From: Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. 1997. Fifty Key Jewish Thinkers.
Key Concepts series. London and New York: Routledge.
The central beliefs
(precepts) of Judaism. Without these, the Jewish faith is
inconceivable:
That,
G-d exists,
G-d is One, and
G-d is incorporeal.
Fundamentals without which the Jewish religion is
unimaginable:
G-d's knowledge of his creatures,
G-d's Providence,
G-d's power,
Prophecy,
Human free will, and
The belief that the Torah leads to humanity's true hope
and ultimate bliss.
True opinions independent of precept and belief:
creation,
immortality of the soul,
reward and punishment,
resurrection [of all decent Jews],
the immutability of the Torah,
Moses' G-d-given authority,
the belief that the High Priest [Great Priest] had the
oracle of Urim and Tumim,
the Messiah.
True opinions dependent on on precept and belief:
beliefs implied in prayer and in the blessings of the
priests,
beliefs implied in repentance, and
beliefs implied in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and
in other Jewish festivals.
Opinions based on Jewish teaching which are deduced to be valid.
Yet, because these conclusions are neither obvious nor simple,
they are not mandatory for Jewish believers. One such issue is:
Are the mystical doctrines of Ma'aseh Breisheet
(Structure of Creation) and Ma'aseh Merkavah (Structure
of the Divine Chariot) to be identified with physics and
metaphysics?
Positive attributes can be applied to G-d.
Hasdai Crescas (1340-1412) - Christian Barcelona and Catalonia;
associated with the Christian court of Aragon; student of Nissim
Gerondi and Isaac ben Sheshet [defender of Judaism, statesman,
philosopher].