Judaism - Beliefs and Teachings (Brief Summary)

The Nature of the Almighty:

Main Tanakh teachings about God

God is one - his oneness is seen in the unity of the creation

God is the creator - God is the creator of everything and his creation is good

God is a lawgiver - God gave laws to help people to look after the Earth the way he wanted

God is a judge - ensures good people are rewarded and bad people are punished

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‘The Lord is our Lawgiver’ - Isaiah

‘The Lord our God, the Lord is One’ - Deuteronomy

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Shekinah:

• God’s presence in the world
• Guided Moses through the promised land
• Important because Jews can come across it at any time - it is easy for Jews to connect with God
• Some believe the Shekinah is one of the various ways God is related to the world

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‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest’ - Exodus

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The Messiah:

• Will bring the Messianic Age - when all Jews live in peace and the Messiah rules over
• Will rebuild the Temple
• Is promised to come throughout the Torah
• Will be human and close to God
• Orthodox Jews believe that he won’t come until all Jews observe the mitzvot fully

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‘I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah’ - 12th principle of the Thirteen Principles of Faith

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Rabbi - ordained religious leader

13 Principles of Faith - summary of Jewish beliefs

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The Covenant at Sinai:

• Agreement between God and Jews that stated if Jews keep the 613 mitzvot given to Moses at Sinai, then they will be considered his special people
• It’s important for Jews to fulfil their destiny in bringing the world to worship God

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Decalogue - 10 Commandments

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• Decalogue was given to Moses on a stone at Sinai
• Seen as special by Jews

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Covenant with Abraham:

• Agreement with Abraham and God

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God’s side - make a great nation with Abraham’s descendants, and will give the land of Canaan to them

Abraham’s side - circumcise every male including himself, change his name, to worship only God

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• Abraham was also tested 10 times by God to see if he would obey him

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‘This land will be an everlasting possession to you and your descendants and I will be their God’ - Genesis

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Sanctity of Life:

• The belief that life is sacred as it was created by God

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Pikuach Nefesh - the concept that any mitzvot (with a few exceptions) can be overridden in the case of saving one’s life

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• Orthodox Jews don’t allow transplant surgery because there is a Mitzvot that states that a dead body is not to be interfered with

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‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbours life’ - Leviticus

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Moral Principles and the Mitzvot:

• Moses received the 613 Mitzvot on Mount Sinai
• Jews must decide whether to follow the Mitzvot of their own free will
• It is important to understand so they can keep the Mitzvot properly, and improve their relationship with God
• It is God reaching out to humans
• Reform Jews find the Mitzvot less important as they don’t believe they came to Moses directly from God, so it is a personal choice whether to keep them or not

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‘choose life, so that you and your children may live’ - Deuteronomy

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Life after Death:

• Gan Eden - heaven
• Gehenna - hell
• Important to believe for Jews - drives them in following the Mitzvot
• Gives Jews hope that they will live an eternal life with God in Gan Eden
• Is one of the 13 Principle of Faith it is that important
• Some believe that only the righteous will be resurrected, some believe that everyone will be

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‘Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the Earth will awake, some to everlasting life’ - Daniel

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