Judaism Beliefs

Question 1

Three caregories of jewish beliefs

Answer 1

Orthodox-strictly follow laws and partices in torah
Refirm-believe in traditional jewish laws but re interepret to suit modern life and tend to follow spirit of law

Question 2

Three caregories of jewish beliefs

Answer 2

Orthodox-strictly follow laws and partices in torah
Refirm-believe in traditional jewish laws but re interepret to suit modern life and tend to follow spirit of law

Question 3

Beliefs about God

Answer 3

• God has no body (scripture speaks of God’s body,
hand, wings, God walking… but these are figures of
speech to make God more understandable
• God is neither male nor female - follows from
the belief God has no physical form
• Jews refer to G-d using masculine terms (he)
for convenience
• Jews are forbidden from representing God in a
physical form – it is considered idolatry.

Question 4

Jews belive god is…

Answer 4

OMNIPOTENT:
God is all powerful
OMNISCIENT:
God is all knowing
OMNIPRESENT:
• Belief in one God is
the most basic
principle in Judaism.
• This makes Judaism
a monotheistic
religion.

Question 5

God as one

Answer 5

God is single,whole and indivisble
God should only be worshipped and praised
Sustainer and created everything by him
Source of jewish beliefs and values
Infinite and eternal

Question 6

The shema-deutronomy

Answer 6

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord
alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all
your might’ (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

-confirmation that there is on God. god is single,whole,indivisble and eternal
-loving God require loyalty
-a spiritual dedication is needed to God

Question 7

Importance of shema

Answer 7

• Expresses belief in the one God
• Instructs Jews on how they should respond to this
belief in daily life
• It is the word of God

Question 8

God as creator

Answer 8

Jews believe God created the world in six days
and rested on the seventh (Genesis)
•Orthodox: God literally made the world in six
days - they reject the Big Bang and evolution
•Reform: God created the world using the Big
Bang and evolution

Question 9

Bible evidence of creator-

Answer 9

The belief in one God who created everything, including the
potential for evil, is reinforced Isaiah 45: 6 - 7.
I am the Lord … I form the light and create
darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster.’
Isaiah 45:6-7

Question 10

Evil and free will

Answer 10

-god gave people free will as wants people to be able to choose to do Good. Makes the act of doing something more signifcant
-must be a choice between good and bad
-means that evil has to exists

Question 11

God the sustainer

Answer 11

• God sustains the universe – provides everything needed
for life
• But humans have distributed resources (food, water etc.)
unequally so some people have less than they need.
• Jews who choose to help those in need are therefore
helping fulfil God’s plan for creation.

Question 12

The mitzvot

Answer 12

• A mitzvah is a Jewish law (commandment)
• In the Torah, God gives Jews 613 mitzvot (plural) to
follow.
• These are the accepted code of conduct for Jewish life
today.
• The first ten mitzvot are the ten commandments – the
most important of all laws.

Question 13

Mitzvot and free will

Answer 13

• Following the mitzvot makes it impossible to disobey
God
• The mitzvot guide will correctly – to live in a way that pleases God
Jews on how to use their free
• There are consequences for bad actions (Adam &
Eve)

Question 14

God as judge

Answer 14

• God judges Jews on how well they follow the laws
• God’s judgements are fair and merciful (forgiving)
• Good actions bring Jews closer to God and ensure
favourable judgement
• Bad actions lead people away from God
Jews believe they are judged:
1. Once a year (at new year - Rosh Hashanah)
2. When they die

Question 15

Life after death

Answer 15

Many different beliefs - not much written about it. Most
believe it is more important to please God in the present

Question 16

Heaven and sheil

Answer 16

Heaven
Most Jews believe in heaven (paradise or Gan Eden). A place
where you are WITH GOD. Whether it is a physical or
spiritual place is unknown.
Sheol
If you don’t enter heaven you go to Sheol where you are
cleansed. No belief in eternal punishment

Question 17

Judgement and resurrection

Answer 17

Judgement
Judged by God on death and on annually (Rosh Hashanah)
Resurrection
Some believe in physical or spiritual resurrection but most do
not.

Question 18

The divine presence-shekinah

Answer 18

-shekinah is the presence of God on earth

The Tabernacle was believed to house the Shekhinah
• While in the desert, Jews were led by a ‘pillar of fire’ or a ‘cloud’ –
thought to be the Shekhinah
• When they reached the ‘promised land’, the Temple in Jerusalem
became home to the Shekhinah
• Several prophets support this belief. For example:
•
‘I beheld my Lord seated on a high and lofty throne’ (Isaiah 6:1)
-Today, Jews believe the Shekhinah is brought to a place by doing
good work…eg. Justice, kindness, healing the world (supporting
charities etc).

Question 19

Three moral principles

Answer 19

Jews believe that the presence of God is thought to be brought to a place
by doing good work.
Everyone should work together to bring peace to the world. So, in
addition to the laws, Jews follow three key principles:
Justice: bringing about what is right and fair for a just society. Everyone
must follow the Torah and help others
Healing the world: charity work - also obeying the mitzvot and prayer
Kindness to others: the Torah encourages acts of kindness to all
(whether Jew or non Jew)
You shall love your fellow as yourself (Leviticus 19:34)

Question 20

The messiah-orthodox beliefs

Answer 20

• In every generation a descendent of King David is born
with the potential to be the Messiah (a person).
• Will bring about world peace
• This is called the Messianic age
• He will be the ultimate teacher of the Torah (law).
• He will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
• These beliefs are outlined in the Torah

Question 21

Reform jews believe about messiah

Answer 21

• The Messiah will not be a person….
• Instead, there will be a ‘messianic age’
• … a time of global peace and harmony
• Everyone has a duty to work together to
achieve this
• Including by observing religious duties…
‘Nations shall never again go to war.’
Micah 4:3

Question 22

Sanctity of life

Answer 22

• Life is sacred and holy because it comes from God breathes life into Adam
• As God gives life, only God should end • Jews have a duty to preserve life – particularly those of
innocent, vulnerable people
• Jews should not do anything to quicken a person’s natural
death
Therefore, most Jews would be against
euthanasia, war, abortion, death penalty
etc.

Question 23

Pikuach nefesh

Answer 23

The Jewish obligation (duty) to save a life even if it
means breaking Jewish laws (e.g. Shabbat)…..
This rule overrides all other rules/laws…it shows the
importance of life
Because of this belief many Jews give blood and/or
donate their organs on death
‘He who destroys one soul of a human is considered as if
he has destroyed a whole world’. (The Talmud)

Question 24

God covenant with abraham

Answer 24

Covenant: Solemn promise or agreement between two people
or groups of people
God’s covenant
Jews’ covenant
• To protect and favour the
Israelites (Jews/Hebrews)
• To give Abraham and his
descendants a special land
(country) in which to live -
the promised land.
To live a life dedicated to God
‘The Lord chose you to
be his treasured people’
‘I give this land to you and your offspring forever’ (Gen 13:15)

Question 25

The sinai covenant-ten commandemnts story

Answer 25

After this ‘exodus’ from Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for
40 years on their way to the ‘promised land’ of Canaan.
About three months in, they all camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. On
the mountain, God appeared to Moses and made a covenant with him.
God declared that the Israelites were his special, chosen people and gave
Moses his laws (the Ten Commandments) on two stone tablets. These set
out the basic principles that would govern the Israelites’ lives

Question 26

Sina covenant-ten commandments

Answer 26

God’s covenant
To protect and bless the
Israelites always, as God’s
special, chosen people.

The Jews’ covenant
To listen to God and obey his
laws.