Judaism: Principal Beliefs

Question 1

What are the principal beliefs ?

Answer 1

• single God - monotheism
  “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• God as creator and ruler of universe: in return of creation, jews obliged to live in accordance to God’s teachings + keep Sabbath Holy
  “When God began to create heaven and earth” (Genesis 1:1)
• covenant
  -moral law

Question 2

What are the Attributes of God? (6)

Answer 2

Eternal: “The Lord shall reign forever; you God, O Zion, through all generations” (Psalm 146:10)

Omniscient (all knowing): “even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know the whole of it” (Psalm 138:4)

Omnipotent(all powerful): “Then God said, ‘let there be light’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3)

• signifies intimate involvement in human affairs, ultimate power over creation

Omnipresent (everywhere at all times) : “You are a God who sees” (Genesis 16:13)

Benevolent: “I have descended to rescue them from the hand[s] of the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:8)

Pure Spirit: mitzvot “You shall not carve idols of yourself” (Exodus 20:4)

Question 3

What is a lived expression for belief in one God?

Answer 3

The Shema Prayer
- brought global Jewish community together in 2024 in support of Israeli hostages according to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

Question 4

What is the belief in divinely inspired moral law?

Answer 4

• belief that God provided adherents with code of ethics to guide in daily decisions
• encourage to study Torah to understand teachings
• sources: Torah and Talmud
• Decalogue: statements that form the code of behaviour given by God to man through Moses at Mt Sinai

Question 5

What is the covenant belief?

Answer 5

belief that an agreement was made between God + jews, includes following divine moral laws outlined in Torah