Beliefs and teachings

• The nature of the Almighty

  God is ONE

  •Judaism is a monotheistic religion which means belief in one God.

  The Shema prayer starts with the words ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one’

  God is the CREATOR

  •The first words of the Torah are, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’.

  God the creator is the first of the Thirteen Principles of Faith set out by Maimonides.

  God is the LAW-GIVER

  • God gave to laws to Noah and some to Abraham, but it was Moses who received all 613 Mitzvot.
• The nature and the importance of the Shekhinah

  •The Shekhinah is the divine presence of God in the world – the part of God which has descended to ‘dwell among men’. 

  The divine presence is:

   seen in the Tabernacle which God instructed Moses to build as the dwelling place for the Almighty.’I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God’.  (Exodus 29:45)

   
• Why is the Shekhinah important for Jews?

  •The Shekhinah is the Almighty’s presence on earth 

           as seen when the Tabernacle was replaced with Solomon’s Temple 

             ‘When Solomon finished praying fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt 

      offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple’.  (Chronicles 2 7:1)

  •The Shekhnah is God’s presence in the world and so believers might come across the Shekhinah at any time.  
• The nature and purpose of the Messiah


  The Messiah means “anointed one“

  He will be:

  • A descendant of David
  • Human

  He will:

  • Rebuild the temple in Jerusalem

  Messianic Age

  • No sin or evil
  • Peace among all
  • Whole world will accept Judaism

  Importance of understanding

  • Belief in the Messiah is one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith  - very important teachings which should be followed. 
  • Jews recite a prayer 3 times a day praying for the coming of the Messiah, rebuilding of the Temple and for Jews to return to Jerusalem. 
• Covenant at Sinai

  Important for Jews as:

  • The 613 Mitzvot given by God on Sinai provide the way of life for Jewish people and separates them from the Gentiles. 
  • It means that Jewish people have a duty to keep the Mitzvot as part of their side of the covenant to make them God’s people.
  • The Tenakh teaches that by keeping the Mosaic Covenant, the Jewish people will fulfil their destiny of bringing the whole world to worship God.

  Examples

  1st Commandment:  You shall have no other gods before me

  Jewish people remind themselves they worship one God as they touch the mezuzah
• Abrahamic Covenant

  The covenant between God and Abraham is the basis for the idea of the Jews as the chosen people

  ‘You are to undergo circumcision and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you’.

  The Abrahamic Covenant is important for Jews today because:

  •Most Jewish baby boys are circumcised at 8 days old (Brit Milah)

  •Reform and Liberal Jews welcome baby girls into the Jewish faith through the Brit Chayim ceremony

  •It is seen as a right for Jewish people to live in Israel.
• Sanctity of life


  •God created life, so life is sacred and is a gift from God“So God created man in his image” (Genesis 1)

  Pikuach Nefesh is a principle in Jewish law and means –

  the preservation of life is so important that it overrides almost all the Mitzvot.

  ‘that he shall live by them, and not that he shall die by them’ (Talmud Yoma)

  Abortion:

  Some Jews believe that abortion can never be allowed because it takes a life

  Pikuach nefesh – if the mother’s life is at risk it should be allowed
• Moral principles and the mitzvot

  •Importance:

  •Jewish people believe that the Mitzvot help Jewish people connect to God by keeping the Mitzvot they’re communicating with God

  •The Mitzvot help Jews live in the correct way according to God

  •The understanding of the Mitzvot will lead to better behaviour
• Mitzvot

  Commandments which must be followed
• Free will


  Humans have the ability to choose to do good or evil, and in particular to follow the mitzvot or not
• Keeping the mitzvot


  Humans can be judged on how they live their life
• Mitzvot


  • More than a set of rules, they have a deeper spiritual meaning because they are a way for an individual to connect to God
  • By keeping the mitzvot people can communicate with God