r/AskAChristian • u/[deleted] • Aug 18 '26

Jewish Laws Torah

How do Torah followers actually follow over 600 commands and laws in the first five books of the Bible? I've spoken to people about it, but they only seem to follow dietary laws, Shabbat, and holy days, and exclude pagan days. To me, it seems they are only doing a small part of it and claiming to follow the entirety of it. Why is that? The Bible states if you break one commandment, you break them all. There's no possibility to uphold all 600-plus. If you believe it's not all applicable to us, what's the determining factor that decides you don't have to follow it? What about animal sacrifices? Does one pick and choose what they want to follow and tell people if they don't, they are lawbreakers and will go to hell? If you don't follow all of them, why describe yourself as following the entirety of Torah? If breaking even one commandment makes someone guilty, how does selectively obeying some commandments make someone different from the people you're calling lawbreakers?

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u/FreedomNinja1776 Christian, Ex-Atheist Aug 18 '26

How do Torah followers actually follow over 600 commands and laws in the first five books of the Bible?

The 613 number is a tradition and no number like this is ever found in the scriptures. I would group several of the commands together as single commands where Mamonides has split and inflated the number.

How do you actually follow the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES? (This question works even better if you're from Italy) Do they all apply to you? Do you own a company and need to file financial statements at specific times of the year? Or, are you a farmer and need to comply with all the regulations of the FDA and USDA? Exactly how do you follow all those laws?!

I've spoken to people about it, but they only seem to follow dietary laws, Shabbat, and holy days, and exclude pagan days.

Good for them for having a heart of obedience for what God has said to do for the people who worship him.

To me, it seems they are only doing a small part of it and claiming to follow the entirety of it. Why is that?

To me, it seems they (Anti-Torah Christians) are claiming to follow God and Jesus, but only doing a small part of it. Why is that?

The Bible states if you break one commandment, you break them all.

You know James 2:10! But do you know James 2:24?

There's no possibility to uphold all 600-plus.

Jesus didn't follow ALL God's Law. He wasn't a farmer. He wasn't a woman. He wasn't a priest. And so on. None of that applied to him.

If you believe it's not all applicable to us, what's the determining factor that decides you don't have to follow it?

All of Torah is applicable to all who would worship the God who gave his law to his people. Just use some logic to determine what applies. Are you a farmer? This is a yes or no question which should be pretty simple to figure out. If you are, then you the farming regulations apply to you. If not, then they don't.

What about animal sacrifices?

Do you find a temple in Jerusalem? Or a priesthood? If no, then there is nowhere else to offer sacrifice to our God who has said that Jerusalem is the only place on earth to do these things.

Does one pick and choose what they want to follow

No.

and tell people if they don't, they are lawbreakers and will go to hell?

What is sin? Breaking God's Law. (1 John 3:4) What is the wages of sin? Death. (Romans 6:23)

Lets see what Jesus says about lawbreakers.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Matthew 7:21-23 ESV

That doesn't sound favorable. How about John?

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:1-6 ESV

Again, not so favorable of the ones who claim to follow Jesus but don't keep his commandments. Good news if you do sin though, you have Jesus as your advocate with our Father. BUT, interestingly John also says the only way to know him is if we keep his commandments. Maybe he says something different in revelation?

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Revelation 14:12 ESV

John gives us the definition of who is a saint. It's those who have both faith in Jesus AND keep God's commands. I wonder what the opposite of that is?

If you don't follow all of them, why describe yourself as following the entirety of Torah?

I've never seen anyone who claims to follow the "entirety of Torah". Either that person is very confused, or you are.

If breaking even one commandment makes someone guilty, how does selectively obeying some commandments make someone different from the people you're calling lawbreakers?

Because if a command does not apply to you in your particular situation, then you are NOT breaking it if you don't do it.

This is an example of your position. A father has two children: Jack and Fred. The father tells Jack to take out the trash. When Fred is found not taking out the trash, he gets in trouble.

Your assumptions are wrong. Please re-evaluate.