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Do Jews Really Follow The 13 Principles Of Faith?

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Providing a definition of Judaism is a seemingly simple task, yet yields a not-so-simple answer. The direct definition from Google is, “the monotheistic religion of the Jews.” That isn’t very helpful. According to rabbinic Judaism, a Jew is one who has a Jewish mother or one that has officially converted to Judaism. Taking this into consideration, one doesn't have to follow the Jewish laws or beliefs to be considered a Jew. Others believe that if one does not follow the “13 Principles of Faith,” they cannot be a Jew. They may be biologically, but they have no real connection with Judaism. According to “What is Judaism and what do Jews believe?”, there is a wide range of beliefs to represent what a Jew is. Some say one has to follow strict rules, others say Jews are just G-d’s chosen people, however, they don’t claim themselves to be superior. …show more content…

Jews were not selected to be any better than others; they were simply chosen to be a light to the Gentiles and to be a gift or blessing to all the nations. So essentially, Judaism isn’t a strict religion with specific requirements, like Catholicism, it has a range of commitments. Under certain circumstances, even one who doesn’t believe in G-d, but was born to a Jewish mother is a Jew. That simple question, even under extreme analysis still doesn’t have a simple answer. “What is Judaism and what do Jews believe?” also provided that currently, many believe that a Jew is anyone who is a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, regardless of which of the original twelve tribes he descends

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