Beliefs and teachings

• The nature of the Almighty


  • God is one
  • God is the creator of the universe and his creation is good
  • God is the lawgiver
  • God ensures the good are rewarded and the evil are punished
• Shekinah


  God's presence in the world
• The Shekinah


  • God's presence in the world
  • Jews can come across God's presence at any time and it is easy to produce to search and contact
• The Messiah


  • Will bring a Messianic age when all people live at peace and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
  • Will be a human close to God
  • Belief in the coming of the Messiah is one of the 13 principles of faith
• The Covenant at Sinai

  • Agreement between God and Jews
  • If people kept the 613 laws given to Moses, they would be God's special people
  • Jews have the duty to keep the commandments and fulfill the destiny of bringing the world to worship God
• The Decalogue


  • The 10 commandments
  • To be kept by all Jews
  • By applying them to daily life, Jews would act against sin
• The Covenant with Abraham

  • Agreement between Abraham and God
  • God's side: make a great nation for Abraham's descendants and give them the land of Canaan
  • Abraham's side: every male descendant to be circumcised and worship God alone
• The sanctity of life

  • Life is holy and sacred and belongs to God
  • The concept of pikuach nefesh allows breaking commandments to save a life
  • Orthodox Jews don't allow transplant surgery as there is a mitzvah not to interfere with dead bodies
• Moral principles and the mitzvot

  • Moses received 613 mitzvot (commandments) on Mount Sinai
  • Jews must decide whether to follow the mitzvot of their own free will
  • The mitzvot are important for observant Jews to develop their relationship with God
• Beliefs about life after death

  • Souls of the righteous are sent to heaven (Eden)
  • Souls of ordinary people go to hell (Gehenna) to be punished and purified
  • Belief in life after death is one of the 13 principles of faith
  • Some believe only the righteous will be resurrected, others believe everyone will be resurrected
• The Torah is the law book and Jews are to observe it
• Free will is the ability to choose whether to do good or evil
• The Talmud is the writings on Jewish law which Jews should follow
• Daniel: 'Multitude who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life'