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

‘The Lord is our Lawgiver’ - Isaiah

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

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

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

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

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

Rabbi - ordained religious leader

13 Principles of Faith - summary of Jewish beliefs

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

Decalogue - 10 Commandments

• Decalogue was given to Moses on a stone at Sinai

• Seen as special by Jews

Covenant with Abraham:

• Agreement with Abraham and God

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

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

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

Sanctity of Life:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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