What do Jews believe?

The central statement of Jewish faith is the Shema, from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” Jews recite it in morning and evening prayers and traditionally as the last words before death.

God in Judaism is one, without physical form, eternal, the creator of the universe and the source of moral law. God is understood as both transcendent and personally involved in history, hearing prayer and caring about justice.

Torah has several meanings. In its narrow sense it is the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. More broadly it refers to the whole Hebrew Bible, called the Tanakh, and to the entire body of Jewish teaching.

Traditional Judaism holds that God revealed the Written Torah to Moses at Sinai, together with an Oral Torah that was later recorded in the Mishnah and Talmud. Rabbinic interpretation is therefore central: Jewish practice is not read directly off the biblical text but through centuries of commentary and legal discussion.

Judaism teaches that God made a covenant, or brit, with Abraham and later with the people of Israel at Sinai. The covenant involves mutual commitment: God’s faithfulness and Israel’s responsibility to live by the Torah.

The idea of being a chosen people is often misunderstood. In Jewish thought it usually means being chosen for responsibility and a particular way of life, not being superior to others. Judaism also teaches that righteous people of all nations have a share in the world to come.

Jewish tradition counts 613 commandments, or mitzvot, in the Torah. They cover worship, ethics, family life, food, festivals and much more. Halakhah, often translated as Jewish law, is the system that interprets how these commandments apply in daily life.

Examples include observing Shabbat, keeping kosher, celebrating festivals such as Passover and Yom Kippur, giving tzedakah (charitable giving understood as justice) and performing acts of kindness. Different movements treat halakhah differently, from binding law in Orthodox Judaism to a respected but non-binding guide in Reform Judaism.

Ethical behaviour is central. The Hebrew prophets repeatedly taught that ritual without justice is empty, and the Torah commands care for the stranger, the widow, the orphan and the poor.

Many Jews speak of tikkun olam, repairing the world, as an expression of Jewish values. Classical rabbinic teaching also emphasizes the dignity of every person, created in the image of God.

Prayer takes place at home and in the synagogue, traditionally three times a day. Many prayers require a minyan, a quorum of ten adults, which reflects the communal nature of Jewish life.

Study is itself a religious act. Learning Torah and Talmud, often in pairs or groups, has long been regarded as one of the highest values. The family home is also a centre of religious life, especially on Shabbat and at festivals such as Passover.

Traditional Judaism expects a messiah, a human descendant of King David, who will bring peace, gather the Jewish people and establish justice in the world. Jews do not believe Jesus fulfilled these expectations.

Beliefs about the afterlife vary more. Traditional texts speak of the world to come and the resurrection of the dead, and Maimonides included resurrection in his thirteen principles of faith. Many Jews today focus more on this life than on detailed teaching about what follows it, and Reform Judaism has often reinterpreted messianic hope as a coming messianic age rather than a personal messiah.

It is all of these, in different ways. Jewish identity is traditionally passed through the mother in Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, while Reform Judaism also recognizes descent through the father when the child is raised Jewish. People can also convert to Judaism.

Many Jews identify strongly as Jewish through culture, history and peoplehood while being secular or non-observant. A summary of Jewish belief describes the religious tradition, not the views of every person who is Jewish.

Orthodox Judaism holds that the Written and Oral Torah are divinely given and that halakhah is binding. Conservative, or Masorti, Judaism sees Jewish law as binding but developing through history. Reform Judaism emphasizes individual autonomy, ethical teaching and adapting tradition to modern life. Reconstructionist and other movements add further approaches.

These movements share the Shema, the Hebrew Bible, the festivals and Jewish history, but differ on authority, gender roles in worship, conversion and how strictly traditional law is observed.

The medieval philosopher Maimonides formulated thirteen principles of faith that are widely known and appear in many prayer books. They were also debated, and many Jews describe Judaism as a religion of practice and community at least as much as of doctrine.

Jews believe in one God, the creator, who made a covenant with the people of Israel and revealed the Torah. Jewish belief is lived through commandments, ethics, prayer, study and community, with hope for a messianic future. Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews share this foundation but understand its authority and practice differently.