In Judaism, God is understood as:
* One and Only: God is absolutely one, indivisible, and unique. This is the core principle of Jewish monotheism, famously declared in the Shema prayer: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
* Incorporeal and Transcendent: God is not a physical being and exists beyond the material universe. God is not limited by space, time, or human understanding.
* Creator of Everything: God created the universe and everything in it out of nothing (ex nihilo). God continues to sustain creation.
* Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent: God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere, though not in a physical sense.
* Just and Merciful: God embodies both justice and mercy. God punishes wrongdoing but also forgives those who sincerely repent.
* Ethical and Demanding: God has a moral law that humans are expected to follow. This law is revealed through the Torah and the teachings of the prophets.
* Personal and Relational: While transcendent, God is also personal and involved in human affairs. God can be approached through prayer and is responsive to human needs.
* Unknowable Yet Revealing: God's essence is ultimately beyond human comprehension. However, God reveals aspects of Godself through creation, the Torah, and prophetic inspiration.
* The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: God has a covenantal relationship with the Jewish people, beginning with Abraham and continuing through the generations. This relationship involves mutual obligations and responsibilities.
In Summary:
God, in Judaism, is the single, incorporeal, all-powerful Creator of the universe. God is both just and merciful, demanding ethical behavior but also responsive to human prayer and repentance. God has a special covenantal relationship with the Jewish people.
It is important to note that within Judaism, there are various theological perspectives and interpretations of these core beliefs. Some emphasize God's transcendence, while others focus on God's immanence and personal involvement in the world.