Jewish beliefs and teachings

Judaism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, with about 15 million followers globally. AQA expects core beliefs about God, the covenant, the Messiah, life after death and the importance of mitzvot.

The nature of God

Judaism is strictly monotheistic: there is one God, often referred to as HaShem ("the Name") or Adonai ("Lord"). The most sacred name is the four Hebrew letters YHWH (the Tetragrammaton), traditionally not pronounced.

Key attributes:

• One — the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
• Creator — Genesis 1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
• Lawgiver — gave the Torah at Sinai through Moses.
• Judge — judges actions, especially at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
• Merciful — quick to forgive those who repent (teshuvah).

The 13 Principles of Faith of Maimonides (Rambam, 1138–1204) are widely accepted, including God's unity, incorporeality and exclusive worship.

The covenant

A covenant is a binding agreement between God and humanity. Two key covenants:

1. Abraham (Genesis 15, 17)

God promised Abraham:

• A great nation (the Jewish people).
• The Promised Land (Canaan/Israel).
• Blessing for all nations through his descendants.

In return, Abraham and his descendants were to circumcise male children (brit milah) as a sign of the covenant. This established the unique identity of the Jewish people.

2. Moses at Sinai (Exodus 19–24)

After the Exodus from Egypt, God gave Moses the Torah at Mount Sinai, including the Ten Commandments and the wider Law (the mitzvot).

The Jewish people pledged: "All the words which the Lord has said we will do" (Exodus 24:3). In return, God promised to be their God and they would be his people.

The Messiah

The Messiah (Mashiach — "anointed one") will be a future Jewish leader from the line of David. Jewish messianic expectations:

• Will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
• Will gather the exiled Jews to Israel.
• Will establish an era of world peace and knowledge of God.
• Will be a human leader, not divine.

Judaism does not accept Jesus as the Messiah — the world is not yet redeemed.

Life after death

Jewish teaching is less detailed than Christianity or Islam:

• Sheol — Old Testament reference to a shadowy underworld.
• Olam Ha-Ba — "the world to come" — for the righteous after death and/or after the Messiah.
• Resurrection of the dead — held by Maimonides as one of the 13 Principles; understood differently by Reform and Orthodox Jews.
• Focus on this life — Judaism emphasises living righteously now, not preparing for the afterlife. The exact nature of the afterlife is left mysterious.

Sanctity of life

The principle of pikuach nefesh — "to save a life" — overrides almost all mitzvot. Even Shabbat may be broken to save a life. Life is a gift from God; humans are made b'tzelem Elohim — "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27).

Mitzvot

The Torah contains 613 mitzvot (commandments). They are commonly divided into:

• Mitzvot bein adam la-Makom — between humans and God (e.g. observing Shabbat, kashrut/dietary laws).
• Mitzvot bein adam le-chavero — between humans (e.g. honouring parents, charity, honesty).

The Ten Commandments (the Aseret HaDibrot) are seen as the most important, but all 613 form the basis of Jewish life.

Examiner tips

• Always cite the Shema as a key source for monotheism.
• Distinguish Orthodox and Reform/Liberal Jewish views — they differ on resurrection, the Messiah's literal coming, and the binding nature of mitzvot.
• For 12-mark questions, contrast Jewish messianic expectation with Christian belief in Jesus.