Moses Mendelssohn: A New Jewish Faith'Among the precepts and statues of the Mosaic law, there is none that says "Thou shalt believe" or "Thou shalt not will not believe”; everyone says “You will do” or not to do. Faith accepts no commandments; he only accepts what comes to him through reasoned conviction. All the commandments of divine law are addressed to man's will and capacity to act. (Glatzer 511). To determine who is Jewish, one must first gather a concrete conception of Judaism. Moses Mendelssohn offers helpful material in “A Definition of Judaism,” which can be found in The Judaic Tradition. Mendelssohn's interpretation is consistent with the views of some political philosophers, in his discussion of Judaism as a religion based primarily on reason. Its belief that “revelation… concerns the precepts of conduct and the laws of action…” makes Judaism appear to be a very different religion from its cousins. Mendelssohn's characterization of faith as an idea derived from reason and understanding reveals much about individual Jews. “Among the precepts and statues of the Mosaic law, none says 'Thou shalt believe' or 'Thou shalt not believe'; all say: “You must do” or not do” (Glatzer 511). Mendelssohn's first goal with this passage is to develop a definition of Judaism as a religion with a different form than Christianity. Christianity, a religion deeply rooted in the traditional notion of faith, asks its followers above all to believe in Jesus Christ as their savior and to reaffirm this belief through custom. Mendelssohn categorically rejects this concept of faith, arguing that “true faith is based on reason alone and is therefore equally accessible to all men” (Glatzer 509). In Judaism, action and conscious thought are valued more than passive belief. Those who question their beliefs and begin to understand the purpose of God's laws develop a stronger understanding of Judaism and draw closer to God. By saying that "faith accepts no command..." Mendelssohn implies that those who develop their faith as a result of a forceful command (e.g. "Believe!") lose the meaning of the concept. The faith of a Jew “accepts only what comes to him from reasoned conviction.” Mendelssohn highlights an integral part of what it means to be Jewish by discussing the acquisition of faith through reason. Moses transmitted to the Jews the commandments of the Lord's divine law without specific instruction to believe, but rather a law "addressed to the will, to the capacity of man to act »..