All or Nothing

if one states that he accepts 612 of the total of 613 mitzvos, he is a rebel?

Well said, Rabbi. That goes for the way some of our sister and brother Jews feel about the different forms of Jewish expression. The range of thought may vary but the desire to do good by serving mankind in the manner set down for us, are the same.We can enjoy the community of Judiasm and respect our variences. After all we always find ourselves in the same boat during periods of antisemitism. In the end,it is better to embrace the idea that we are all one or we may become nothing.

So, I started being shomerette shabbat in August and kept shabbat for 4 months in a row, but I had to move this past weekend and couldn't keep shabbat. I felt weird and sort of guilt-ridden, so I gotta say a HUGE thank you for this commentary, because I don't think I can stand the pressure of the all-or-nothing philosophy. And I went from never lighting a candle on shabbat to jumping into shomer shabbat... It was sort of too much, too quick. I guess I need to accept the changes little by little so I don't get overwhelmed!!

With respect, I would like to feel that Judasim does not support All or Nothing thinking, but in fact it often encourages it. At the concluding prayer on Yom Kippur, Neillah, you have either been accepted or rejected totally, (written in the Book of Life or not). I have heard conversations in Brooklyn Orthodox households stereotyping gentiles, non-Orthodox Jews, Upper West Side singles or single people who are older. Sometimes your observance is suspect if you have certain political beliefs. I'd like to believe the Rabbi's assertion is true, but I personally have experienced that it is not the case.

Dear Rabbi, Everyday we are offered opportunites to do something good and help someone, yesterday standing in a food line, the girl waiting on me was not very good looking, but she had a sweet smile and I told her so, her face lighted up! It wasn't much I know but I hope it made her day sweeter, Too many times we think of "mitzvoths" as being act of charites,when sometimes it's just a matter of making someone else feel good.

sir, with all due respect, ALL religion will cause some to fall away..(more than some). Religion is man reaching to God.. Only God is good and HE reaches to Man with Goodness. we are NOT good .. if not for HIM..

"It is not encombent on you to finish the work, neither are you free to neglect it." - Ethics of the Fathers (free translation).

And Christianity causes some to fall away because of the "All or Nothing" attitude of leadership. This short video has made think. Thanks

All or nothing is like being overwhelmed by an opportunity or gesture that is similar to "now or never". People need time to think thru on their decisions, because there is a lot more grayscale, if not color, than black and white when it comes to taking things in moderation. I never really knew or thought "all or nothing" wasn't a Jewish value, but it certainly doesn't surprise me. We do the best we can, and we should get rid of that voice or thought in our head that says "not enough" or "not good enough."

You see, if they get rid of this silly city ordinance, then they they have to get rid of ALL of them. They can't do that, so they won't get rid some of them either. It all fits.

there's no such thing as "all" ,because no human is/was/will be perfect. the only "all" that may exist is "all" the effort. this is "all" that g-d wants of us, & this is "all" that we can ask of others.