The one where I answer a question about my life as a messianic believer.

I was recently asked the following question:

"Do you follow all the Jewish laws?"

I thought the answer might be informative to my few readers- so here goes:


I follow the mitzvot (as outlined in the old testament, and of course to the best of my abilities) but NOT the Talmud- which are the additional rabbinical writings that are the "Jewish Laws."

When you break it down, most believers attempt to follow mitzvot. There are 613 Mitzvot in the Torah. I break them down into four categories.

The first group are basic moral laws about caring for one another and the land.

• The 10 commandments
• 11 commands about how we are to love one another
• 2 laws to learn Torah and to respect scholars of Torah
• 51 about customs and forbiding idol worship.
• 1 law about repenting of sin
• 17 laws about marraige, divorce and adultry
• 8 laws about honesty / vows
• 48 laws about doing business ethically / lending money
• 5 laws about how to farm
• 13 laws about caring for the poor
• 36 laws about murder / theiving etc
• 37 laws about forbidden sexual relationships

Then there are an additional 89- that the "Torah Observant" attempt to follow:

• 33 laws about food / slaughter
• 11 laws about prayer and worship (recite the Shema, post mezuzahs, Bless His name after eating.)
• 5 laws about keeping the sabbath
• 30 laws about observing the holidays

Then there are these- which I am still studying and trying to figure out how they apply today.

• 22 laws about the year of Jubilee

The rest of the laws aren't applicable today- either because there is no temple- or because the Messiah was the ultimate sacrifice or because we aren't Nazarites or Isreali.

• 10 laws to the Nazarites
• 29 laws about offerings to God
• 47 laws about temple worship
• 39 laws about sacrifice
• 20 laws about ritual purity
• 74 laws about how the kingdom of Isreal was to be run

Love,