RMPS - Int2/Higher - World Religions - Judaism - Education Scotland

The concept and image of God
THE HUMAN CONDITION
According to Jewish law, a Jew is any person who is born to a Jewish
mother, irrespective of the mother’s marital status; or any person who
has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism (see
Overview section, p3). Jewish people live in different continents of the
world, speak different languages and hold different views about the ways
in which Judaism should be observed. However, those who are
committed to Judaism in some form share the belief in one God. This
belief affects the way Jews interact in the world as everything one sees,
hears or experiences is a meaningful encounter with God. Judaism is
thus monotheistic like other religions such as Christianity and Islam,
which came later.
The fundamental belief in one God is declared twice every day in the
Shema which Jews recite every morning and evening. Its opening
sentence states ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.’ This
pronounces the belief in one God to all Jews, who are referred to as the
children of Israel. This can be found in the Siddur, and in Deuteronomy
6:4.
God is the creator of the universe, the father, lawgiver, king, mentor,
and judge of humanity. There is much literature that is related to God in
the Bible, and He may be considered as the ‘guiding light’ of the Bible
for the following reasons:
• He knows everything – He is omniscient. This knowledge includes all
the past, present, and future free actions of human beings. His infinite
wisdom and goodness explain His sense of justice and ability to
judge.
• He is also all powerful – He is omnipotent. He is compassionate,
gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth, forgiving
iniquity (great injustice, wickedness), transgression (breaking a moral
law) and sin (breaking a religious law). (Exodus 34: 6–7)
• He exists everywhere at the same time – He is omnipresent.
Jews believe that God is very different from human beings. He is not a
physical entity. God is infinitely above and beyond everything else that
exists (transcendent) or can be imagined. But although He may be far
away in the heavens, yet He is also near to listen to our prayers.
In prayer, Jews address God as ‘You’. Jews do not require an
intermediary to communicate with God as they can directly
communicate with Him. Man can have a relationship with God, but while
RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H) 9
© Learning and Teaching Scotland