The Second Foundation: God is One

The second foundation of the Jewish faith is that God is unique. There is no other being like Him – no mate or family. Furthermore, He is indivisible and cannot be divided into parts. To this end, the Torah tells us, “Listen, Israel – Hashem is our God, Hashem is One” (Deut. 6:4). We repeat this phrase, the Shema, every day upon arising and retiring.

In the Ani Maamins, this foundation is phrased, “I believe wholeheartedly that God is unique and there is no individuality comparable to His. He alone is our God, Who was, is and will always be.”

In Yigdal, it is the line reading “Echad v'ein yachid k'yichudo; nelam v'gam ein sof l'achduso” – “He is One and there is no unity like His; He is hidden and there is no limit to the ways in which He is unique.”