mitzvah

Or mits·vah

[meets-vah, mits-, mits-vuh]

noun

Hebrew.

plural

mitzvoth, mitzvot, mitzvos. ,

plural

mitzvahs .

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

My brother had his bar mitzvah at the mountaintop fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea.

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And he had his bar mitzvah in Israel last year.

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After being inspired at a bar mitzvah he attended about 15 years ago, Sonnier decided he wanted to convert from Catholicism to Judaism.

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She also reads Hebrew, had her bat mitzvah and, like her mom and dad, loves to roam the city.

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Yoshi has a bar mitzvah; Naomi is honored for her charitable work.

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Related Words

• edict 
• precept