Q&A: Torah and Commandments
Torah and Commandments
Question
Hello Rabbi Michael Abraham.
For quite a long time now I’ve been very confused about Jewish law—whether it really seems reasonable to me that I am obligated to observe Jewish law as it exists in Orthodoxy, broadly speaking. I study this a lot, both from your booklets and your articles, and of course from other thinkers over the years, but I’m still not sure that my feelings regarding the obligation to observe Torah and commandments are feelings of high probability; on the contrary—the probability seems to me to be fairly low much of the time, especially lately.
Should I continue to observe Jewish law until I finish clarifying things, or should I take some kind of “vacation” and discover myself and my relationship to Torah and commandments?
Thanks in advance.
Answer
I don’t know how to answer that. I’m also not sure such a vacation would help you form a position (that is, I’m not sure you’d make progress). From my perspective it is clear that you should observe the commandments, since every Jew is obligated in this. But if you think otherwise—then you have to decide what your view is and what you should do.