Dec 24, 2011

I Believe, With Perfect Faith. Do You?


Without explanation or interpretation, these 13 Principles of Faith, enumerated by Maimonides, are my credo. I am a Jew, this is my credo, and labels are the fire that will destroy us.

That flame inside you, that burns bright, is your neshama. Use that fire for good, for tikkun olam, for love and community, not hatred, judgment, lashon hara, or to put yourself above others.

  1. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is the Creator and Ruler of all things. He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.
  2. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is One. There is no unity that is in any way like His. He alone is our G-d He was, He is, and He will be.
  3. I believe with perfect faith that G-d does not have a body. physical concepts do not apply to Him. There is nothing whatsoever that resembles Him at all.
  4. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is first and last.
  5. I believe with perfect faith that it is only proper to pray to G-d. One may not pray to anyone or anything else.
  6. I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.
  7. I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses is absolutely true. He was the chief of all prophets, both before and after Him.
  8. I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that we now have is that which was given to Moses.
  9. I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be changed, and that there will never be another given by G-d.
  10. I believe with perfect faith that G-d knows all of man's deeds and thoughts. It is thus written (Psalm 33:15), "He has molded every heart together, He understands what each one does."
  11. I believe with perfect faith that G-d rewards those who keep His commandments, and punishes those who transgress Him.
  12. I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. How long it takes, I will await His coming every day.
  13. I believe with perfect faith that the dead will be brought back to life when G-d wills it to happen.
Happy Chanukah to those who believe in me, believe with perfect faith in HaShem, and to those who have no clue what to believe. Without judgment, without exception, we all have our own path and no one can tell you that your path is wrong -- only HaShem can guide you. 

6 comments:

Batya said...

Actually I do. That's what keeps me goiong when bad things happen.

There's an Olam Haba when we get our true rewards and punishments. This World doesn't show the real score.

Chana said...

The Curmudgeonly Israeli Giyoret says:

Hear, hear! Especially in these days of growing extremism, of wild humrot and hot-headedness, let's hold the line and keep the faith.

Pura Vida said...

What Chana said!

Your post reminded me to listen to one of my favorite recordings of the Yigdal. I hope you enjoy it, too. :) http://www.bj.org/music-of-bj/with-every-breath-the-music-of-shabbat-at-bj/ Click "Yigdal"

Chaviva Gordon-Bennett said...

<3 you all :)

GR K said...

only Hashem can guide you as long as you accept His rules. Saying a bracha over treife food is not G-d but your desires guiding you.

I really hope Hashem guides you as it seems He once did to truth you are a convert which it is said are the lost sparks needed back. You are not merely a Jew you are the special Jews who have to be be given special admiration and a special place as it says in many places v gercha asher bisharecha and the convert who dwells among you. I truly hope you regress towards your true devotion to Hashem and His Torah and you find all the happiness and success within Torah. Your responsibility to Torah is greater than mine take great care cos the consequences both for good or bad is for the world and for you. (as it is written the world is created for me and I am created for the world)

Mottel said...

While these 13 principles of the Rambam (other opinions give different numbers) are essential to our belief structure - Judaism has never been a religion of creed.
Rather, while the ideas expressed above underscore what we believe, ultimately it's what we do that Judaism stresses - not what we're thinking.

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