The Tenth Foundation: God is Omniscient

The tenth foundation of the Jewish faith is that God knows everything that goes on in the world. It’s not like some people think, that God created the world then went away, leaving mankind to their own devices (see Ezekiel 9:9). Rather, God is intimately involved and well aware of all the deeds of man. We see this in many places in Tanach. In Genesis 6:5 we are told that “God saw that the evil of man was rampant on the Earth.” In Jeremiah 32:19, it says that God’s metaphorical “eyes are open to all the ways of mankind.”

In the Ani Maamins, this foundation is phrased, “I believe wholeheartedly that God knows all of man’s deeds and thoughts, as it says (Psalms 33:15), ‘He forms their hearts together and understands each one’s actions.’”

In Yigdal, this foundation is the line that reads “Tzofeh v’yodeah s’sareinu, mabit l’sof davar b’kadmaso” – “He analyzes and knows even our innermost secrets. He is aware of the end of a matter at its very beginning.”