IN HIS IMAGE

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." — Genesis 1:26

Both the Jewish and Christian tradition affirms that we are created in God's own image. That we can agree on. But when it comes to what that exactly means, and in particular, how that relates to our sinfulness, the Christian and the Jew must part ways.

Christians believe that as a result of Adam's sin in the garden, mankind is "fallen" — that is, shackled by a sinful nature. Humans are incapable of redeeming themselves. But through an act of grace, Christians believe that God sent Jesus to die for mankind's sin so that those who believe in Him will be saved and given eternal life.

By contrast, Jews view sin as human action, not an inescapable part of our nature. We believe that man has both the ability and the duty to change his ways and initiate forgiveness through repentance. We certainly acknowledge that man has a tremendous potential for sin and evil, but we don't believe that this reflects an inborn sinful nature.

In the Jewish view, man is created from "the dust of the earth," but he is also an "inspired being," meaning he has been "breathed into" by God. As a result, humanity is of immense worth and even acts as a partner with God in the creation and fulfillment of the world.

Here, I believe our faiths intersect again because both Judaism and Christianity uphold the intrinsic value of life and the worth of each individual as a God-created and God-imbued being. That fundamental belief should influence how we view ourselves and others, and how we treat our fellow human beings as well.

As important as it is to discuss and recognize our differences, it is as important to seek out and celebrate our commonalities. We are, after all, made in His image — not our own.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein