Divine Unity
Monotheism is the founding principle of Judaism. It is expressed in the profession of faith contained in the Shema prayer: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our G-d, the Lord is One” (Deut. 6:4). Jewish monotheism implies the existence of an absolute, personal G-d, who confers fundamental value upon moral obligations, revealing the Torah to His people and actively intervening in History.
After the Creation, God entrusted the authority of the world to the living, but He does not lose interest in it. He sustains this world and exercises constant providence over it. He Himself placed a limit on His power by granting free will to man.
This belief in a single God is founded on the covenant with Abraham, confirmed collectively with the people of Israel on Mount Sinai, thus engaging man's responsibility.
Covenant
The Torah mentions three covenants: the first between God and Noah, the second between God and Abraham, and the third between God and the people of Israel.
After the flood, God promises Noah and his descendants never again to unleash another flood. After specifying the relationships between men and the living world and also between men (called the Seven Laws of Noah, a fundamental ethical code), God places this pact under the sign of the rainbow (Gen. 9: 1-7).
The second covenant unites God and Abraham: God promises him numerous descendants who, after a time of exile and oppression, will inherit the land where He brought him. Abraham and his descendants must, in turn, observe the rite of circumcision as a sign of fidelity to the single God (Gen. 15:7 and Gen. 17:7).
The collective and public covenant contracted between God and Israel at Sinai is the confirmation of the covenant with Abraham. The latter's descendants, constituted as a nation after liberation from slavery in Egypt, freely conclude a covenant with God. They commit to fulfilling the divine words, while God commits to making them “His treasured possession” among the peoples. The Ten Commandments and the entire Torah constitute the terms of the covenant: practice of worship, observance of ethical, social and political rules (Ex. 19).
Election
At the time of the covenant with Abraham, God announces that He will make his descendants “a great nation” through which “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-13). God repeats this choice of His during the covenant on Sinai. The doctrine of election does not have the value of a dogma in Judaism. It reflects the particular nature of the relationship established between God and Israel and takes on its full meaning only in relation to the concept of the covenant. According to rabbinic tradition, Israel is the only people among all the nations to whom God offered it, to have accepted the responsibility of applying the divine commandments. From this point of view, election creates more duties than privileges. A privilege that, in any case, is only valid if Israel does not betray its mission and chooses to carry out the divine will. The term election or “chosen people” has most of the time given rise to false interpretations, which themselves are responsible for centuries of antisemitism. But belonging to the Jewish people has never been exclusive, since conversion to Judaism allows any person to be part of the “chosen people”, with the duties that this choice entails.
Charity Judaism considers charity as a requirement of justice and as a spontaneous and human impulse. The act of “doing good” takes concrete form through monetary donations and social actions such as visiting the sick and those in mourning. Visiting a sick person is a fundamental commandment, “and whoever does so diminishes the illness of the suffering person”. This support applies to everyone, poor and rich, living or dead, since paying tribute to the deceased is part of acts of charity which are both religious and moral obligations. Everyone must fulfil these duties with discretion, affluence and compassion, regardless of the religious affiliation of the beneficiary. There is neither charity without justice nor justice without charity.
Free will
Free will is inseparable from the belief in the retribution of deeds and in the affirmation of divine justice: God cannot judge man's actions equitably if he has not freely chosen to perform them. The Torah itself is a teaching that Israel is called to put into practice, but against which it is possible to rebel. The divine law is not natural (which no one escapes), but moral, addressing an autonomous individual, capable of choosing. According to Rabbi Akiva, free will is reconcilable with divine omnipotence: “Everything is foreseen by God, but freedom is given to man”.
Love of the neighbour
Love of the neighbour is inscribed in Leviticus (19:18 and 19:34): “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. This commandment possesses a very great scope: visiting the sick, comforting those in mourning, charity, solidarity. The only limit to the love of one's neighbour is to hate oneself and to sacrifice one's own life to the other. Love of the neighbour reminds us that all human beings were created in the image of God: love of the Creator and love of His creatures are inextricably linked.
Social justice
The demand for justice and equity is at the heart of biblical religion and social ethics. The model to follow is that of God, who finds His balance between two principles: rigour and compassion. An absolute justice, which involves no mercy, is not worthy of being part of this world. It is therefore primarily this principle that the people of Israel must take as an example.
Respect for life
The sanctity of life is a supreme value in Judaism, since life is a divine gift. As long as a person lives, they must do everything to keep themselves physically and spiritually alive. Saving a life is equivalent to saving the entire universe, and taking a life is equivalent to destroying the entire universe. To save a human life or come to the aid of a sick person, one must (if necessary) transgress Shabbat.
The recognition of the beauty and sanctity of life is expressed through blessings recited on various occasions, for example before and after a meal, before travelling, in front of a natural phenomenon, etc.
Participation in Creation
Everyone is responsible for the state of the earth and must commit to restoring the harmony lost after the expulsion of Adam from the Garden of Eden. Every person has a personal responsibility towards themselves, their neighbour, the environment and the world.
The Messiah
Judaism is marked by messianic hope, first announced to King David and then maintained throughout Jewish history up to the present day, which will realise and guarantee a reign of justice and peace.
The temptation is great to see the Messiah arrive during difficult times. The most important thing is the expectation, which must be vigilant, responsible and active in order to bring about the messianic era which will bring the establishment of peace, the gathering of the dispersed, the rebuilding of the Temple and the recognition of a single God by all nations. It therefore possesses both a national and a universal dimension.
Source: CICAD