Fast Facts: Jewish Beliefs
Overview	One God: Yahweh (YHVH), who chose the people of Israel and who requires worship, ethical behavior, and rituals. A Messiah will come.
Creeds	13 Articles of Faith
Religious Authority	Bible, Talmud, halakhah
God(s)	One God: Yahweh (YHVH)
Human Nature	two equal impulses, one good and one bad
Meaning of Life	Obey God's commandments, live ethically. Focus is more on this life than the next.
Means of Salvation	belief in God, good deeds
Afterlife	Not emphasized; views vary: no afterlife, shadowy existence, World to Come (similar to heaven), Gehenna (similar to hell), reincarnation

Aside from its staunch monotheism, Judaism has few essential beliefs.

Jewish identity arises primarily from belonging to an ancient people and upholding its traditions. Dogma, while important, is secondary.

Although the medieval thinker Rabbi Maimonides once enumerated "13 Articles of Faith," many Jews do not accept all these, and Jewish beliefs vary widely on theological matters such as human nature and the afterlife.

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