"The literal meaning of the Hebrew word mitzvah is commandment, but the generally accepted sense is that of a good deed. The emphasis is on deeds—not on positive thoughts or wishes, but on conscious acts of empathy and kindness."
https://pjlibrary.org/mitzvah

Mitzvah of death: joyous acceptance of death and its elevation to the sacred
"Judaism bids us to raise the natural to the sacred, the physical to the metaphysical, and thus sanctify all life. So it is with death: it is a natural act, but never must we remain at the level of the natural. Here too we must transform it into a mitzvah, and elevate it to the transcendent. For a Jew, the natural act of dying must be raised to volitional, joining our will to the act of inevitable nature; elevating the mechanical to the sacred. And investing it with new significance […]Judaism insists that “dignity” in death does not end with that, but includes as well one’s intention, one’s will, one’s spiritual participation, one’s joyous acceptance of God’s will[…]when it happens he responds to it with an act of the spirit."

https://archives.yu.edu/gsdl/collect/lammserm/index/assoc/HA...


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Note added at 19 hrs (2024-02-29 20:05:25 GMT)
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In traditional Jewish thought, dying with dignity and in accordance with Jewish law and values is highly esteemed. Showing honor and respect to the dead is one of the greatest mitzvot.
"ein ehrlicher Mizwe-Tod" could mean either:
1. Death consciously accepted by the deceased, representing a good deed of the decedent, as prescribed by the Torah.
2. An occasion for which the community performed mitzvahs, observing all commandments like shiva, kaddish, etc.
Both interpretations align with Jewish beliefs and practices surrounding death and mitzvahs. In the first interpretation, the emphasis is on the individual's acceptance of death in a manner consistent with Jewish teachings, potentially involving acts of righteousness or selflessness. In the second interpretation, the focus is on the collective response of the community to the death, ensuring that all the appropriate mitzvahs and rituals are observed in accordance with Jewish tradition.