God in Judaism

God exists.
The first line of the Torah (Hebrew Bible) reads, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." God is introduced as creator of the universe. No background information is needed as God's existence is a given. In Judaism, the world's existence is sufficient proof of God's existence.

 

God is one.
Belief in one God is a fundamental Jewish belief. The Shema, a central prayer, states "Hear, Israel: The Lord is God, The Lord is one." The idea of any other God is heretical for Jews. It follows that all prayer and praise can only be directed to God.

God is incorporeal.
In Judaism, God has no body, God is non-physical. Any mention of God's body is considered to be metaphorical. Any physical representation of God, such as the Golden Calf, is considered to be idolatry. As God has no body, He has no gender. While God is referred to in masculine terms and the Shechinah (Divine presence that fills the universe) is referred to in feminine terms, God is actually neither male nor female.

God is eternal.
God has no beginning and no end. He transcends time.

God is omnipresent.
God is everywhere. He has no spacial boundaries. He fills the universe and beyond. And He is always near.

God is omniscient.
God is all knowing. He knows all man’s thoughts and deeds, in the past, present and future.

God is omnipotent.
God is all-powerful. The only thing outside of God's control is man's free will.

God will reward good and punish bad.
God is just and merciful. Thus, people can atone for their sins. Via prayer, repentance and giving (tzedakah), people can find their way back into God's favor.

While Judaism's traditional beliefs about God are clear, Jews today vary greatly in their beliefs about God. Today if there are two Jews in a room, there are likely to be three opinions about God. Did God write the Torah or inspire the Torah? What does God want from people? How could God let the Holocaust happen? Jews today are even likely to disagree about God's very existence.