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Although Jewish movements and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles, Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a creed or catechism that is recognized or accepted by all.

Below is a summary of Jewish principles of faith. A more detailed discussion of these beliefs, along with a discussion of how they developed, is found in the article on Jewish principles of faith.

• Monotheism.
• God is one.
• God is all powerful (omnipotent), as well as all knowing (omniscient). The different names of God are ways to express different aspects of God’s presence in the world.
• God is non-physical, non-corporeal, and eternal.
• To God alone may one offer prayer.
• The Hebrew Bible, and much of the beliefs described in the Mishnah and Talmud, are held to be the product of divine Revelation.
• The words of the prophets are true.
• Moses was the chief of all prophets.
• The Torah (five books of Moses) is the primary text of Judaism.
• God will reward those who observe HIS commandments.
• God chose the Jewish people to be in a unique covenant with God; the description of this covenant is the Torah itself.
• There will be a moshiach (messiah)
• The soul is pure at birth. People are born with a yetzer ha’tov, a tendency to do good, and with a yetzer ha’ra, a tendency to do bad. Thus, human beings have free will and can choose the path in life that they will take.
• People can atone for sins. The liturgy of the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) states that prayer, repentance and tzedakah (dutiful giving of charity) atone for sin.

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