Shabbat Service Religion

The belief that there is only one God is central to the Jewish faith, as was demonstrated throughout the Shabbat service, especially in the prayer book. When describing Judaism, a common principle is “the imperative to worship God exclusively and no foreign false gods” (Maimonides). With this principle, God is clearly seen as a single figure, who we must appreciate and worship for all that He has provided. Throughout the Shabbat service, the rabbi, on multiple occasions, reemphasized the singular nature of God, and its centrality to the Jewish Faith. At the time of the development of Judaism, it was common practice that there were many gods to be worshiped. The Jewish faith, as the rabbi described, “dared to be different,” as they felt they

The idea of “divine reward and retribution” from the single God is also a prevalent aspect of Judaism that impacts the way in which they view God. It, however, may not always be apparent what the reward or retribution is, as was discussed during the Shabbat service. The unique idea of a single God presented in the origination of Judaism sparked, sparked the formation of many religions, such as Christianity, that are more prevalent throughout the world. Within the Jewish faith, it is considered that they are the “chosen people” of God to promote God and do good throughout the world to be rewarded at the end of our lives. The Jewish community, however, often feels unrewarded due to their relatively small following, as was discussed in the Shabbat service. The rabbi, however, still urged people to head God’s message to “go forth” and find a passion and dedicate their lives to it and their religion. God’s reward may then be

With this, it can be seen that God is thought of as an all powerful and all giving divine power. References to God in this manner occurred throughout the Shabbat service and was recurring in the Shabbat prayer book. During the service, for example, God was referred to as an “inexplicable” and “unfathomable” being “that calls us” to our true purpose in life. Here, God is depicted not only as a divine being, but also the creator of our path and as a driving force to become greater people, and in turn, create a better nation. This relates to the concept of God’s will for is us to not only better ourselves, but better the community around, aspiring to please God and incorporate Him into everything we do. Also, God’s perceived perfection leads to the concept that God is all-knowing, and we should follow and obey him, although his existence cannot be fully described. When describing the commandment of God, with regards to Judaism, it was said that “the Torah help[s] us to become like God, in that he does what is right, and in following what he tells us to do we presumably also do what is right” (Leaman, 96). This idea of God’s presence in our lives and his omniscient nature was represented in the Shabbat service through the songs and readings throughout the prayer book praising God for his guidance and