“Mitzvah” is the Hebrew term for a Jewish commandment or obligation central to a bar or bat mitzvah.
The word mitzvah comes from the Hebrew root associated with commanding. In Jewish usage, it commonly means a commandment, especially one of the religious obligations traditionally derived from the Torah and later Jewish interpretation. In everyday English, it can also refer to a good deed, as in the phrase “doing a mitzvah.”
The terms bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah literally connect a person with mitzvah: “son of the commandment” and “daughter of the commandment.” The milestone therefore concerns religious responsibility rather than merely a birthday or social party.
Jewish tradition commonly speaks of 613 commandments, although the practical applicability of individual commandments varies according to circumstances, historical conditions, and a person’s role. Mitzvah should not be confused with midrash, which refers to interpretive commentary, or mikveh, a ritual bath used for purification and other religious purposes.