Judaism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, with roots stretching back over 3,500 years to the covenant between God and Abraham. With around 15 million followers worldwide, Judaism is a key topic in GCSE Religious Studies, particularly on AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications.
What is the nature of God in Judaism?
The single most important Jewish belief is that there is only one God (monotheism). This is expressed in the central prayer of Judaism, the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4):
"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one."
Judaism teaches that God has specific attributes:
| Attribute | Hebrew term | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| One and indivisible | Echad | No part of God; no Trinity or division |
| All-powerful | Omnipotent | God can do anything |
| All-knowing | Omniscient | God knows all past, present and future |
| Eternal | Kadmon | God existed before creation and will exist after it |
| Creator | Boré | God created and sustains the universe |
| Just | Tzaddik | God acts with perfect justice |
| Merciful | Rachum | God is compassionate, as shown in the covenant |
An important point for GCSE answers: Jewish theology does not conceive of God as having human form or physical nature. The Shema is recited daily in morning and evening prayers. It is the first prayer a Jewish child learns and often the last words a Jew speaks before death.
What is the covenant in Judaism?
The covenant (brit in Hebrew) is the foundational relationship between God and the Jewish people. It is not simply a historical agreement — it is understood as a living relationship that defines Jewish identity and obligation.
The major covenants in Jewish scripture are:
The Covenant with Noah (brit Noah): After the flood, God promises never to destroy all life again; the rainbow is the sign. This covenant is with all humanity.
The Covenant with Abraham (brit Abraham): God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, that they will inherit the land of Canaan, and that through them all nations will be blessed. The sign of this covenant is circumcision (brit milah), still practised on Jewish boys on the eighth day after birth.
The Covenant with Moses (Sinai Covenant): At Mount Sinai, God gives the Israelites the Torah — the Law — through Moses. The people promise to obey God's commandments; God promises to be their God and protector. This is the covenant most closely associated with Jewish religious practice.
What is the Torah and why is it central to Judaism?
The Torah (literally "teaching" or "instruction") refers in its narrowest sense to the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These are written on a scroll (Sefer Torah) and kept in the synagogue's Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark); reading the Torah publicly is central to Shabbat worship.
In a broader sense, Torah refers to the whole body of Jewish teaching, including:
- The Written Torah (Torah She-bikhtav): the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), comprising Torah, Prophets (Nevi'im) and Writings (Ketuvim)
- The Oral Torah (Torah She-be'al Peh): rabbinic traditions and interpretations, eventually written down in the Mishnah (compiled c.200 CE) and the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud completed c.500 CE)
The Talmud is the primary source of Jewish law (halacha) — it consists of the Mishnah plus the Gemara (rabbinic discussion and debate about the Mishnah). Jewish legal decisions today are still made by referring to Talmudic discussion.
What are the 613 mitzvot?
The Torah contains 613 commandments (mitzvot, singular mitzvah). These govern virtually every aspect of life:
- Positive mitzvot (mitzvot aseh) — things you must do: 248 of them, traditionally associated with the 248 bones of the human body
- Negative mitzvot (mitzvot lo ta'aseh) — things you must not do: 365 of them, one for each day of the year
The mitzvot cover food laws (kashrut — the laws of kosher food), prayer, family life, business ethics, treatment of animals, care for the poor and much more. Not all 613 can be observed today — some relate to the Temple in Jerusalem (destroyed in 70 CE) and some to life in the Land of Israel.
Observance of mitzvot varies enormously across Jewish communities:
- Orthodox Jews hold that the Torah is the direct word of God and its commandments are binding
- Reform Jews believe the Torah is divinely inspired but humanly written; commandments may be reinterpreted in the light of modern ethics
- Liberal and Masorti (Conservative) Jews take intermediate positions
What do Jews believe about the afterlife?
Beliefs about the afterlife within Judaism are notably diverse — more so than in Christianity or Islam. The Hebrew Bible does not have a clear, consistent account of what happens after death. Rabbinic tradition developed several concepts:
- Olam Ha-Ba ("The World to Come"): A future world of perfection; interpreted by some as spiritual, by others as a physical resurrection
- Gehinom: A place of purification after death (not eternal damnation — most traditions hold that Gehinom is temporary, lasting up to 12 months)
- Resurrection of the dead (Techiyat HaMeitim): Maimonides, the great medieval Jewish philosopher, included bodily resurrection among Judaism's 13 Principles of Faith
- The Messiah and the Messianic Age: Traditional Judaism awaits the coming of a human Messiah who will herald an age of universal peace and the rebuilding of the Temple; Reform Judaism generally interprets this as a Messianic Age brought about by human effort
Many Jews focus on living a righteous life (tzaddik) in the present rather than on detailed theology about the afterlife.
How does Judaism approach ethics and justice?
Jewish ethics are grounded in the covenant and the mitzvot, but several key principles deserve particular attention for GCSE:
Tikkun Olam ("Repair of the World"): The idea that Jews are called to act in the world to bring about justice, heal suffering and improve society. This concept underpins many Jewish approaches to social justice, charity and political action.
Tzedakah (often translated "charity" but literally "justice" or "righteousness"): Giving to those in need is not merely an act of generosity in Judaism — it is a moral obligation. Maimonides outlined eight levels of tzedakah, the highest being giving anonymously or helping someone become self-sufficient.
Pikuach nefesh ("Preservation of life"): The principle that saving a human life overrides almost all other commandments. A Jew may and should break Shabbat, eat non-kosher food or violate other commandments to save a life.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Shema and why is it so important?
The Shema ("Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" — "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one") is the central declaration of Jewish faith. It affirms absolute monotheism. It is recited twice daily (morning and evening) as part of Jewish prayer. It is taught to children as the first and most important prayer. Jewish tradition holds that it should be the last words a Jew speaks before death. In GCSE RE, it is the clearest single expression of Jewish belief about God.
What is the difference between Orthodox and Reform Judaism?
The primary difference is in the authority of the Torah. Orthodox Judaism holds that the Torah (both Written and Oral) is the direct word of God, revealed to Moses at Sinai, and its commandments are binding on all Jews for all time. Reform Judaism holds that the Torah is divinely inspired but written by humans in particular historical contexts; therefore its commandments can be reinterpreted or set aside where they conflict with modern ethics or understanding. These different starting points lead to significant differences in practice — dress, dietary laws, worship language, the role of women in religious life.
What is a synagogue and what happens there?
A synagogue (from Greek for "gathering place") is the Jewish house of prayer and community life. The Hebrew name is beit knesset ("house of assembly"). The most important features are the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark, where the Torah scrolls are kept), the bimah (raised platform from which Torah is read) and the ner tamid (eternal light, always burning above the Ark). Synagogues are used for prayer services (particularly on Shabbat), life-cycle ceremonies, education and community events.
How does Judaism relate to Christianity and Islam?
All three are monotheistic Abrahamic religions — they share the belief in one God who revealed himself to Abraham and entered into covenant with him. Christians accept the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament but believe Jesus is the Messiah (which most Jews reject). Muslims accept Moses as a prophet and revere the Torah, but believe Muhammad received the final and complete revelation from God. Jews, Christians and Muslims all trace spiritual descent from Abraham; their different understandings of subsequent revelation account for the major theological divergences.
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