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Judaism --> Jewish
principles of Faith |
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Although
Jewish movements and religious leaders share a core
of monotheistic principles, Judaism has no formal
statement of principles of faith such as a creed
or catechism that is recognized or accepted by all.
In effect, the Shema, a prayer that a religious
Jew offers daily, through participation in services
or use of phylacteries, is the only Jewish creed.
Judaism has no pope or central religious authority
that could formulate or issue a unified creed. The
various "principles of faith" that have
been enumerated carry no greater weight than that
imparted to them by the fame and scholarship of
their respective authors. Central authority in Judaism
is not vested in any person or group but rather
in Judaism's sacred writings, laws, and traditions.
In nearly all its variations, Judaism affirms the
existence and oneness of God. Judaism stresses performance
of deeds or commandments rather than adherence to
a belief system.
Orthodox Judaism has stressed a number of core
principles in its educational programs, most importantly
a belief that there is a single, omniscient and
transcendent God, who created the universe, and
continues to be concerned with its governance. Traditional
Judaism maintains that God established a covenant
with the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, and revealed
his laws and commandments to them in the form of
the Torah. In Rabbinic Judaism, the Torah comprises
both the written Torah (Pentateuch) and a tradition
of oral law, much of it codified in later sacred
writings.
Traditionally, the practice of Judaism has been
devoted to the study of Torah and observance of
these laws and commandments. In normative Judaism,
the Torah and hence Jewish law itself is unchanging,
but interpretation of law is more open. It is considered
a mitzvah (commandment) to study and understand
the law. Although Orthodox and traditional Jews
continue to stress the divine origin of Torah, most
rabbinical authorities have agreed that there is
no halakhic obligation to adhere to any particular
statement of principles of faith, other than a belief
in the oneness of God.
Jewish principles of faith
There are a number of basic principles that were
formulated by medieval rabbinic authorities. These
principles were put forth as fundamental underpinnings
inherent in the acceptance and practice of Judaism.
Conception of God
Main article: God in Judaism
Monotheism
Judaism is based on a strict unitarian monotheism.
This doctrine expresses the belief in one indivisible
God. The concept of multiple gods (polytheism) and
the concept of God taking multiple forms (for example
Trinity) are equally heretical in Judaism. The prayer
par excellence in terms of defining God is the Shema
Yisrael, originally appearing in the Hebrew Bible:
"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord
is One", also translated as "Hear O Israel,
the Lord is our God, the Lord is unique/alone."
God
is conceived of as eternal, the creator of the universe,
and the source of morality. God has the power to
intervene in the world. The term God thus corresponds
to an actual ontological reality, and is not merely
a projection of the human psyche. Maimonides describes
God in this fashion: "There is a Being, perfect
in every possible way, who is the ultimate cause
of all existence. All existence depends on God and
is derived from God." |
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The Hebrew Bible and classical rabbinic literature
affirm theism and reject deism. However, in
the writings of medieval Jewish philosophers,
perhaps influenced by neo-Aristotelian philosophy,
one finds what can be termed limited omniscience.
[See Gersonides "Views on omniscience"]
God is creator of the universe
According to the Biblical account, the world
was created by God in six days. While many Haredi
Jews take this literally, many Modern Orthodox,
Conservative and Reform authorities feel that
the six days should be interpreted as "stages"
in the creation of the universe and the earth,
and that Judaism would not be in contradiction
to the scientific model that states that the
universe is about 15 billion years old.
God is One
The idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical
- it is considered akin to polytheism. "[God],
the Cause of all, is one. This does not mean
one as in one of a pair, nor one like a species
(which encompasses many individuals), nor one
as in an object that is made up of many elements,
nor as a single simple object that is infinitely
divisible. Rather, God is a unity unlike any
other possible unity." This is referred
to in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4): "Hear
Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one."
(Maimonides, 13 principles of faith Second Principle).
While Jews hold that such conceptions of God
are incorrect, they generally are of the opinion
that non-Jews that hold such beliefs are not
held culpable.
See also Divine simplicity.
God is all-powerful
Orthodox Jews believe in the omnipotent, omniscient
God of the Bible - “Attribute to the Lord all
glory and power” (Psalms 29). Thus, most rabbinic
works present God as having the properties of
omnipotence, omniscience and omnibenevolence
(being all good). This is still the primary
way that most Orthodox and many non-Orthodox
Jews view God.
The issue of theodicy was raised again, especially
after the extreme horrors of the Holocaust and
several theological responses surfaced. These
are discussed in a separate entry on Holocaust
theology. The central questions they address
are whether and how God is all powerful and
all good, given the existence of evil in the
world, particularly the Holocaust.
God is personal
Most of classical Judaism views God as personal.
We have a relationship with God, God has a relationship
with us. Much of the midrash, and many prayers
in the siddur portrays God as caring about humanity
in much the same way that we care about God.
Harold Kushner, a Conservative rabbi, writes
that "God shows His love for us by reaching
down to bridge the immense gap between Him and
us. God shows His love for us by inviting us
to enter into a Covenant (brit) with Him, and
by sharing with us His Torah".[citation
needed] Hasidism seems to endorse this view
to some degree.[citation needed]
On the other hand, Maimonides and many other
medieval Jewish philosophers rejected the idea
of a personal God as incorrect. This may, however,
simply be an emphatic form of the common Jewish
view that God is unchanging, not describable
and not anthropomorphic: see next section, and
negative theology.
The Nature of God
God is non-physical, non-corporeal, and eternal.
A corollary belief is that God is utterly unlike
man, and can in no way be considered anthropomorphic.
All statements in the Hebrew Bible and in rabbinic
literature which use anthropomorphism are held
to be linguistic conceits or metaphors, as it
would otherwise be impossible to talk about
God at all. See Divine simplicity; Negative
theology; Tzimtzum.
To God alone may one offer prayer
Any belief that an intermediary between man
and God could be used, whether necessary or
even optional, has traditionally been considered
heretical. Maimonides writes that "God
is the only one we may serve and praise....We
may not act in this way toward anything beneath
God, whether it be an angel, a star, or one
of the elements.....There are no intermediaries
between us and God. All our prayers should be
directed towards God; nothing else should even
be considered."
Some rabbinic authorities disagreed with this
view[citations needed]. Notably, Nachmanides
was of the opinion that it is permitted to ask
the angels to beseech God on our behalf. This
argument manifests notably in the Selichot prayer
called "Machnisay Rachamim", a request
to the angels to intercede with God. Modern
printed editions of the Selichot include this
prayer.
Scripture
The Tanakh and the Talmud are the main holy
books in Judaism. The Tanakh contains the Torah
(five books of Moses), the prophets, and the
Ketuvim ("writings"). Judaism's oral
law is contained in the Mishnah, Tosefta, classical
midrashim, and the two Talmuds.
Moses and the Torah
Orthodox and Conservative Jews hold that the
prophecy of Moses is held to be true; he is
held to be the chief of all prophets, even of
those who came before and after him. This belief
was expressed by Maimonides, who wrote that
"Moses was superior to all prophets, whether
they preceded him or arose afterwards. Moses
attained the highest possible human level. He
perceived God to a degree surpassing every human
that ever existed....God spoke to all other
prophets through an intermediary. Moses alone
did not need this; this is what the Torah means
when God says "Mouth to mouth, I will speak
to him."
However, this does not imply that the text of
the Torah should be understood literally, as
according to Karaism. Rabbinic tradition maintains
that God conveyed not only the words of the
Torah, but the meaning of the Torah. God gave
rules as to how the laws were to be understood
and implemented, and these were passed down
as an oral tradition. This oral law was passed
down from generation to generation and ultimately
written down almost 2,000 years later in the
Mishna and the two Talmuds.
For Reform Jews, the prophecy of Moses was not
the highest degree of prophecy; rather it was
the first in a long chain of progressive revelations
in which mankind gradually began to understand
the will of God better and better. As such,
they maintain, that the laws of Moses are no
longer binding, and it is today's generation
that must assess what God wants of them. (For
examples see the works of Rabbis Gunther Plaut
or Eugene Borowitz)[citation needed]. This principle
is also rejected by most Reconstructionist Jews,
but for a different reason; most posit that
God is not a being with a will; thus they maintain
that no will can be revealed.[citation needed]
The origin of the Torah
The Torah is composed of 5 books called in English
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
They chronicle the history of the Hebrews and
also contain the commandments that Jews are
to follow.
Rabbinic Judaism holds that the Torah extant
today is the same one that was given to Moses
by God on Mount Sinai. Maimonides explains:
"We do not know exactly how the Torah was
transmitted to Moses. But when it was transmitted,
Moses merely wrote it down like a secretary
taking dictation....[Thus] every verse in the
Torah is equally holy, as they all originate
from God, and are all part of God's Torah, which
is perfect, holy and true."
Haredi Jews generally believe that the Torah
today is no different from what was received
from God to Moses, with only the most minor
of scribal errors. Many other Orthodox Jews
suggest that over the millennia, some scribal
errors have crept into the Torah's text. They
note that the Masoretes (7th to 10th centuries)
compared all known Torah variations in order
to create a definitive text. Some Modern Orthodox
Jews hold that there are a number of places
in the Torah where gaps are seen, and accept
that part of the story in these places may have
been edited out.
For the viewpoints of non-orthodox Jews, see
Richard Elliot Friedman's "Who Wrote the
Bible?" and the entry on the documentary
hypothesis.
The words of the prophets are true
The Nevi'im the books of the Prophets, are considered
divine and true. This does not imply that the
books of the prophets are always read literally.
Jewish tradition has always held that prophets
used metaphors and analogies. There exists a
wide range of commentaries explaining and elucidating
those verses consisting of metaphor.
Oral Torah
All Orthodox Jews view the Written and Oral
Torah as the same as Moses taught, for all practical
purposes. Conservative Jews tend to believe
that much of the Oral law is divinely inspired,
while Reform and Reconstructionist Jews tend
to view all of the Oral law as an entirely human
creation. Traditionally, the Reform movement
held that Jews were obliged to obey the ethical
but not the ritual commandments of Scripture,
although today many Reform Jews have adopted
many traditional ritual practices.
Reward and punishment
The mainstream Jewish view is that God will
reward those who observe His commandments and
punish those who intentionally transgress them.
Examples of rewards and punishments are described
throughout the Bible, and throughout classical
rabbinic literature. See Free will In Jewish
thought. The common understanding of this principle
is accepted by most Orthodox and Conservative
and many Reform Jews; it is generally rejected
by the Reconstructionists.[citation needed]
The Bible contains references to Sheol lit.
gloom, as the common destination of the dead,
which may be compared with the Hades or underworld
of ancient religions. In later tradition this
is interpreted either as Hell or as a literary
expression for death or the grave in general.
However most Jews today believe in a heaven
as opposed to an "underworld".
According to aggadic passages in the Talmud,
God judges who has followed His commandments
and who does not and to what extent. Those who
do not "pass the test" go to a purifying
place (sometimes referred to as Gehinnom, i.e.
Hell, but more analogous to the Christian Purgatory)
to "learn their lesson". There is,
however, for the most part, no eternal damnation.
The vast majority of souls can only go to that
reforming place for a limited amount of time
(less than one year). Certain categories are
spoken of as having "no part in the world
to come", but this appears to mean annihilation
rather than an eternity of torment.
Philosophical rationalists such as Maimonides
believed that God did not actually mete out
rewards and punishments as such. In this view,
these were beliefs that were necessary for the
masses to believe in order to maintain a structured
society and to encourage the observance of Judaism.
However, once one learned Torah properly, one
could then learn the higher truths. In this
view, the nature of the reward is that if a
person perfected his intellect to the highest
degree, then the part of his intellect that
connected to God - the active intellect - would
be immortalized and enjoy the "Glory of
the Presence" for all eternity. The punishment
would simply be that this would not happen;
no part of one's intellect would be immortalized
with God. See Divine Providence in Jewish thought.
The Kabbalah (mystical tradition in Judaism)
contains further elaborations, though many Jews
do not consider these authoritative. For example
it admits the possibility of reincarnation,
which is generally rejected by non-mystical
Jewish theologians and philosophers. It also
believes in a triple soul, of which the lowest
level (nefesh or animal life) dissolves into
the elements, the middle layer (ruach or intellect)
goes to Gan Eden (Paradise) while the highest
level (neshamah or spirit) seeks union with
God.
Judaism has always considered "Tikkun Olam"
(or Perfecting the world) as a fundamental reason
for God's creating the world. Therefore, the
concept of "life after death" in the
Jewish view, while considered the eventual eternal
reward or punishment for all, is not encouraged
as the sole motivating factor in performance
of Judaism. Indeed it is held that one can attain
closeness to God even in this world through
moral and spiritual perfection.
Israel chosen for a purpose
God chose the Jewish people to be in a unique
covenant with God; the description of this covenant
is the Torah itself. Contrary to popular belief,
Jewish people do not simply say that "God
chose the Jews." This claim, by itself,
exists nowhere in the Tanakh (the Jewish Bible).
Such a claim could imply that God loves only
the Jewish people, that only Jews can be close
to God, and that only Jews can have a heavenly
reward. The actual claim made is that the Jews
were chosen for a specific mission, a duty:
to be a light unto the nations, and to have
a covenant with God as described in the Torah.
Reconstructionist Judaism rejects also this
variant of chosenness as morally defunct.
Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, former Chief
Rabbi of the United Synagogue of Great Britain,
describes the mainstream Jewish view on this
issue: "Yes, I do believe that the chosen
people concept as affirmed by Judaism in its
holy writ, its prayers, and its millennial tradition.
In fact, I believe that every people—and indeed,
in a more limited way, every individual—is "chosen"
or destined for some distinct purpose in advancing
the designs of Providence. Only, some fulfill
their mission and others do not. Maybe the Greeks
were chosen for their unique contributions to
art and philosophy, the Romans for their pioneering
services in law and government, the British
for bringing parliamentary rule into the world,
and the Americans for piloting democracy in
a pluralistic society. The Jews were chosen
by God to be 'peculiar unto Me' as the pioneers
of religion and morality; that was and is their
national purpose."
More on this topic is available in the entry
on Jewish views of religious pluralism.
The messianic age
There will be a Jewish Messiah known as Mashiach,
a king who will rule the Jewish people independently
and according to Jewish law. The Jewish vision
of Messianic times has little to do with the
Christian definition of this term. Jewish views
of the Messiah as derived from the Davidic line,
the Messianic era, and the afterlife are discussed
in the entry on Jewish eschatology.
The soul is pure at birth
Humans are born morally pure; Judaism has no
concept analogous to original sin. Judaism affirms
that people are born with a yetzer ha-tov (יצר
הטוב), a tendency to
do good, and with a yetzer hara (יצר
הרע), a tendency to do evil.
Thus, human beings have free will and can choose
the path in life that they will take. The rabbis
even recognize a positive value to the yetzer
ha-ra: without the yetzer ha-ra there would
be no civilization or other fruits of human
labor. The implication is that yetzer ha-tov
and yetzer ha-ra are best understood not only
as moral categories of good and evil but as
the inherent conflict within man between selfless
and selfish orientations.
Judaism recognizes two classes of "sin":
offenses against other people, and offenses
against God. Offenses against God may be understood
as violation of a contract (the covenant between
God and the Children of Israel). (See Jewish
views of sin.)
A classical rabbinic work, Avoth de-Rabbi Natan,
states: "One time, when Rabban Yochanan
ben Zakkai was walking in Jerusalem with Rabbi
Yehosua, they arrived at where the Temple in
Jerusalem now stood in ruins. "Woe to us,"
cried Rabbi Yehosua, "for this house where
atonement was made for Israel's sins now lies
in ruins!" Answered Rabban Yochanan, "We
have another, equally important source of atonement,
the practice of gemiluth ḥasadim (loving
kindness), as it is stated: "I desire loving
kindness and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6).
Also, the Babylonian Talmud teaches that "Rabbi
Yochanan and Rabbi Eleazar both explain that
as long as the Temple stood, the altar atoned
for Israel, but now, one's table atones [when
the poor are invited as guests]" (Talmud,
tractate Berachoth 55a). Similarly, the liturgy
of the Days of Awe (the High Holy Days; i.e.
Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur) states that prayer,
repentance and tzedakah atone for sin.
History and development
A number of formulations of Jewish beliefs have
appeared, and there is some dispute over how
many basic principles there are. Rabbi Joseph
Albo, for instance, in Sefer Ha-Ikkarim counts
three principles of faith, while Maimonides
lists thirteen. While some later rabbis have
attempted to reconcile the differences, claiming
that Maimonides' principles are covered by Albo's
much shorter list, alternate lists provided
by other medieval rabbinic authorities seem
to indicate a some level of tolerance for varying
theological perspectives.
No formal text canonized
The prime reason why no one text was formalized
as "the" Jewish principles of belief
is the lack of an authoritative sanction from
a supreme ecclesiastical body. This is why no
one formulation of Jewish principles of faith
is recognized as universally binding force.
Though to a certain extent incorporated in the
liturgy and utilized for purposes of instruction,
these formulations of the cardinal tenets of
Judaism carried no greater weight than that
imparted to them by the fame and scholarship
of their respective authors. None of them had
a character analogous to that given in the Church
to its three great formulas (the Apostles' Creed,
the Nicene or Constantinopolitan, and the Athanasian),
or even to the Kalimat As-Shahadat of the Muslims.
None of the many summaries from the pens of
Jewish philosophers and rabbis has been invested
with similar importance.
Gaining converts
Originally, nationality and religion were the
same. Birth, not profession, admitted a person
to a religio-national fellowship. As long as
internal dissention or external attack did not
necessitate for purposes of defense the formulation
of specific doctrines, the thought of fixing
the contents of the religious consciousness
did not insinuate itself into the mind of even
the most faithful. Missionary or proselytizing
religions are driven to the definite declaration
of their teachings. The admission of the neophyte
hinges upon the profession and the acceptance
of his part of the belief, and that there may
be no uncertainty about what is essential and
what non-essential, it is incumbent on the proper
authorities to determine and promulgate the
cardinal tenets in a form that will facilitate
repetition and memorizing, and the same necessity
arises when the Church or religious fellowship
is torn by internal heresies. Under the necessity
of combatting heresies of various degrees of
perilousness and of stubborn insistence, the
Church and Islam, were forced to define and
officially limit their respective theological
concepts.
Both of these provocations to creed-building
were less intense in Judaism.
The proselytizing zeal, though during certain
periods more active than at others, was neutralized,
partly by disinclination and partly by force
of circumstances. Righteousness, according to
Jewish belief, was not conditioned of the acceptance
of the Jewish religion. And the righteous among
the nations that carried into practice the seven
fundamental laws of the covenant with Noah and
his descendants were declared to be participants
in the felicity of the hereafter. This interpretation
of the status of non-Jews precluded the development
of a missionary attitude. Moreover, the regulations
for the reception of proselytes, as developed
in course of time, prove the eminently practical,
that is, the non-creedal character of Judaism.
Compliance with certain rites - immersion in
a mikveh (ritual bath), brit milah (circumcision),
and the acceptance of the mitzvot (Commandments
of Torah) as binding - is the test of the would-be
convert's faith. He or she is instructed in
the main points of Jewish law, while the profession
of faith demanded is limited to the acknowledgment
of the unity of God and the rejection of idolatry.
Judah ha-Levi (Kuzari 1:115) puts the whole
matter very strikingly when he says:
We are not putting on an equality with us a
person entering our religion through confession
alone. We require deeds, including in that term
self-restraint, purity, study of the Law, circumcision,
and the performance of other duties demanded
by the Torah.
For the preparation of the convert, therefore,
no other method of instruction was employed
than for the training of one born a Jew. The
aim of teaching was to convey a knowledge of
halakha (Jewish law), obedience to which manifested
the acceptance of the underlying religious principles;
namely, the existence of God and the holiness
of Israel as the people of God's covenant.
Judaism is different than many other religions
in that it does not ask its followers to actively
attempt to get others to convert to Judaism.
Judaism welcomes people who want to convert
because they want to, not because someone else
told them they had to. Jews believe that anyone
on earth who is righteous and good can be close
to God, regardless of religion.
Is dogma inherent in mitzvot?
The controversy whether the practice of mitzvot
in Judaism is inherently connected to Judaism's
dogma, has been discussed by many scholars.
Moses Mendelssohn, in his "Jerusalem,"
defended the non-dogmatic nature of the practice
of Judaism. Rather, he asserted, the dogma and
beliefs of Judaism, although revealed by God
in Judaism, consist of universal truths applicable
to all mankind. Rabbi Leopold Löw, among others,
took the opposite side. Löw made it clear that
the Mendelssohnian theory had been carried beyond
its legitimate bounds. Underlying the practice
of the Law was assuredly the recognition of
certain fundamental principles, he asserted,
culminating in the belief in God and revelation,
and likewise in the doctrine of divine justice.
The first to make the attempt to formulate Jewish
principles of faith was Philo of Alexandria.
He enumerated five articles: God is and rules;
God is one; the world was created by God; Creation
is one, and God's providence rules Creation.
Belief in the Oral Law
Many rabbis were drawn into controversies with
both Jews and non-Jews, and had to fortify their
faith against the attacks of contemporaneous
philosophy as well as against rising Christianity.
The Mishnah (Tractate Sanhedrin xi. 1) excludes
from the world to come the Epicureans and those
who deny belief in resurrection or in the divine
origin of the Torah. Rabbi Akiva would also
regard as heretical the readers of Sefarim Hetsonim
- certain extraneous writings that were not
canonized - as well such persons that would
heal through whispered formulas of magic. Abba
Saul designated as under suspicion of infidelity
those that pronounce the ineffable name of God.
By implication, the contrary doctrine may be
regarded as orthodox. On the other hand, Akiva
himself declares that the command to love one's
neighbor the fundamental the principle of the
Torah; while Ben Asa assigns this distinction
to the Biblical verse, "This is the book
of the generations of man".
The definition of Hillel the Elder in his interview
with a would-be convert (Talmud, tractate Shabbat
31a), embodies in the golden rule the one fundamental
article of faith. A teacher of the 3rd century,
Rabbi Simlai, traces the development of Jewish
religious principles from Moses with his 613
mitzvot of prohibition and injunction, through
David, who, according to this rabbi, enumerates
eleven; through Isaiah, with six; Micah, with
three; to Habakkuk who simply but impressively
sums up all religious faith in the single phrase,
"The pious lives in his faith" (Talmud,
Mak., toward end). As Jewish law enjoins that
one should prefer death to an act of idolatry,
incest, unchastity, or murder, the inference
is plain that the corresponding positive principles
were held to be fundamental articles of Judaism.
Belief during the Medieval era
Detailed constructions of articles of faith
did not find favor in Judaism before the medieval
era, when Jews were forced to defend their faith
from both Islamic and Christian inquisitions,
disputations and polemics. The necessity of
defending their religion against the attacks
of other philosophies induced many Jewish leaders
to define and formulate their beliefs. Saadia
Gaon's "Emunot ve-Deot" is an exposition
of the main tenets of Judaism. They are listed
as : The world was created by God; God is one
and incorporeal; belief in revelation (including
the divine origin of tradition; man is called
to righteousness and endowed with all necessary
qualities of mind and soul to avoid sin; belief
in reward and punishment; the soul is created
pure; after death it leaves the body; belief
in resurrection; Messianic expectation, retribution,
and final judgment.
Judah Halevi endeavored, in his Kuzari to determine
the fundamentals of Judaism on another basis.
He rejects all appeal to speculative reason,
repudiating the method of the Motekallamin.
The miracles and traditions are, in their natural
character, both the source and the evidence
of the true faith. In this view, speculative
reason is considered fallible due to the inherent
impossibility of objectivity in investigations
with moral implications.
Maimonides' 13 principles of faith
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides
or "The Rambam" (1135-1204 CE), lived
at a time when both Christianity and Islam were
developing active theologies. Jewish scholars
were often asked to attest to their faith by
their counterparts in other religions. The Rambam's
13 principles of faith were formulated in his
commentary on the Mishnah (tractace Sanhedrin,
chapter 10). They were one of several efforts
by Jewish theologians in the Middle Ages to
create such a list. By the time of Maimonides,
centers of Jewish learning and law were dispersed
geographically. Judaism no longer had a central
authority that might bestow official approval
on his principles of faith.
Maimonides' 13 principles were controversial
when first proposed, evoking criticism by Crescas
and Joseph Albo. They evoked criticism as minimizing
acceptance of the entire Torah (Rabbi S. of
Montpelier, Yad Rama, Y. Alfacher, Rosh Amanah).
The 13 principles were ignored by much of the
Jewish community for the next few centuries.
(Dogma in Medieval Jewish Thought, Menachem
Kellner). Over time two poetic restatements
of these principles (Ani Ma'amin and Yigdal)
became canonized in the Jewish prayerbook. Eventually,
Maimonides' 13 principles of faith became the
mostly widely accepted statement of belief.
1. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide
of everything that has been created; He alone
has made, does make, and will make all things.
2. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
blessed be His Name, is One, and that there
is no unity in any manner like His, and that
He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will
be.
3. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that
He is free from all the properties of matter,
and that there can be no (physical) comparison
to Him whatsoever.
4. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.
5. I believe with perfect faith that to the
Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone,
it is right to pray, and that it is not right
to pray to any being besides Him.
6. I believe with perfect faith that all the
words of the prophets are true.
7. I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy
of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was
true, and that he was the chief of the prophets,
both of those who preceded him and of those
who followed him.
8. I believe with perfect faith that the entire
Torah that is now in our possession is the same
that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace
be upon him.
9. I believe with perfect faith that this Torah
will not be exchanged, and that there will never
be any other Torah from the Creator, blessed
be His name.
10. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
blessed be His name, knows all the deeds of
human beings, and all their thoughts, as it
says: "Who fashioned the hearts of them
all, Who comprehends all their actions."
(Psalms 33:15)
11. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep
His commandments and punishes those that transgress
them.
12. I believe with perfect faith in the coming
of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry,
nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.
13. I believe with perfect faith that there
will be a revival of the dead at the time when
it shall please the Creator, blessed be His
name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever
and ever.
Importantly, Maimonides, while enumerating the
above, added the following caveat "There
is no difference between [the Biblical statement]
'his wife was Mehithabel' [Genesis 10,6] on
the one hand [i.e. an "unimportant"
verse], and 'Hear, O Israel' on the other [i.e.
an "important" verse]... anyone who
denies even such verses thereby denies God and
shows contempt for his teachings more than any
other skeptic, because he holds that the Torah
can be divided into essential and non-essential
parts..." The uniqueness of the thirteen
fundamental beliefs was that even a rejection
out of ignorance placed one outside Judaism,
whereas the rejection of the rest of Torah must
be a conscious act to stamp one as an unbeliever.
Others, such as Rabbi Joseph Albo and the Raavad,
criticized Maimonides' list as containing items
that, while true, in their opinion did not place
those who rejected them out of ignorance in
the category of heretic. Many others criticized
any such formulation as minimizing acceptance
of the entire Torah (see above). As noted however,
neither Maimonides nor his contemporaries viewed
these principles as encompassing all of Jewish
belief, but rather as the core theological underpinnings
of the acceptance of Judaism.
Several Orthodox scholars write that the popular
Orthodox understanding of these principles are
not at all what Maimonides held to be true.
See books noted below by Marc Shapiro and Menachem
Kellner.
In the last two centuries, some segments of
the Orthodox Jewish community have demanded
acceptance of Maimonides' principles. Others
have rejected this view, stressing the centrality
of deeds, of performance of commandments, as
the basis of normative Judaism.[citation needed]
Principles of faith after Maimonides
The successors of Maimonides, from the thirteenth
to the fifteeneth century — Nahmanides, Abba
Mari ben Moses, Simon ben Zemah Duran, Joseph
Albo, Isaac Arama, and Joseph Jaabez — narrowed
his thirteen articles to three core beliefs:
Belief in God; in Creation (or revelation);
and in providence (or retribution).
Others, like Crescas and David ben Samuel Estella,
spoke of seven fundamental articles, laying
stress on free-will. On the other hand, David
ben Yom-Tob ibn Bilia, in his "Yesodot
ha- Maskil" (Fundamentals of the Thinking
Man), adds to the thirteen of Maimonides thirteen
of his own — a number which a contemporary of
Albo also chose for his fundamentals; while
Jedaiah Penini, in the last chapter of his "Behinat
ha-Dat," enumerated no less than thirty-five
cardinal principles.
Isaac Abravanel, his "Rosh Amanah,"
took the same attitude towards Maimonides' creed.
While defending Maimonides against Hasdai and
Albo, he refused to accept dogmatic articles
for Judaism, criticizing any formulation as
minimizing acceptance of all 613 mitzvot.
The Enlightenment
In the late 18th century Europe was swept by
a group of intellectual, social and political
movements, together known as The Enlightenment.
These movements promoted scientific thinking,
free thought, and allowed people to question
previously unshaken religious dogmas. Like Christianity,
Judaism developed several responses to this
unprecedented phenomenon. One response saw the
enlightenment as positive, while another saw
it as negative. The enlightenment meant equality
and freedom for many Jews in many countries,
so it was felt that it should be warmly welcomed.
Scientific study of religious texts would allow
people to study the history of Judaism. Some
Jews felt that Judaism should accept modern
secular thought and change in response to these
ideas. Others, however, believed that the divine
nature of Judaism precluded changing any fundamental
beliefs.
Those denominations accepting outside influence
on the practice of Judaism are known as Conservative
and Reform Judaism. The Jews who did not accept
any fundamental changes in rabbinic Judaism
became known as Orthodox. The entry on Reform
movement in Judaism discusses in more detail
how and why the enlightenment led to the development
of the modern Jewish denominations.
Holocaust theology
Because of the magnitude of the Holocaust, many
people have re-examined the classical theological
views on God's goodness and actions in the world.
Some question whether people can still have
any faith after the Holocaust. Some theological
responses to these questions are explored in
Holocaust theology.
Principles of faith in Modern Judaism
Dogma in Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism considers itself to be in direct
continuity with historical rabbinic Judaism.
Therefore, as above, it accepts philosophic
speculation and statements of dogma only to
the extent that they exist within, and are compatible
with, the system of written and oral Torah.
Due to this, there is no one official statement
of principles. Rather, all formulations by accepted
early Torah leaders are considered to have possible
validity. Additionally, as a matter of practice
Orthodox Judaism lays stress on the performance
of the actual commandments. Dogma is considered
to be the self-understood underpinning of the
practice of the Mitzvot.
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