7.1 The Almighty

Question 1

What do Jews believe about God?

Answer 1

Only one God (monotheists)
Special covenant relationships with God (Abraham and Moses)

Question 2

Who are Jews?

Answer 2

Any person whose mother was a Jew
Any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism

Question 3

What are the different groups in Judaism?

Answer 3

Orthodox
Conservative
Reform
Liberal
Secular

Question 4

What are the religious texts in Judaism?

Answer 4

The Tenakh
The Talmud

Question 5

Where do Jews derive their belief about God from?

Answer 5

The religious texts

Question 6

What is the Tetragrammaton?

Answer 6

YHVH - The Hebrew name for God
‘Yahweh’ in English, ‘The Lord’ (Adonai)

Question 7

Jews believe that the name of God is so holy, so what aren’t they allowed to do?

Answer 7

Never be written, erased or defaced

Question 8

What are the names for God?

Answer 8

El
Elohim
El Shaddai
Hashem
Hashem Tzevaot
Hakadosh Baruch Hu

Question 9

What does ‘El’ mean?

Answer 9

A powerful and mighty God

Question 10

What does ‘Elohim’ mean?

Answer 10

Plural of El
Suggesting that God is a complex being who cannot be simplified

Question 11

What does ‘El Shaddai’ mean?

Answer 11

God Almighty

Question 12

What does ‘Hashem’ mean?

Answer 12

The name

Question 13

What does ‘Hashem Tzevaot’ mean?

Answer 13

Lord of Hosts

Question 14

What does ‘Hakadosh Baruch Hu’ mean?

Answer 14

‘The holy one blessed be he’

Question 15

What are the different sections in the Tenakh?

Answer 15

T orah - law
E
N evi’im - prophets
A
K etuvim - the writings
H

Question 16

How strict/closely do Secular Jews follow the Tenakh?

Answer 16

Atheist (don’t follow)

Question 17

How strict/closely do Reform/Liberal Jews follow the Tenakh?

Answer 17

Progressive

Question 18

How strict/closely do conservative Jews follow the Tenakh?

Answer 18

In the middle

Question 19

How strict/closely do Orthodox Jews follow the Tenakh?

Answer 19

Follow the Torah in a traditional sense

Question 20

How strict/closely do Ultra-Orthodox Jews follow the Tenakh?

Answer 20

Very strict

Question 21

How often do Jews recite the Shema?

Answer 21

Twice everyday
—> reinforces the importance of God as One

Question 22

One

Answer 22

Impossible to divide God into parts
Or describe him by physical attributes
God is only being to whom Jews should offer praise and prayer

Question 23

Quote for One

Answer 23

The Shema: ‘Hear O Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is the one and only’ Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Question 24

Creator

Answer 24

As only one God
—> everything in the universe is created by God

Question 25

What do many Orthodox Jews interpret the creation story as?

Answer 25

More literally

Question 26

What do many Reform and Liberal Jews interpret the creation story as?

Answer 26

See it as a metaphor

Question 27

Quote for Creator

Answer 27

‘And Hashem for ed the man of dust from the ground’ Genesis 2:7

Question 28

Lawgiver, Judge

Answer 28

The Torah is a gift from God to Moses —> guidance so that Jews can live good lives They believe they are children of God; father-like to them

Question 29

What happened when Moses accepted the Law from God?

Answer 29

He and the Jewish people entered into a covenant to keep it —> God judges how well they keep the laws

Question 30

Quote for Lawgiver, Judge

Answer 30

‘Hashem is our Judge, Hashem is our Lawgiver, Hashem is our King; He will save us’ Isaiah 33:22

Question 31

What is the Talmud?

Answer 31

The ‘Oral Torah’

Question 32

What is the Torah?

Answer 32

The five Books of Moses

Question 33

What is the Shema?

Answer 33

The main Jewish declaration of faith

Question 34

Why is the Almighty important for Jews today?

Answer 34

The names help bring Jews closer to him Jews worship a single God - but with multiple names, suggesting that God is more complex than any one of his parts Reciting the Shema twice a day reinforces the importance of God as One Understanding God as a Creator, Lawgiver and Judge helps Jews to act ‘in the image of God’ with justice and mercy