2020

God is one / the creator / law-giver / judge / loving / merciful / eternal / absolute / omnipotent / omnibenevolent / omniscient / omnipresent / transcendent / Shekhinah / holy / redeemer, etc.

2021

• Judaism is a monotheistic faith / only one God exists / God is the sole Creator / and has had a major effect and influence on the world he created throughout time and beyond.

• One God is the source of all Jewish morality beliefs and values / he cares for his people and expects loyalty and obedience to the laws he gave mankind / only he will judge how people follow his laws.

• One God is ever present in people’s lives / every sight, sound and experience is regarded as a meeting with the one God.

• The Oneness of God is best summed up in the Shema – an important prayer derived from the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy / ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone (is One). You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’

• God is a single, whole indivisible entity who cannot be divided – infinite and eternal, beyond human understanding and worthy of praise, etc.

Sources of authority might include:
The Shema: ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone (is One). You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’ (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

‘When God began to create heaven and earth’ (Genesis 1:1).

‘from the rising of the sun to its setting, people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other.’ (Isaiah 45:6)

‘You shall have no other gods besides me’ (Exodus 20:3).

‘Be careful or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you…’ (Deuteronomy 11:16-17).

‘This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me…’ (Amos 7:1).

‘for you are great, and your works are wonderful; you alone are God.’ (Psalm 86:10)

‘I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God’ (Isaiah 45:5).

References to relevant stories eg the Call of Abraham / Moses and the Burning Bush, attributed to the Bible or Torah as the source, are creditable, etc.

2023

Arguments in support
• Without being the Creator, humans would not exist / humans rely on God’s creation for their needs / hence this is the most important quality for humans / Psalm 8, Psalm 104, Genesis 1, 2, 3, Psalm 139.
• As Creator, God’s eternal nature, ie omnipotence and omniscience are showcased / and omnibenevolence / hence understanding this leads to greater understanding of God / which would not be so easy without the example of ‘Creator’ / ie this is a key to accept God’s actions.
• God is continually involved in the creation / continually creating / hence this is the constant aspect of God / therefore this gives people the responsibility to look after the created world (stewardship).
• Torah begins with the creation / puts the key role first.
• Only God can create ex nihilo / so is a mark of the gap between the abilities of God and man / and of God’s unique power and intellect.
• God rested on the seventh day of creation / giving Shabbat as a gift to humanity / Rosh Hashanah celebrates the creation of the world / Tu b’shevat celebrates the new year of trees etc.

Arguments in support of other views
• Depends what is meant by ‘most important’ – this means different things to different people dependent on their situation and needs / eg a Hasidic Jew might feel that God’s role as law-giver is most important / as obedience to the law is the route to pleasing God.
• Whereas a person who has done wrong might think God’s role as merciful judge is most important / as they feel they need God’s forgiveness.
• Jews believe in the oneness of God / this belief forms the foundation of Judaism (monotheism) / Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 / the Shema / Exodus 20:3
• Torah begins by saying God exists / eternal nature or pre-existence is most important as it comes first / cannot create without existing already / idea that God’s continued existence is necessary for the continued existence of all else, ie universe, humans / makes the role of constant sustainer most important.
• The just and merciful nature in God’s role as judge is the most important / humans will rely on both when the judgement comes / so these qualities are vital to a person’s future life / which is eternal, so worth more than this one.
• God’s role as law-giver is the most important / obedience to the law is essential for many Jews / will bring the Messianic Age closer / ensures a good judgement in the afterlife.
• Some may think that God as Sustainer is more important / God kept the Israelites alive in the wilderness / Jews thank God at every meal for food, etc.