The Movement for Reform Judaism

Yes, and in all three meanings of the word. The singular is mitzvah and it can mean an act of kindness or a privilege in the synagogue service (being called up to read the blessings over the Torah or opening the Ark) or one of the many commandments or obligations of Jewish life. It is to this third meaning that the question really refers.

One of the most important Jewish religious ideas is that of covenant (brit). God made a covenant or solemn binding agreement with the Jewish people at Sinai – not just with those who were there but with their descendents and converts to Judaism – and from this covenant flow a great many obligations or commandments (for the sake of clarity it is worth remembering that Judaism doesn’t use the phrase the 10 commandments - they are called aseret hadibrot, the 10 statements - though each is one of the many obligations or commandments, called mitzvot, that I am referring to).

Nearly 2000 years ago a rabbi suggested that there might be as many as 613 mitzvot. Some centuries later lists were drawn up. Many of the mitzvot are very familiar – like putting up a mezuzah, (the container with the shema inside on the doorpost). Many are ethical, like visiting the sick or maintaining honest business practices. Many relate to the Temple and Temple times and can no longer be observed.

Reform Judaism attaches very great importance to the concept of covenant and the obligations, duties, commandments, mitzvot which flow. But we are not constrained by a list of 613, frozen in time. We encourage within our synagogues the study of mitzvot, the dynamic development of both the concept and its practice. We encourage individuals to deepen their Reform Jewish lives by increasing the number of mitzvot they practice and in so doing coming to hear the voice of God behind the covenant and its many obligations.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (7)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

mitzvot
written by a guest , January 26, 2008

So is keeping mitzvohs commanded in Reform Judaism? Do you just pick which ones you like and not do the ones you dont like?
Sorry I am a little confused.

One of our rabbis writes:
written by matand , January 28, 2008

"One of the central theological affirmations of Judaism - shared by all religious Jews - is of the brit, the covenant, the solemn binding agreement between God and the Jewish people made at Sinai. The mitzvot, the commandments, are the terms of that agreement. In ancient times, Rabbi Simlai asserted - in an aggadic or homiletic or sermon passage - that there were 613 (taryag) mitzvot. In the Middle Ages, there was a trend to turn this teaching into prescription (turn aggadah into halakhah) and people sought to list 613 mitzvot. The Rambam himself (Maimonides) produced what became the definitive list.

This was a very useful exercise but it had a number of drawbacks:

1. It froze the list at a moment in time.
2. Many of the mitzvot could not be observed. For instance, one of the mitzvot is that the High Priest may only marry a virgin. In fact, there are a lot of mitzvot in his list concerning the Temple ritual so it is fair to say that no group of Jews observes all of the mitzvot.
3. By taking what was in fact a number never intended to be taken literally and then combing the Torah for mitzvot, Maimonides is - apparently - quite arbitrary in terms of which obligations of the Torah are in the list and which are not.

Reform Jews think that the mitzvot are very important. A high percentage of those which Orthodox rabbis regard as mitzvot are regarded as mitzvot by Reform rabbis as well. There are some which we reject as unethical. There are some which we would like to update and extend so that they apply very clearly to contemporary life. And there are areas where we feel mitzvot are needed which were either not covered or not known in the Maimonidean list."

Convert
written by a guest , February 03, 2008

So does a convert to Reform Judaism have to agree to keep kosher, and the marital laws?
Do reform Jews follow the law of not going into another place of worship, even for a wedding or funeral, such as a church or mosque?

From one of our rabbis:
written by matand , February 05, 2008

Reform Judaism is not so prescriptive as to be able to answer your questions with simple yeses or nos. Reform Jews, whether by birth or by choice, would be taught about Kashrut, the laws of it and the essence and understanding of it. They would then be expected to make personal choices about the religious life they lead. For some that may be choosing to only eat kosher meat or in kosher restaurants, for others looking at a menu and remembering there are things on it that as a Jew they don't eat is more of a reminder for them. Reform Jews are also expected to lead ethical and moral lives and so if they have undertaken solemn vows of marriage of course they would be expected to respect the laws of marriage and the essence of those laws. However it is also understood that they are adults living in 21st century Britain and live their lives accordingly. The fact that we live among people of other religions means that we may well find ourselves in their places of worship at important times in their lives. Although joining in with liturgy which goes against the Jewish faith would be inappropriate, attending important events in other people's places of worship would not be misconstrued as worship and is perfectly acceptable.

RE:
written by a guest , February 07, 2008

Thankyou for your response.
So could someone hypothetically convert to Reform Judaism and be accepted even if they made it clear that to them Kashrut wasn't completely necessary to the details that the Orthodox go to?
For example, would someone be allowed to convert if they were going avoid the forbidden foods and not eat non kosher meat, but would be happy to eat vegeatarian food that wasn't "kosher'd". Like they'd eat vegetarian food of the plates of gentiles?
Or would someone with these intentions not be allowed to convert, would it de-legitimize their conversion?

Kashrut
written by a guest , February 11, 2008

As far as I understand your question that person would still be able to convert. No one converting to Reform Judaism would be expected to have a hechsher (a seal from an Orthodox Rabbinic Beit Din) on all the food they eat. I am born Jewish and a Rabbi and I am happy to eat vegetarian food in non Kosher restaurants or at the homes of non Jewish friends.

I was told that 613 is a special number.
written by fivish , April 01, 2008

That there are 613 commandments I was told was special because: 6 1 3 = 10
and 1 0 = 1. Relating to the 10 commandments spoken by God and the 1 of adonoy echud. Or is it just a coincidence?