"And God spoke all these words, saying." (Shmot 20.1)
The ten commandments are introduced with the words "And God spoke all these words, saying." The Ba'al Or Hachayim points out the intent of these introductory words, explaining the centrality of the phrase, "All these words." According to the Or Hachayim, "this comes to teach us that God does not desire acceptance of the Torah unless all the Torah is accepted: and anyone who accepts the Torah with the exception of even one mitzvah, has no Torah at all."
The principle that even a single mitzvah must not be deleted from the observance of the Torah is central to the foundation of our faith. This is the meaning of complete faith as the Rambam defines it. We cannot choose which beliefs to adopt and which to reject. The Torah must be understood and accepted as a single, cohesive unit. Subjecting one commandment or another to intellectual examination or subjective consideration tramples the very essence of faith and establishes man's rationale as the yardstick of his belief system. In this way, man determines his own truth and the Almighty's universal truth becomes irrelevant.
Even the true believer sins, as in the words of Kohelet (7.20): "For there is no righteous man in the land who will do only good and not sin." But this implies that, even though he may sin, the true believer accepts the validity and truth of the commandments which, in his momentary weakness, he transgresses. He accepts that the commandments are God's will, and he accepts the rewards and punishments that result from his behavior. In this recognition of his sins lies the promise that he may some day return from his mistaken ways and correct his actions.
In contrast, when one's faith is only partial and he is selective in his acceptance of what was handed down at Sinai, he has no reason to alter his behavior. Ultimately, he becomes more and more selective in what he believes, influenced by the changing tides of culture, fashion, and personal mood.
With time, he can only be expected to drift further and further away from his point of departure. For this very reason, the Torah tells us specifically: "And God spoke all these words." Ten commandments - one unit.
It is inconceivable that segments of the Torah be kept and other portions rejected. The Midrash teaches us, that the two tablets on which the ten commandments were inscribed symbolize the symmetry and complimentary nature of the mitzvot.
For example, those dealing with relationships between fellow men and those dealing with man's relationship with God. Still, these all represent a single, indivisible unit. One cannot merely adopt the humanistic mitzvot and ignore those governing his relationship with God. Similarly, it is an incomplete form of faith to guard the spiritualistic commandments, yet to make light of those that guard the sanctity of God's creations. To carefully keep the commandments between man and God, yet to be untrue in dealings with fellow men, is to desecrate the unity of the ten commandments, all of which reflect God's singular demand of us.
Rabbeinu Sa'adya Gaon said that all 613 mitzvot are included in the ten commandments. This, to be truly faithful to the ten commandments, we must recognize the sanctity of all of the mitzvot, and strive to fulfill them all.
from the observance of the Torah is central to the foundation of our faith. This is the meaning of complete faith as the Rambam defines it. We cannot choose which beliefs to adopt and which to reject. The Torah must be understood and accepted as a single, cohesive unit. Subjecting one commandment or another to intellectual examination or subjective consideration tramples the very essence of faith and establishes man's rationale as the yardstick of his belief system. In this way, man determines his own truth and the Almighty's universal truth becomes irrelevant.
