Hear, O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One. (Deut. vi, 4)
Commenting on these words our Rabbis say that the Holy One told Israel, 'My children, I have created everything in pairs - heaven and earth, sun and moon, Adam and Eve, this World and the World to come; but I am One alone in the Universe.' (Devraim Rabbah ii, 22).
Belief in the absolute and indivisible Unity of G-d is an important principle of the Jewish Faith. He is perfect and complete in Himself. There is no other power besides Him or issuing from Him. G-d has no bodily form, and whenever He is described in terms that could apply to human beings, it is only to satisfy our limited intelligence.
The concept of One G-d has been voiced by Israel's great leaders from Moses onwards, and the declaration of His unity, as contained in the Shema, remains a dominant feature of our daily prayers. In the Morning and Evening Services we loudly proclaim our belief that G-d is One, and during our last moments on earth we recite the Shema as an expression of our confidence in His justice and mercy. |
