From Time

I think for many teenagers, the bat mitzvah is their last serious experience with the Jewish faith.

From Time

For her piéce de résistance, Minaj makes one awkward, over-excited bar mitzvah boy's dreams come true.

From The Daily Beast

But my Bar Mitzvah rabbi survived the camps, camps he could have probably avoided because of his Aryan looks.

From The Daily Beast

On her Bar Mitzvah year: “I had the busiest social calendar in New York”

From The Daily Beast

More on her Bar Mitzvah year: “Having two dresses for Bar Mitzvah season is like pathetic.”

From The Daily Beast

In August, Horowitz became an Internet sensation when his Bar Mitzvah performance went viral.

From The Daily Beast

Being clever, before he was 13 years old, when he became "Bar Mitzvah," he had gained a thorough Talmudical education.

From Project Gutenberg

It was shortly after my confirmation,—I mean my—my Bar-Mitzvah.

From Project Gutenberg

The blessing that charity brings to the giver was a favorite idea of Akiba—a Mitzvah!

From Project Gutenberg

And the essence of a "mitzvah" was that it was a thing which God willed to have done.

From Project Gutenberg

Now I'm called to go to a Bar Mitzvah, but will write you again very soon.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• edict
• precept