The Eleventh Foundation: God Rewards and Punishes

The eleventh foundation of the Jewish faith is that God repays people according to their deeds, rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked. The ultimate reward is in the form of Olam Haba, the “World to Come,” which is inherited by those who perform His will but denied those who spurn Him. We see this in the Torah when God says that “the one who sinned against is the one I will erase from My book” (Exodus 32:33). (This shows us that God identifies sinners and punishes them.)

In the Ani Maamins, this foundation is phrased, “I believe wholeheartedly that God rewards those who observe His commandments and punishes those who violate them.”

In Yigdal, this foundation is the line that reads “Gomeil l'ish chesed k'mifalo, nosein l'rasha rah k'rishaso” – “He repays a person with kindness according to his deeds; He gives evil to the wicked according to their depravity.”