One God: Judaism’s unique view of the world and mankind

Why is the idea of one God so important, and is it unique to Judaism?

By MOSHE DANN
Orthodox Jews pray while performing the Tashlich ceremony, on a hill over the beach in Kiryat Yam, near Haifa, September 30, 2019. Tashlich ("casting off"), is a Jewish custom performed on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at a water source. It is customary to throw pieces of brea (photo credit: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90)
Orthodox Jews pray while performing the Tashlich ceremony, on a hill over the beach in Kiryat Yam, near Haifa, September 30, 2019. Tashlich ("casting off"), is a Jewish custom performed on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at a water source. It is customary to throw pieces of brea
(photo credit: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90)
The idea of one God, the basis of Judaism and the essence of the covenant, means that we are all part of an ultimate, total and absolute god consciousness, and that we are bound by a moral, ethical system that reflects this belief. For Jews, this is expressed in Torah, Tanach (the Bible), Talmud and sacred writings; for non-Jews, it is embodied in the seven Noahide Laws.
The idea of one God means that creation is not random or chaotic, but purposeful. Connecting to this “divine consciousness” gives meaning and purpose to life and to our existence. Without a sense of purpose, life becomes only biological, self-serving and meaningless. Affirming one God, therefore, means bringing consciousness of God into our world and his. It means taking responsibility for oneself and others, self-respect and respect for others. That is the essence of being human.
Judaism developed the idea of one God as a holistic principle: Ethical monotheism, a way of life as a value system. It is expressed in distinguishing between what is “holy” (separate) and secular (undefined), dedicating one day of the week, Shabbat, to focus on one God, the source of creation and life itself. Through our connection to the Jewish people, self-examination and self-renewal, the relationship between God and man is revealed. It integrates man, nature and natural cycles as part of our religious worship, such as sanctifying the new moon and blessing the sun as part of a holistic sense of man and the world.
Belief in one God asks the most important existential question: How can I make my life meaningful? Without asking this question, life becomes simply a struggle to survive, grasping for power and satisfying one’s desires; that is nihilism.
Belief in one God is critical because it requires the recognition that human life is sacred. Murdering innocent people because they have different beliefs violates the supreme moral principle: “Do not murder!” That includes assisting someone else to commit murder, and refusing to condemn such acts.
Belief systems (religions) that don’t demand self-criticism and self-consciousness lead to intolerance, abuse and destructiveness.
True monotheism posits that one God, the supreme power, created the world and governs it, in “this world and the world to come,” all that is past, present and future. Connecting with one God, therefore, means connecting with the universe, with infinite time and space, and with the most profound human emotion, love.
True monotheism, following Torah-based principles – which include the seven Noahide laws – will root and blossom in the hearts of those who are compassionate and understanding. True monotheism requires self-consciousness rather than rote non-thinking and ritual practices. Without consciousness of one God, “religion” is a sham and prayer is meaningless.
As Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote: “It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion – its message becomes meaningless.” (God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism)
True monotheism is the path to one’s higher self, to fulfilling one’s potential, to self-awareness; that is what makes humans different from other animals. That is why we were created by God “in his image.” By our behavior, by our example, we can reflect godliness. That is what it means “to serve God.”
The writer is a PhD historian and journalist.


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