Living a Mitzvah-Centered Life

Reb Goldie's Mitzvah Cards From the Living a Mitzvah-Centered Life Project © 2010 Rabbi Goldie Milgram
V'Ahavta l'reyakha kamokha The Love Mitzvah Loving all, including all varieties of Jews, as we could best love ourselves	*Bal Tash-hit* The Nature Mitzvah Caring for nature and the environment, on earth and in space, preserving life forms, habitats & resources	*Mezuzzah* The Sacred Space Mitzvah Marking the rooms of our homes as sacred space for loving and listening	*Shalom Bayit* The Peace-Keeping Mitzvah Performing conscious acts of self restraint that may yield greater peace in our home
G'milut Hasadim The Selfless Mitzvah Giving of our time by performing deeds of loving-kindness for others	*Shmirat ha-Guf* The Health Mitzvah Caring for our body as the instrument upon which our soul plays life for God	Limmud Torah The Torah Study Mitzvah Engaging in regular study of Jewish texts as a lens for individual and collective awareness and growth leading to action	Teshuvah The Returning Mitzvah Engaging in a process of reflection and encounter so that wholeness and holiness can return to our relationships and practices
*Kashrut* The Eating Mitzvah Paying attention to what we choose to eat, ensuring it is ethically and properly grown, packed transported and prepared	*Yizkor/Zachor* The Memory Mitzvah Transforming the pain of losing loved ones in this life, into their presence remembered, contemplated, shared and integrated into the story of one's own life	G’nivat Da’at The Marketing Mitzvah Exercising truth in promotional advertising, about ourselves and our products, services, and competitors	v’Hadarta P’nai Zaken The Elder Mitzvah Receiving elders with respect for their experience and attention to their capabilities and needs
Minyan The "You Count" Mitzvah Creating a network of friends and neighbors for whom we show up and who show up for us, in both good & troubled times and to ensure a quorum for prayer	*Tzedakah* The Money Mitzvah Achieving an equitable distribution of our personal resources so that our life is good and others can thrive	*Hakhnassat Orkhim* The Hospitality Mitzvah Hosting at home and when out in the world, as though all around us are our honored guests	*Pidyon Sh’vuim* The Release Mitzvah Doing our best to free those who are illegally being held captive
Tamhui The "Soup Kitchen" Mitzvah Making sure everyone in our community has nourishing meals and a safe place to eat	Hevra Kaddishah The "Holy Friends" Mitzvah Participating in the respectful preparation of a soul's former body for burial	Shabbat The Sacred Time Mitzvah Celebrating our Sabbath by resouling in a day away from money, media and materialism, engaging instead in practices that deepen our connections to Torah, family and community	Tzaar Ba'alei Chayyim The Animal Mitzvah Acting to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering for all that lives
*Lo Takhmode* The Dangerous Desire Mitzvah Recognizing inappropriate attractions and practicing non-attachment to what is not ours to have	*Shema* The Listening Mitzvah Reflecting at bedtime on the day's relationships in hopes no one was harmed on our account; then saying the Shema as a way of placing a "mezuzzah" on the doorpost of our dreams and one day, our life	*Lo Tikom* The No Revenge Mitzvah Dealing with anger and loss without multiplying wrongs or taking revenge	*Lo Titeyn Mikshol* The Stumbling Block Mitzvah Being aware of how we can best set up environments and situations so others won't be physically or ethically tripped up
*Zeykher l'Y'tizat Mitzrayim* The Exodus Mitzvah Remembering when our people left Egypt as a metaphor for keeping freedom in sight and as a faithful inspiration for surviving hard times	*Tallit, Tzitzit* The Reminder Mitzvah Wearing a specially fringed prayer garment to help us remember to live a mitzvah-centered life	Shmira The Body Guard Mitzvah Allowing a soul to depart and travel with the comfort of knowing someone is watching over it's body; traditionally by candlelight while reciting psalms	Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof The Justice Mitzvah Pursuing opportunities for all and for each to live in dignity with equal opportunity, safety, food, education, culture, etc.
Yom Tzom The Fasting Mitzvah Sacrificing up to one day's meals, if healthy enough to do so, to attain an altered awareness conducive to reflection, connection and revelation	*Ahavat Tzion* The Israel Mitzvah Working to secure a defendable, just, beautiful State of Israel	Pikuakh Nefesh The Life Mitzvah Acting to save lives without major risk of losing our own e.g., organ & blood donation, searching for a lost person, safely extinguishing a fire, and much more...	Ayd Shaker The Honest Witness Mitzvah Taking care to truthfully report what was said or done
*Ezrat Holim* The Medical Mitzvah Providing and funding healthcare, research food and social service support for those in need now and for a better future	Tefillah The Prayer Mitzvah Lifting our voice, heart, body and spirit in traditional and personal prayer at home and in community through gratitude and expressing the prayer of our heart	*Brit* The "You Are My People" Mitzvah Ritually entering ourselves and our children into membership in the Jewish people	*Shofar* The Wake-Up Call Mitzvah Heading the shofar's call to the need for healing of relationships within, between and Beyond
Hanukkiah The Lights Mitzvah Kindling the menorah for Hanukkah's eight nights, then contemplating the meaning of "the Light"	*Dina d'Malkhuta Dina* The Citizenship Mitzvah Working for a better society through adding our vision, taxes, service, concerns, observance of laws and our vote	*Sukkah* The Harvest Mitzvah Tapping together our fragile harvest home, then building our life's inner circle by inviting friends and neighbors to come by for meals, ritual and contemplation	l'Nadlik Ner The Transition Mitzvah Candle lighting helps us frame Shabbat and holy days, we have also the yartzeit candle for honoring the light loved ones brought into our lives
*Aliyah l'Aretz* The Pilgrimage Mitzvah Visiting, experiencing, living in Israel	Bikkur Holim The Visiting Mitzvah Supporting the spirit of those who are physically or emotionally unwell	*Hatunah* The Sacred Relationship Mitzvah Convening a community of spirit as we ritually braid our life into committed relationship with our beloved	Lihiyote b'Simkha Tamid The Happiness Mitzvah Living as though we are always at a "simcha", a happy rite of passage
©2010 Rabbi Goldie Milgram ReclaimingJudaism.org