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許多人認為，既然猶太教和基督教一樣，都是宗教，所以如果想要入猶太教，勢必經特定的程序和形式才算數，才能正式成為神家庭中的一份子（如：做決志的禱告，邀請耶穌進入心中成為個人的救主；參部落格：佈道策略）。但事實上這是基督教對猶太教很大的誤解。猶太教的信仰不是一個人必須去「接受」的東西。對猶太人來說，猶太教是一副眼鏡、一個工具，是一個幫助我們去感知、去領悟事物的一種方式，是一個神給猶太人生活的原則。
以下是美國費城盧巴維志猶太中心（Lubavitch Center）舍莫托夫拉比（Rabbi Yehuda Shemtov）對猶太教信仰定義的解說：
「信仰」 的希伯來文是 emunah（אמונה，發音為“eh-moo-nah”）。如果你想知道我們猶太人到底在「信」什麼，你首先必須了解「emunah」這個希伯來文的字根。 Emunah 的字根 “uman”（ אוּמָּן ）是「工匠」的意思，工匠是一種技能。就如邁克爾·喬丹（Michael Jordan）對籃球不是用「信」的，他是用「打」的；伊扎克·帕爾曼（Itzhak Perlman）精湛卓越的小提琴技巧也不是用「信」的，是用 「拉」的，而且..... 相同的，猶太人的信仰不在於你 「信」，而是在於你 「做」。 如果你只懂得「相信」，你就不是一個好猶太人；但如果你懂得「學習」，你就是一個好猶太人，因為當你在「學習」時，你會把猶太教的信仰應用在生活上。“Emunah”的核心不是盲目的接受和屈服，而是學習去領悟，去寬廣自己認知的尺度。（註：摘自舍莫托夫拉比講習「信心在猶太教裡扮演之角色」“Role of Faith in Judaism” by Rabbi Yehuda Shemtov）
這位拉比的說法清楚的呼應了新約雅各書2章17節所說的：「只有信心，没有行為，這信心就是死的」。縱然如此，基督徒卻仍繼續為猶太人感到惋惜。他們認為猶太人因重「學習」過於「信心」，導致「律法」與「恩典」不成正比，而被律法轄制、瞎了眼、得不到真理的自由（參閱部落格：保羅的律法）。其實猶太人對神律法的看法在舊約聖經裡表露無遺。猶太人喜愛神的律法：「惟喜愛耶和華的律法，晝夜思想，這人便為有福！」（詩篇1：2）大衛王還說：「耶和華的律法全備，能甦醒人心。耶和華的法度確定，能使愚人有智慧....比純金還寶貴，比蜂房的蜜更甘甜。」（詩篇19：7，10）。耶和華說：「亞伯拉罕必要成為強大的國，地上的萬國都必因他得福。 我眷顧他，為要叫他吩咐他的眾子和他的眷屬，遵守我的道，秉公行義，使我所應許亞伯拉罕的話都成就了。」（創世記 18：19） 這裡並沒有闡述信心不重要，但很明顯，「秉公行義」是「信」的一部分（參部落格：亞伯拉罕是信心之父嗎？）；也就是說，「信」固然重要，但更重要的是我們用這個「信」來「行」公義。因為亞伯拉罕「遵守」上帝的道，上帝對他所應許的話就因而 「成就了」。這和哈巴谷書2：4的「惟 “義”人因信得生」有一貫性的信息。這一節強調「義人」—「行公義」的人因信得生；「信」不僅是一個內心的感受，這內在的信念必須導致一個轉變的生活才有可能活現。
美國范德比爾特大學神學院（Vanderbilt University Divinity School）新約研究系的李凡博士（Amy-Jill Levine）以一位資深猶太教授的身份分享了以下的感觸:
「我經常會聽到基督徒對 “舊約律法” 和 “新約恩典” 的劃分，他們把舊約的神描繪得既憤怒又惡劣；相對的，把新約聖經的神形容成一位和藹可親的父親，甚至跟他稱兄道弟。 這是對聖經錯誤的看法，也是基督教不正確的教導。我們之所以有律法是因為上帝將律法賜給以色列人，是他神聖的愛與恩典 ── 當猶太人遵循律法時，我們是在對神的愛和他的恩典作回應。 律法不是一個無法負荷，一個把猶太人緊緊捆綁在一個枷鎖之下的重擔；相反的， 遵守律法是猶太人每日讓自己生活成聖的方式，不是一件只一週一次去猶太會才有的表現。律法教導我們該如何注意飲食、穿著與應做之行為 ；它也教導我們如何善用時間，提醒我們在安息日要花時間與神親近，因為如果我們不這麼做，我們會重蹈覆轍，回到以前在埃地及做奴隸的日子。 所以律法幫助猶太人好好地做一個猶太人，讓我們善盡自己歸屬猶太人的身份。 從第一世紀起至今，這律法一直奇妙地幫助著我們不輕易同化、不去 “效法世界”（羅馬書12：2）。這是神呼召我們如此做的。猶太人透過遵守上帝的律法讓自己的生活成聖，也讓這個世界成聖。這難道意味著基督徒也應該要學猶太人這樣做嗎？ 完全不正確！外邦人（註：指非猶太人）不需要遵守這些律法，外邦人有自己的道路。基督教教會常要外邦人（註：指基督徒和非信徒）來信奉敬拜以色列的神、亞伯拉罕的神，因為猶太人是這麼行的。其實你我不必透過做同樣的管道來與上帝保持正確的關係。」（註：以上訪談摘自「猶太人耶穌」“Jewish Jesus”（摘錄Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly YouTube https://youtu.be/1PDyISl7TGc?si=mgH2tfZm5SSHlJgx):
猶太教徒不像基督徒，背負著廣傳福音的使命感，為耶穌作見證：「在耶路撒冷、猶太全地和撒馬利亞，直到地極」（使徒行傳1：8）。猶太人不傳教，他們不叫別人來 「信奉」 他們的宗教，也不叫別人跟他們一樣來遵守上帝的律法。他們相信上帝是這個宇宙的上帝，他不是一個單屬於猶太人的上帝，也不是專屬基督徒的上帝，世上每個人可以透過不同的管道來認識上帝、來行公義。猶太人清楚他們被選為「選民」並非因為他們比別人強或比別人好。他們知道在這世界上「選民」角色之定義就是：做為一座燈塔，成為萬國之光（Light to the Nations；希伯來語：אור לגויים，）。他們抓住以賽亞書42： 6的話：「 我──耶和華憑公義召你，必攙扶你的手，保守你，使你作眾民的中保（ 中保：原文是約 ），作外邦人的光 。」；以賽亞書49： 6「我還要使你作外邦人的光，叫你施行我的救恩 ，直到地極。」；和以賽亞書60：3：「萬國要來就你的光，君王要來就你發現的光輝。」
期盼基督徒不要自認為擁有「跟神親密關係」（參部落格: 此鹿非彼鹿）和「作鹽作光」的專利（馬太福音5:13-16）；參閱部落格: 見證），認為自己對信仰的洞悉力比別人強，更不需為猶太人感到遺憾。很多時候憐憫的表現是一種自我提升的偽裝。猶太人透過遵行神的律法，沉浸在神大愛的恩典之中，他們將信心化為行為，照耶和華的指示成為萬國之光，反倒可成為基督徒的榜樣。
Craftsman
Many people believe that, like Christianity, Judaism is a religion. Therefore, if one wishes to convert to Judaism, he must go through specific procedures and formalities to be officially considered a member of God's family (such as saying a prayer of commitment to invite Jesus into one's heart as one's personal savior in Christianity; Please refer to my blog post: Evangelical Strategies). However, this is actually a significant misunderstanding of Judaism by Christians. Jewish faith is not something that one must "accept." For Jewish people, Judaism is a pair of glasses, a tool, a way to perceive and understand things, and a set of principles for life given by God to the Jewish people.
The following is an explanation of the definition of Jewish faith by Rabbi Yehuda Shemtov from the Lubavitch Center in Philadelphia, USA:
The Hebrew word for “faith” is “emunah” (אמונה, pronounced eh-moo-nah). If you want to know what we believe in, and what Judaism teaches, first go to the root word of the Hebrew word, “emunah.” The root of emunah, “uman” (אוּמָּן), is a “craftsman,” it’s a skill. Michael Jordan doesn't “believe” in basketball, he works his way up to that; Itzhak Perlman doesn’t “believe” in playing the violin, he “plays” the violin, and he plays with great skills... Similarly, the Jewish faith is not about accepting something, it’s about working at something. You are not a good Jew if you believe, you are a good Jew if you study. Because if you study, then you are taking what Judaism is teaching you and applying it into your life. The core is that “emunah” is not a blind acceptance and submission to reality, “emunah” is perceiving and adding dimension to reality. (Note: Excerpted from the lecture "Role of Faith in Judaism" by Rabbi Yehuda Shemtov)
The rabbi’s statement clearly echoes what James 2:17 of the New Testament says: “Faith without works is dead.” Even so, Christians continue to feel sorry for Jews. They believe that Jews emphasize “learning” more than “faith”, resulting in "law" and "grace" being out of proportion. They are controlled by the law, they are blind, and are unable to attain the freedom of truth (Please refer to my blog post: e4). In fact, the Jewish views on God's law are fully revealed in the Old Testament. Jews love God’s law: “Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night!” (Psalm 1:2) King David also said: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the heart. The Lord His testimonies are sure, making wise the simple…more precious than pure gold and sweeter than honey from the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:7, 10) "Abraham will become a great nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him," declares the Lord. "I have visited him to command his sons and his household after him, to keep my way and to do justice and righteousness (Please refer to my blog post: Is Abraham Father of Faith?) The promise to Abraham was fulfilled." (Genesis 18:19)This does not imply that faith is unimportant. Rather, it's evident that "doing justice and righteousness" is an integral aspect of "faith." In other words, while "faith" is undeniably significant, it's more important to apply this "faith" in practicing righteousness. Abraham's fulfillment of God's promise was a result of his obedience to God's Word. This echoes the message in Habakkuk 2:4, "But the righteous shall live by faith." The passage emphasizes that "the righteous," those who practice righteousness, live by faith. "Faith" is not merely an internal feeling; true manifestation of faith requires that this inner belief be transformed into a life of action.
As a senior Jewish professor, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine from the Department of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School shared the following thoughts:
“I frequently hear in Christian context this division between the Old Testament law and the New Testament grace. That also maps on to the Old Testament wrath and nasty God vs the New Testament ‘Buddy Daddy’ God. But this is a false view of the Bible and it’s a False view of Christian teaching. The law comes about because of divine grace that God gives the Israelites the Torah in the first place. And when Jews respond by following Torah, that’s our response to divine love, that’s our response to divine grace. The law is not some sort of impossible burden that has all Jews kind of bowing under this heavy yoke which of course makes everybody neurotic or sanctimonious. The law is the way that Jews have a sanctifying daily life. It means that being Jewish cannot be a one-hour-a-week on Saturday morning sort of thing. It says: pay attention to what you eat, how you dress, how you act, how you regard time. Make sure you take time for yourself and for God on the Sabbath, because if you don’t, you will be slaves like you were in Egypt. So the law keeps Jews being Jews, allows Jews to celebrate their identity. In the first century, even to today, the law is a marvelous way of preventing assimilation, because if you follow the law, you will not ‘conform to the world’ ( Romans 12:2). You will always stand in some sense, over and against it, to say, this is what God wants us to do, this is what God has called us to do. And here’s how we sanctify our lives and sanctify the Earth, we follow Torah. Does that mean the Christians are supposed to do it? No, gentiles
( non-believers) were never expected to follow all those laws. Gentiles have their own path, the Christian church bringing Gentiles in to worship the God of Israel, the God of Abraham. It says gentiles do it this way, Jews do it that way. We don’t all have to do the same thing in order to be in a right relationship with God.”
(Note: This interview is excerpted from “Jewish Jesus” by Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/1PDyISl7TGc?si=mgH2tfZm5SSHlJgx)
Unlike Jews, Christians feel compelled to spread the gospel and bear witness for Jesus: “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jews do not preach, nor do they ask others to ‘“adopt” their religion or to follow God’s laws in the same manner. They believe that God is the God of this universe. He is not a God exclusive to Jews or Christians. Everyone can come to know God and practice justice through various means. Jews know that they were not chosen as the "chosen people" because they were better than others. They understand their role as the “chosen people” to be that of a beacon or a light to the nations (Hebrew: אור לגויים).” This belief is reflected in Isaiah 42:6: “I, the Lord, who have called you in righteousness, will hold on to your hand and keep you as a mediator (covenant) to all the people. "A light to the Gentiles."; Isaiah 49:6: "I will also make you a light to the Gentiles, that you may carry out my salvation to the ends of the earth."; and Isaiah 60:3: "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
I hope that Christians do not do not hold the belief that they exclusively possess the right of an “intimate relationship with God” (Note: Please refer to my blog post: “Not the Same Deer”) and are the sole carriers of the “salt and light” to this world (Matthew 5:13-16; Note: Please refer to my blog post: “Testimony”). If a Christian thinks his understanding of his faith surpasses that of others, there’s no need to pity the Jews. Sometimes, what appears as an act of mercy may actually be a form of self-promotion. By adhering to God’s law, Jews immerse themselves in the grace of God’s love. They transform their faith into actions, becoming a light to all nations as directed by God. In fact, they can even serve as an example for Christians.
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