Why do the Jews try to live by laws rather than by faith?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Not "rather than by faith," but together with faith. We believe that without religious

laws, faith will tend to atrophy and become insufficiently expressed and felt.

Our faith itself is legislated (the Thirteen Principles of Jewish Belief), and we reiterate

our faith/belief every day with the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), the other prayers, and

the study of Torah; while the rest of Jewish law has the purpose of making us obedient

to God in every aspect of life, from cooking (kosher laws) to dressing, from talking

(Leviticus 19:16) to getting a haircut (ibid 19:27), etc.

Bear in mind that those communities of our people who changed or ignored the laws

(such as the Sadducees), or tampered with matters of faith/belief (such as the Jewish

idolaters in Biblical times) -- completely died out. We see this as an object-lesson, not a

coincidence.

Answer 2

This question is based on a perception of Judaism from a Christian perspective. In

Christianity, there is the assumption laid out by the New Testament that the Law is itself

impossible to follow. It was only created for man to stumble until the Christ could come

and create a situation where faith in Him would replace man's indequate following of the

impossible Law.

Judaism does not hold to this view at all. Jews believe that the Law is followable and

that people have the capacity to live by its precepts. It is certainly difficult, but no

spiritual connection worth having is easily gained. Additionally, Jews hold that performing

the various aspects of the law that require closer and more constant attention to detail,

such as dietary restrictions, Sabbath observance, and Jewish legal analysis, allow a Jew

to physically manifest the underlying spiritual connection.