Nature of God Jewish principles of faith

the jewish view god eternal, neither beginning nor end, principle stated in number of biblical passages. rabbis taught quite literally ... down-to-earth view of eternalness of god: god eternal not given man explore full meaning of idea, , 1 cannot, therefore, expect find in rabbinic literature detailed examination of meant divine eternity. famous mishnah statement on attempts pierce veil this: whoever reflects on 4 things better him had not come world: above? beneath? before? , after?

the traditional jewish view god omnipotent, omniscient, , omnibenevolent.

various jewish thinkers, however, have proposed finite god, in response problem of evil , ideas free will. louis jacobs writes modern jewish thinkers such levi olan, echoing classical jewish writers such 14th-century talmudist gersonides have thought of god limited own nature while infinite in respects finite in others, referencing idea, present in classical sources, there primal formless material co-existent god eternity upon god has work , god knows future in general sense not how individual men exercise choice. on topic of omniscience , free will, jacobs writes in medieval period, 3 views put forth: maimonides, wrote god had foreknowledge , man free; gersonides, wrote man free , consequently god not have complete knowledge, , hasdai crescas, wrote in or adonai god has complete foreknowledge , consequently man not free.

several jewish writers have dealt issue of theodicy: whether , how god all-powerful , all-good, given existence of evil in world, particularly holocaust. jon d. levenson argues omnipotence doctrine fails give due regard formidability , resilience of forces counteracting creation (such primordial state of chaos existing before creation) , leads neglect of role of humanity in forming , stating world order. hans jonas proposed tentative myth god chose in beginning give god s self on chance , risk , endless variety of becoming, entering adventure of space in time. jones expressed view god not create world fiat (although god create world), leads beckoning novel possibilities of becoming. jonas, influenced holocaust experience, believed god omnipresent, not in respects nontemporal, impassible, immutable, , unqualified omnipotent.

most of classical judaism views god personal god. rabbi samuel s. cohon wrote god conceived judaism not first cause, creative power, , world reason, living , loving father of men. not cosmic personal....jewish monotheism thinks of god in terms of definite character or personality, while pantheism content view of god impersonal. shown in jewish liturgy, such in adon olam hymn, includes confident affirmation god, living god...who hears , answers. edward kessler writes hebrew bible portrays encounter god cares passionately , addresses humanity in quiet moments of existence. british chief rabbi jonathan sacks suggests god not distant in time or detached, passionately engaged , present. important note predicate personal applied god not mean god corporeal or anthropomorphic, views judaism has rejected; rather, personality refers not physicality inner essence, psychical, rational, , moral. although jews believe god can experienced, understood god cannot understood because god utterly unlike humankind (as shown in god s response moses when moses asked god s name: am ); anthropomorphic statements god understood linguistic metaphors, otherwise impossible talk god @ all.

although dominant strain in judaism god personal, there alternate stream of tradition exemplified ... maimonides, who, along several other jewish philosophers, rejected idea of personal god. reflected belief in negative theology: god can described god not. rabbi mordecai kaplan, developed reconstructionist judaism , taught @ conservative jewish theological seminary of america, rejected idea of personal god. kaplan instead thought of god force, gravity, built structure of universe, believing since universe constructed enable gain personal happiness , communal solidarity when act morally, follows there moral force in universe; force constructionists mean god, although reconstructionists believe in personal god. according joseph telushkin , morris n. kertzer, kaplan s rationalist rejection of traditional jewish understanding of god exerted powerful influence on many conservative , reform rabbis, influencing many stop believing in personal god. according pew forum on religion , public life s 2008 u.s. religious landscape survey, americans identify jewish religion twice favor ideas of god impersonal force on idea god person whom people can have relationship.