13 Principles of Emuna

The 13th Principle of Emuna is our belief that death as we know it today is a passing stage. It is definitely not terminal, for we believe in the resurrection of the dead. This principle is so very important that we allude to it six times in the initial three-benediction section of the Amidah prayer, which we recite every single day, weekdays, Sabbath and festivals…

Even though Moshiach (the Messiah) has not yet come, we eagerly anticipate his arrival. The advent of the Messianic era includes the Geula, the full redemption of our people, the ingathering of the exiles to our holy homeland of Israel and the rebuilding of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem. We believe that this can happen at any moment…

Hashem grants mankind the free will to do good or evil, for there can be no concept of reward and punishment outside the context of free choice. Therefore, there cannot be the slightest coercion in either direction. Simply speaking, it's your choice.

This is the belief in Hashem's omniscience. Since His Divine Direction determines everything, no thought, utterance or occurrence in the universe is unknown to Him. Learn all about the Divine GPS...

Hashem fashioned the entire universe and everything in it from the greatest macro to the tiniest micro in accordance to His Torah. Therefore, if the Torah would be rescinded or replaced, the world would cease to exist. Not only the blueprint of creation, the Torah is the sustenance of creation as well.

The 7th and 8th Principles of Emuna are closely related. Whereas the 7th is our belief in the prophecy of Moses, our 8th is the belief that the Torah we have today is the same one that the Almighty gave to Moses atop Mount Sinai.

Our 6th of the 13 Principles of Emuna is our belief in the message of the true prophets. Why is it so critically important to know that the words of the prophets are true?

This principle is the foundation of monotheism, forbidding idolatry and false gods, thereby precluding worship or submission to anyone or anything else other than the Creator.

The Creator defies time and space. He is infinite and eternal, preceding the beginning of time and existing forever even after the end of time. Learning this vital principle of emuna is conducive to inner peace and longevity.

The Creator defies any description, nor can a mortal understand Him or His workings in any way. Kabbalistic terminology refers to Hashem as Ein Sof, "The Infinite," for there is nothing tangible or finite about Hashem. Since the human intellect is both tangible and finite, it can neither grasp Hashem nor comprehend His incorporeality. Why is this concept so difficult for people to accept?

Some of history's most brilliant minds have misconstrued the concept of "One perfect, infinite and inseparable whole…perfectly unified." We are talking about the very core of monotheism. The principle of Divine Unity is therefore universal, not just Jewish. The reason that great minds and intellectuals so frequently fail to understand the notion of Divine Unity is because it defies intellect. Emuna in general and the principle of Divine Unity in particular only begin where intellect leaves off...

Ein Od Milvado - there is no one but Him. Hashem is everything. We need not look anywhere else for anything we need in material or spiritual abundance and salvation. For anyone who yearns for inner peace, Hashem is your one-stop shopping address. Today's lesson teaches us the first of the 13 Principles of Emuna.