ICJudaism: A Teacher’s Guide to Judaism
Hosted by ICTeachers Formerly: Mike’s Rough Guide to Judaism
Disclaimer:
The contents of these pages represent the author’s personal views, experience and
understanding.
There are bound to be some things here that some Jews would disagree
with.
13 Principles of Faith
Moses Maimonides, known as Rambam, was a famous medieval rabbi. He formulated these
13 Principles of Faith, which are about as close as Judaism comes to a catechism.
Most of the 13 principles have been disputed by Jews at some time or another! Indeed,
for several hundred years after Maimonides expounded these principles they were ignored
by much of the Jewish community, although orthodox Judaism now holds them to be key
statements of Jewish faith. The 13 principles are quite unusual in Jewish liturgy
in that they mention faith at all -
1. God alone created the universe.
2. God is the only deity and is unique.
3. God has no body.
4. God is eternal.
5. Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other.
6. The words of the prophets are true.
7. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets.
8. The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were originally given to Moses and are unchanged.
9. The Torah will never be exchanged and there will be no other Torah.
10. God knows and understands the thoughts and deeds of men.
11. God will reward those who keep his commandments and punish those who transgress them.
12. The Messiah will come.
13. The dead will be resurrected.
