Study Sheet – God and the Human Being

1. Emunah (Faith)

Emunah is not mere intellectual assent but an existential trust in God and His Providence. The Talmud (Makkot 24a) teaches that Habakkuk summarized the entire Torah in a single principle: "The righteous shall live by their faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Emunah means the certainty that God directs the world, even when reality seems chaotic.

Bitachon: trust in God.

Yirat shamayim: awe/reverence of Heaven.

Kavvanah: intention and concentration during prayer or a mitzvah.

2. Jewish Monotheism

Jewish monotheism (expressed in the Shema — "Adonai Echad") is not merely the claim that there is one God, but that God is an absolute, incorporeal unity, without image or form, creator and master of all.

Maimonides (2nd principle): God's unity is unlike any other unity. Judaism rejects all forms of dualism, trinitarianism, or polytheism.

3. Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith

4. Free Will and the Two Inclinations

Free will is a fundamental principle of Judaism.

The Yetzer HaRa (evil inclination) and the Yetzer HaTov (good inclination) are the two internal forces within each person. The Yetzer HaRa is not intrinsically evil — it is the source of ambition, desire, and creativity. The Talmud (Yoma 69b): "Without the Yetzer HaRa, no one would build a house or have children." The challenge is to channel these forces under the direction of the Yetzer HaTov.

5. The Covenant (Brit), Election, and Mitzvot

Brit: the covenant between God and Israel. Election (bechirah) means additional responsibility, not superiority.

Mitzvot: 613 commandments of the Torah. Halakhah (the path): the entire body of law. Minhag: local custom with binding force.

Chukim: commandments without intellectually comprehensible reason (e.g., prohibition of pork, the red heifer). Observed out of obedience to God.

The seven Noahide laws: universal commandments given to Noah — no idolatry, no blasphemy, no murder, no theft, no forbidden relations, no eating from a living animal, establishing courts of justice.

6. Reward, Punishment, and the Afterlife

Maimonides' 11th principle affirms reward and punishment.

Olam HaBa (World to Come): the future world after earthly life.

Gan Eden (Paradise): place of reward for the righteous.

Gehinnom: temporary place of purification (12 months maximum for most souls).

Techiyat HaMetim (Resurrection of the Dead): a fundamental principle, in the messianic era (Maimonides' 13th principle).

Judaism has no detailed dogma about the afterlife. The emphasis is on the present life and one's deeds.

7. Jewish Messianism

The Mashiach (Messiah) is a human descendant of King David who will restore Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, rebuild the Temple, gather the exiles, and inaugurate an era of universal peace. He is not a divine being but a human king. This is Maimonides' 12th principle. Judaism does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

8. Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World)

Three meanings:

• Talmudic halakhah: decrees enacted "for the betterment of the world" (mipnei tikkun ha'olam — Gittin 4:2)
• Lurianic Kabbalah: elevation of divine sparks that fell during the Shevirat HaKelim, accomplished through the observance of mitzvot
• Modern Judaism: a concept of social justice and ethical responsibility toward the world

"Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh": all of Israel is responsible for one another — a principle of collective responsibility.

9. Ethics of Speech

Lashon hara: speaking ill of another, even if true.

Motzi shem ra: slander (a harmful lie).

Rekhilut: gossip (reporting a truth that causes harm).

Even a hint constitutes lashon hara. Passive listening is also forbidden.

Dan lekaf zekhut: judging others favorably.

To seek forgiveness for lashon hara: acknowledge the wrong, ask the injured party for forgiveness, commit to not repeating the behavior (teshuvah, mechilah, tefillah).

10. Sanctification and Desecration of God's Name

Kiddush Hashem: sanctification of God's Name — any act that honors God and Judaism.

Chillul Hashem: desecration of God's Name — any act that dishonors God and Judaism (e.g., a Jew who steals tarnishes the reputation of all Israel).

11. Bioethics

Abortion: permitted in certain specific cases (danger to the mother's life) according to rabbinic ruling. Human life is sacred, but the fetus does not hold the same status as a born person.

Organ donation: generally permitted and encouraged when it saves a life. The definition of the moment of death is central (brain death: divergent rabbinic opinions).

Key Takeaways – Summary