Listing the basic beliefs of Judaism is surprisingly difficult. There is no set dogma for the Jewish religion – there is no certain way someone must believe in order to be a practicing Jew. In Judaism, though beliefs are important, what matters more are actions and your way of life.
There are, however, thirteen principles of Jewish faith. Those principles are widely believed to be the basic tenants of Judaism:
- God does exist.
- God is eternal.
- God is incorporeal.
- God is unique, and the only One.
- Praying should be directed to God and no one else.
- Prophets speak the truth.
- Moses was the greatest of Prophets, and his predictions were true.
- The five five books of the Bible (the written Torah) and the oral teachings (the oral Torah) were given to Moses.
- There will never be another Torah.
- God knows your every thought and action.
- God will reward you for good, and punish you for bad.
- The Messiah will come.
- When He does, the dead will be resurrected.
Even though these principles are very basic, there are more liberal lines of thinking in the Jewish religion that have rejected many of them. So as you can see, it’s not easy explaining exactly what Jews should or should not believe!
The only thing for certain is that Judaism is based on actions more than beliefs – virtually every branch of the Jewish religion agrees on that point. The Orthodox Jews believe there are 613 commandments in the Torah that are meant to be followed by every Jewish person, and they are absolute, permanent laws passed down through the ages. The Conservative Jews believe the actions handed down by God can evolve and change over time. The Reconstructionist Jews say everyone has a choice as to whether or not they follow the commandments. The commandments are important to everyone, but they have different ideas about how they should be followed.
Understanding the basic beliefs of Judaism is best accomplished by talking with a Rabbi who is willing to listen to your every idea, a lot of soul-searching on your part, and discussions with every Jew who is willing to share their thoughts with you. What is right, ultimately, depends on what is felt in the heart, and no religion accepts that more strongly than Judaism.