Jewish Beliefs Page
Bottom • Shema • Basic Jewish • Judaism vs Christianity
I feel that the most important prayer in Judaism is the Shema, including the v’ahavta The Shema makes the most
The v’ahavta tells us what we are supposed to do. Breaking down the Shema will give a better picture of the
The first line states: “Hear O Israel, The Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One.” This statement proclaims
The second line of the Shema states: “Blessed is the name of G-d’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.”
We are commanded to recite the Shema in our homes, when we wake, and when we lie down, as well as
The next line says “inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates”. At this point,
The last part of the Shema tells us how we are to interact with G-d and the importance of keeping His
important statement in Judaism. When it says the lord is our G-d, the Lord is one; its importance is so great
that it is included in the daily worship, as well as the Shabbat service.
importance of the Shema.
G-d’s role in Judaism by saying we pray to G-d and G-d only. This is the line that separates Judaism from
Christianity and Islam. By saying G-d is one, Judaism proclaims its basic belief that G-d and only G-d is the Lord.
Christianity believes in the trinity: the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost, while Islam believes that Mohammed
was a prophet who ascended to heaven. In other words, both Christianity and Islam believe that there are G-ds
other than the one G-d in which Judaism places faith. While Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all pray to the G-d
of Abraham, only Judaism states that He works alone.
This line implies that G-d will watch over and protect His kingdom (Heaven and Earth) forever. The V’ahavta, which
commonly follows the Shema, begins with the commandment to “love the Lord your G-d with all your mind, with all your
heart, with all your strength, with all your being.” We are told that we are committed to G-d and that we should love
G-d above all else. The next line tells us to set the word of G-d upon our hearts. We are then told to teach the
Torah and the Shema to our children.
when we die. In the next phrase, we are commanded to “Bind them as a sign upon your hand and let them be a symbol
before your eyes.” The sages interpreted this line to mean the wearing of the tefillin, box-like phylacteries
that are worn during prayer. One box is placed on the worshipper’s left arm close to the heart and the other
is attached to the forehead. The boxes contain Torah excerpts. The box attached to the head contains four sections,
while the box attached to the arm has one section.
the sages tell us that we should attach mezzuzzot to our doorposts. Mezzuzzot are little containers that contain
parchment with the Shema written on them.
mitzvot. We are reminded of G-d’s deliverance of us from the house of bondage for which we owe Him our devotion.
I think that is a fair deal. It is written that the last words of Rabbi Akiva, who died a martyr’s death, were the
lines of the Shema. For all these reasons, I feel that the Shema is the most important passage in the prayer book.
The things that make a person Jewish are outlined in the Shema.
The most widely accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam’s (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon) “Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith”. Although they have been interpreted differently by the four major movements within Judaism, these principles have been a guiding force within the religion for over 800 years.
Judaism believes that we are created in G-d’s image and that all people are created equal. Judaism believes that our likeness to G-d is in our ability to reason and use intellectual thought. Judaism also believes in free will and that people are responsible for their actions. The land of Israel is part of the covenant between g-d and the Jewish people. There have been Jewish people living in the land of Israel since the time of Abraham. Judaism teaches that each Jew is required to perform mitzvot (acts of charity or good will). We as a people are responsible for each other, and only by performing mitzvot can we fulfill our obligation to help other people, animals or nature that may be less fortunate or less capable than we are. Judaism is more concerned with what we do while we are here on earth than what happens after death. G-d will take care of what comes later-our charge is to care for the here and now. The three most important beliefs in Judaism are G-d, Torah, and Mitzvot.
Christianity teaches that G-d is the creator. It says that Adam committed the Original Sin. It also teaches that Jesus chose to be born of man so that He could take on all of man’s sins through crucifixion. Christians believe that Jesus was the Son of G-d and that when He was crucified, he became part of the Trinity. The Trinity is the Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. Around 800 CE, Christianity introduced the concept of the Devil and eternal damnation. Christianity teaches that if you accept Jesus as your savior, you can go to heaven when you die. The major differences between Judaism and Christianity are the belief in Jesus by Christians and the Jewish Rituals. Jews have rituals for everything. Christians have very few rituals. Jewish rituals are a way of remembering the commandments that were given to Moses, and a way of recognizing the things that G-d asks us to do. Christians have a “person” or “Holy Spirit” to cling to for their beliefs; Jews have their rituals. Both peoples, however, have a belief in G-d and a way to show it, as well as an underlying requirement to be a good person and try to live a good life.