Beliefs

Judaism is a monotheistic religion. The central belief, that there is only one God, is declared in the Shema:

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."

The first section of the Shema continues, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

Jews believe that God is the Creator who made everything, and who chose the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, to give them His Law and commandments so that they might know how to serve and worship Him and that they might be an example to the rest of the world of the goodness of God.

It is the Jewish belief that the Torah, which contains the fundamental laws and commandments (mitzvot) that govern Jewish life, was given directly by God to Moses. To Jews, therefore, it is God's Word. Ancient interpretations of the Torah by rabbis, passed down by word of mouth - the Oral Tradition - and later, written interpretations are now contained in the Talmud.

Jews believe that the mitzvot, which God has given and which relate to all areas of life - food, clothing, prayer, relationships, business dealings, morality and so on - must be obeyed.