What was the Jewish religion like in Christ's day?
In Christ's day, the Jewish religion was carried out to the hilt as a practicing of those 613. It was not a loose or halfhearted observance; it was rigorous and full-scale. Whether the number was many or less than that, the emphasis was on fully practicing those 613.
Les explains that whether it was that many or something less than that, one should never lose sight of the fact that the Jews' religion of Christ's day was to the hilt a practicing of those 613. The point is its thorough, full-scale commitment to practicing those 613, not a casual or partial approach.