Maimonides' Thirteen Attributes of God

In Maimonides' commentary to the Mishnah (ch. 10 of Sanhedrin), he offers 13 principles which he believed sum up the things that all Jews should believe. They are (in a much abbreviated form of my own):

1. There is a Creator who is perfect and put into motion all that exists.
2. God is One.
3. God has no body and cannot be affected by any physical force.
4. God is Eternal.
5. A Jew must worship God exclusively and no foreign or false gods.
6. God communicates with humanity through prophecy.
7. The prophecy of Moses is the greatest there is and ever will be.
8. The Torah comes from God.
9. The Torah cannot be changed.
10. God knows and sees all.
11. God rewards and punishes people.
12. The Messiah and the messianic era will arrive, some day.
13. God will resurrect the dead.

There are many excellent translations of the Thirteen available on the web. Many of them are based on a summarized version used in many siddurim called "Ani Ma'amin" ("I believe"), which is recited daily as a prayer by some communities. (Of course, we already learned that "Yigdal" is a summary of the attributes, too.) "Adon Olam" also reflects Rambam's beliefs. There is a very good translation of Maimonides' own words, as they appear in his commentary, here.

These Attributes, or Principles of Faith, were controversial from the very first time they appeared. Many people argue that there is no "test" of belief for Judaism at all; others argue the specific details of the principles with Rambam. If you are interested in these controversies it might be helpful to look at these articles in the Jewish Encyclopedia and at MyJewishLearning.com.

Seventh Grade Etz Chayim students should read the list of Rambam's 13 Attributes and add to the comments section here a sentence that says one thing that they believe and that they feel could apply to all Jews. Students may also share a response to Maimonides' Attributes. Please be aware that all posts are being reviewed by Rabbi Rachel, so they will not appear immediately. The only non-students whose comments will be posted are those of parents from this class.

Maimonides for Seventh Graders

The Jewish Virtual Library has a great article on Rambam. Students missing class on October 24 should read the article (here). There is also an interesting article in the Jewish Encyclopedia on Articles of Faith. Pay particular attention to the Thirteen Articles of Faith of Maimonides.