What Jews believe

It's mind-boggling that for a 5,000-year-old religion, it wasn't until the 12th century that anybody set down what Jews should believe! (And even then it was ignored for several more centuries.)  Maimonides was a Sephardic (Spanish) rabbi at the time when European Christians were taking back the Iberian peninsula from the Muslim Moors, so you can imagine the religious conflict, and the need to set out a defining set of beliefs to set themselves apart.  Unfortunately, while the Christians and Muslims can squeeze their 'elevator speech' into a single statement of belief, Maimonides came up with 13:

1. G-d is the Creator and Ruler of all things. He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.

2. G-d is One. There is no unity that is in any way like His. He alone is our G-d. He was, He is, and He will be.

3. G-d does not have a body. Physical concepts do not apply to Him. There is nothing whatsoever that resembles Him at all.

4. G-d is first and last.

5. It is only proper to pray to G-d. One may not pray to anyone or anything else.

6. All the words of the prophets are true.

7. The prophecy of Moses is absolutely true. He was the chief of all prophets, both before and after Him.

8. The entire Torah that we now have is that which was given to Moses.

9. This Torah will not be changed, and that there will never be another given by G-d.

10. G-d knows all of man's deeds and thoughts. It is thus written (Psalm 33:15), "He has molded every heart together, He understands what each one does."

11. G-d rewards those who keep His commandments, and punishes those who transgress Him.

12. The Messiah will come. How long it takes, I will await His coming every day.

13. The dead will be brought back to life when G-d wills it to happen.

Needless to say, I completely reject all of them.