One God

Question

is there only one God or are there multiple gods but only one true God that reigns over the rest?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Perhaps the most central tenet in Jewish theology is that there is only one God. In fact, perhaps the most famous prayer in Jewish liturgy begins with the declaration, “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One.” That line is repeated several times a day in the prayer services.

    The tenet of there being only one God is so central to Judaism that Maimonides in his Thirteen Principles of Faith writes, as the second Principle: “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.”

    Just to be clear: there are no other gods. Some early (and no so early) cultures thought that the sun was a god and the moon was a god and a large mountain was a god. They thought that these and other entities had independent powers but understood that Hashem was more powerful and ruled over them. But this is idolatry since there is no being with independent god-like power except for Hashem. Maimonides begins his teachings on idol worship in his Mishnah Torah with this idea, and expands on it to make sure it is crystal clear.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team