The word mitzvah (מצווה) gets used two ways, and both are right. Strictly, it means a commandment — one of the instructions Jewish tradition counts. Loosely, it means a good deed, the kind you do because it is simply the decent thing.
613 of them
Tradition counts 613 mitzvot in the Torah — 248 things to do and 365 things to avoid, in the classic tally. They range from the huge (care for the stranger) to the quiet (leave the corner of your field for the poor). No one performs all 613, and many applied only to the ancient Temple. The point is a life woven through with small, deliberate acts.
Small deeds, real weight
Judaism takes the little ones seriously. Visiting someone who is sick, welcoming a guest, returning a lost object, saying a kind word — these are mitzvahs, and the tradition treats them as genuinely load-bearing. A good deed done quietly, with no audience, is often held to count for more.
Gemilut chasadim
There is a name for the whole category of kindness: gemilut chasadim (גמילות חסדים), "acts of loving-kindness." These are gifts of your hands and your time — a ride, a meal, a shiva visit, an hour of listening. The tradition calls them one of the pillars the world stands on.
A mitzvah that floats
This is where a rubber duck fits in. Hiding a kosher duck for a stranger to find is a tiny act of kindness sent out with no return address — a small good deed set loose to make someone's day. Mitzvahs that float, one duck at a time.
A commandment and a kindness at once, and most of them fit in the palm of your hand.
Every duck is a doorway like this one.
A little Jewish joy, hidden for a stranger to find. Start a flock, or read the weekly columns.