what is a mitzvah

In Judaism, a mitzvah is a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. The Hebrew word mitzvah means "commandment" and refers to a deed performed in order to fulfill such a commandment. The term mitzvah has also come to express an individual act of human kindness in keeping with the law, including a sense of heartfelt sentiment beyond mere legal duty. Jewish law consists largely of discussion of these commandments, and there are 613 mitzvot derived from the Hebrew Bible. These commandments involve rituals, ethics, and relations between people and with God. While mitzvah is often translated as "good deed," it literally translates as a "commandment".