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The Absolute
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The creed of Judaism, the Shema:
– “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Most sacred part of the Bible, the Torah
The Torah presents a very advanced concept of God
Expresses the nature of the Lord in the analogy of a
person
Emphasizes covenant with God
Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith
1. G-d exists
2. G-d is one and unique
3. G-d is incorporeal
4. Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone
5. The words of the prophets are true
6. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of prophets
8. The Written Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moses
9. There will be no other Torah
10. G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men
11. G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked
12. The Messiah will come
13. The dead will be resurrected
The Nature of G-d
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G-d exists
– Proof is not needed
– Torah begins by stating “In the beginning, G-d
created…”
– G-d is a necessary prerequisite for the existence
of the universe
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is one
– The Shema
– There is only one G-d (no other being
participated in the work of creation)
– G-d is a unity. He is a single, whole, complete
indivisible entity
– G-d is the only being to whom we should offer
praise
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is the Creator of Everything
– Everything in the universe was created by G-d
and only G-d
– Rejects the notion that evil was created by
Satan or some other deity
– All comes from G-d
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is Incorporeal
– G-d has no body
– Any reference to G-d’s body is simply a figure
of speech
– Can not represent G-d in the physical form
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is neither male or female
– G-d has no body, therefore no genitalia
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is Omnipresent
– G-d is in all places at all times
– G-d fills the universe and exceeds its scope
– Not just the G-d of the Jews, but the G-d of all
nations
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is Omnipotent
– G-d can do anything
– The only thing beyond his power is the fear of
him
– We have free will, and he cannot compel us to
do his will
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is Omniscient
– G-d knows all things
– Past, present, and future
– He knows our thoughts
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is Eternal
– G-d transcends time
– Has no beginning and no end
– He will always be there to fulfill his promises
The Nature of G-d (cont.)

G-d is both Just and Merciful
– G-d’s justice is tempered by mercy
– Perfect balance between G-d’s quality of justice
and his quality of mercy
The Nature of G-d (cont.)
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G-d is Holy and Perfect
– “Ha-Kadosh, Barukh Hu”
– The Holy One, Blessed be He
The World

The Genesis account of creation establishes the
theme of the relationship God and the world
 The universe is subordinate to God and dependent
on him
 Everything together is good
 The phenomenal universe is not God, but it is
evidence for God’s creative power and love
The World (cont.)

The universe was made for humans
 It is to be enjoyed with gratitude during a
long life
 Human suffering is not attributed to the
created nature of the universe
 Judaism rejects any worldview that sees
nature as evil
The World
The phenomenal world is God’s world
 He is present in the heavens, in the earth,
and in the place of shadows under the earth
 The world is other than God, but not
opposed to God
 When humans act responsibly to God they
can enjoy the bounty of the earth

Humans
 Problems
for Humans
 Solution for Humans
 Major Figures
Major Figures
 Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob
– Both known as the patriarchs
– Both the physical and spiritual
ancestors of Judaism
Abraham

Born under the name Abram
 One true creator that Abraham worshiped
called on him, made him an offer
– If he left his home/family, God would make
him a great nation & bless him
– Accepted this offer (covenant was established)
Isaac

Ancestor of the Jewish people
 Was to be sacrificed by Abraham as a gift
to God
 Supposedly he knew he was to be
sacrificed, but did not resist
 Sons were Jacob and Esau
Jacob

Angel blessed Jacob and gave him the name
“Israel”
 Jewish people are generally referred to as
the Children of Israel signifying their
descent from Jacob
 Fathered 12 sons, 1 daughter, and had 4
wives
Moses

Greatest prophet, leader, and teacher
Judaism has ever known
 Completed writing of the first 5 books of
the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy)
 120 yrs old at the time of his death
 Was not himself the deliverer of Israel
Humans
Described as God’s highest creations
 Created in the image and likeness of God
 Each is a soul and body united
 Created for fellowship with God
 Humans are responsible
 Part of the covenant people of God

The Problem for
Humans

Being involved in sinful acts
 Torah describes the creation of Adam and
Eve, and their rebellion against God
 Exclusion from the Garden of Eden
accounts for miseries and frustrations
humans must endure
The Solution for Humans

Compliance with the covenant
 Cease sinful acts
 Help is sought from priests and God
 Belief in the Messiah, the savior
The Hebrew Bible
The Bible is the
foundation on which
a Jewish life is built.
 The complete Jewish
Bible is called the
Tanakh.
 The most important
part is the Torah.

– Comprised of the first
5 books of the Bible
Interpreting the Bible

Conservative or
Traditional view

Liberal or Critical
view
– Bible is regarded as a
– Bible is a record of
document from God
– Seen as a reliable
guide of God’s
requirements and
promises
human encounters
with God
– It is not the literal
words of God
Birth
Although soul exists before birth, human
life begins at birth
 Child is born pure
 Immediately after birth, woman is
sexually separated from her husband
 There are no formal religious
requirements for naming a child
 Male circumcision

Bar Mitzvah/ Bat Mitzvah
Bar Mitzvah literally means “son of the
commandment”
 At age of 13 (12 for girls) children
become obligated to observe the
commandments
 Jewish boys automatically becomes a Bar
Mitzvah at age 13

– The popular bar mitzvah ceremony is not
required
Marriage
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Refraining from marriage is considered
unnatural
Soul mate (Bashert)
Finding your bashert does not mean your
marriage will be trouble free
2 stages of the marriage process – kiddushin,
nisuin
Kiddushin is commonly translated as betrothal
Nisuin is the full-fledged marriage
Wedding Ceremony
Customary for bride and
groom not to see each
other for a week
preceding the wedding
 Both fast the day before
 The kiddushin is
represented by the bride
approaching and circling
the groom
 In the nisuin, the bride
and groom stand beneath
the chuppah

Jewish Attitudes Toward
Sexual Actions
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Sex is only permissible within the context of
marriage
Having sex for selfish personal satisfaction,
without regard for the partner’s pleasure, is
wrong and evil
A couple may not have sexual relations while
drunk or quarreling
It is a serious offense to use sex to punish or
manipulate
Sex is the woman’s right, not the man’s
Life and Death
Life is valued above almost all else
 Because it is so valuable, Jewish people
are not permitted to do anything that may
hasten death
 Death is viewed as a natural process
 A deceased person must not be cremated
 Open casket ceremonies are forbidden by
Jewish law

Mourning
When a close relative hears of the death of
another relative, it is traditional to express
initial grief by tearing one’s clothing
 4 periods of mourning

– Aninut – from time of death to burial
– Shiva – from day of burial to 7th day after burial
– Shloshim – lasts until the 30th day after burial
– Avelut – lasts for 12 months after the burial
Afterlife
Torah indicates in several places that the
righteous will be reunited with their loved
ones after death
 Traditional Judaism believes in eventual
resurrection of the dead in the messianic
age
 The spiritual afterlife is referred to as
Olam Ha-Ba

Signs and Symbols

Mezuzah
– Placed upon doorposts of
house
– Constant reminder of
God’s presence and God’s
commandments

Menorah
– On of the oldest symbols
of the Jewish faith
Signs and Symbols (cont.)

Magen David
– Shield of David or Star of
David
– Most commonly
associated symbol of
Judaism today
– There are different views
of it’s symbolism
– Today it appears on the
flag of the state of Israel