In Judaism the phrase “what you believe follows only after what you do” simply means that the faith of the believer should be expressed not through the words but through actions. According to Scott-Martin Kosofsky, this phrase means that people should always be good and strive to do the right thing. In Judaism, God’s commandments are a critical part of life and hence every believer must obey them and live according to what they demand. Kosofsky further explains, that Judaism is all about obeying God’s law and doing what is right, not just having faith and assuming that it is enough to be a true believer. In his own words, Kosofsky says that “Judaism demands one to live like a good person and do the right thing”. It is therefore right to say that being Jewish is equivalent to doing well (America Public Media, 2012).
I believe that Jewish customs have been rediscovered so as to connect Jews with their past and make them understand their religion and culture. It is right to say that most Jews have been in exile for over 2000 years and hence, they have not been in real touch with their religion and culture. Therefore, through the rediscovering of history Jews now are able to understand and acknowledge their sinfulness and hence repent. From now on Jews are also able to live according to God’s law which is the cornerstone of their religion and culture. Moreover, the rediscovering of Jewish historical heritage helps Jews to understand the Bible better and link its teachings to their culture. In addition, the rediscovering of customs guides Jews in the understanding of their festivals, most of which have been taken lightly, yet have a great meaning. Festivals serve as a reminder of what the past generations had to sacrifice in order to provide a comfortable life for descendants. Furthermore, rediscovering serves as a reminder of the importance of Jewish customs such as circumcision that have been abandoned by many Jews.