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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Articles of Faith

From

Philo

down

to

late

medieval and even

modern writers the Decalogue lias been held to be in some way a summary of both the articles of the true faith and the duties derived from that faith. According to the Alexandrian philosopher (see "De Vita Mosis") the order of the Ten Words is not accidental. They divide readily into two groups: the first five summarizing man's relations to the Deity; the other five specifying man's duties to his fellows. Ibn Ezra virtually adopts this view. He interprets

The Decalogue as a

the contents of the Decalogue, not merely in their legal-ritual bearing, but as expressive of ethico-religious principles.

But

this

view can be

Summary,

traced to other traditions. In Yer. Ber. 66 the Shema' is declared to be only an epitome of the Decalogue. That in the poetry of the synagogal ritual this thought often

dominates is well known. No less a thinker than Saadia Gaon composed a liturgical production of this character (see Azitahot); and R. Eliezer ben Nathan of Mayence enriched the prayer-book with a piyyut in which the six hundred and thirteen com-

mands

are rubricated in the order of and in connection with the Decalogue. The theory that the Dec-

alogue was the foundation of Judaism, its article of faith, was advocated by Isaac Abravanel (see his Commentary on Ex. xx. 1); and in recent years by Isaac M. Wise of Cincinnati in his " Catechism " and other writings. The only confession of faith, however, which, though not so denominated, has found universal acceptance, forms a part of the daily liturgy contained in all Jewish prayer-books. In its original form it read somewhat as follows: "True and established is this word for us forever. True it is that Thou art our God as Thou wast the God of our fathers our King as [Thou wast] the King of our fathers our Redeemer and the Redeemer of our fathers our Creator and the Rock of our salvation; our Deliverer and Savior this from eternity is Thy name, and there is no God besides Thee. " This statement dates probably from the days of the Hasmoneans (see Landshuth, in " Hegyon Leb "). In the stricter sense of the term, specifications in connected sequence, and rational analysis of Articles of Faith, did not find favor with the teachers and the faithful before the Arabic period. Saadia's, The polemics with the Karaites on the Judah one hand, and, on the other, the necesha-Levi's, sity of defending their religion against and the attacks of the philosophies current





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among both Mohammedans and Jews, induced the leading thinkers to define and formulate their beliefs. Saadia's "Emunot we-Deot" is in reality one long exposition The plan of the of the main tenets of the faith. Bahya's Creed.

book

discloses a systematization of the different religious doctrines that, in the estimation of the

They author, constitute the sum total of his faith. are, in the order of their treatment by him, the following (1) The world is created (2) God is one and incorporeal; (3) belief in revelation (including the divine origin of tradition) (4) man is called to .righteousness and endowed with all necessary qualities of mind and soul to avoid sin (5) belief in re:







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(6) the soul is created pure leaves the body (7) belief in resurrection; (8) Messianic expectation, retribution, and final judgment. Judah ha-Levi endeavored, in his "Cuzari," to determine the fundamentals of Juda-

ward and punishment

after death



it



He rejects all appeal to basis. speculative reason, repudiating the method of the Motekallamin. The miracles and traditions are, in their supernatural character, both the source and ism on another

the evidence of the true faith.

With them Judaism

stands and falls. The book of Bahya ibn Pakuda ("Hobot ha-Lebabot"), while remarkable, as it is, for endeavoring to give religion its true setting as a spiritual force, contributed nothing of note to the It goes exposition of the fundamental articles. without saying that the unity of God, His government of the world, the possibilities of leading a di-

—

which were never forfeited by man — are life expounded as essentials of Judaism. More interesting on this point is the work of R. vine

Abraham ibn Daud

(1120) entitled "

Emunah Ramah"

(The High Faith).

In the second division of his treatise he discourses on

Ibn Daud the principles of faith and the Law. and Hananel These principles are The existence of God; His unity; His spirituality; ben

His other attributes; His power as manifested in His works; His providence. Less well known is the scheme of an African anaae ' D H usn ' el about a century earlier, rabbi, according to whom Judaism's fundamental articles number four: Belief in God; belief in prophecy; belief in a future state; belief in the advent of the Messiah. The most widely spread and popular of all creeds is that of Maimonides, embracing the thirteen artiWhy he chose this particular number has been cles. a subject of much discussion. Some have seen in the number a reference to the thirteen attributes of God. Probably no meaning attaches to the choice His articles are: (1) The existence of the number. of God (3) His spirituality (2) His unity (4) His eternity; (5) God alone the object of worship; (6) Revelation through His prophets; (7) the preeminence of Moses among the Prophets; The (8) God's law given on Mount Sinai; Thirteen (9) the immutability of the Torah as Articles of God's Law (10) God's foreknowledge

Hushiel.

H

-

.









Mai-

men's actions; (11) retribution; monides. (12) the coming of the Messiah; (13) Resurrection. This creed Maimonides wrote while still a very young man; it forms a part of his Mishnah Commentary, but he never referred to it in his later works (see S. Adler, "Tenets of Faith and Their Authority in the Talmud," in his "Kobez 'al Yad," p. 92, where Yad ha-Hazakah, of

Issure Biah, xiv.

monides

2, is

referred to as proof that Mai-

advanced age regarded as fundamentals of the faith only the unity of God and the prohibition of idolatry). It did not meet universal in his

acceptance; but, as its phraseology is succinct, it has passed into the prayer-book, and is therefore familiar to almost all Jews of the Orthodox school. The successors of Maimonides, from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century Nahmanides, Abba Mari ben Moses, Simon ben Zemah Duran, Albo, Isaac

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