Many great medieval scholars formulated articles of faith, among them Rav Saadya Gaon, Rav Yehuda Halevi, Rabbeinu Bachya. Maimonides, the foremost of them all, formulated thirteen principles that have attained wide recognition and enduring fame.1In a fascinating work, Rosh Amana, Don Isaac Abarbanel enumerates all the attacks on each and all of Maimonides’ principles, adding his own incisive questions to those of his predecessors, and then proceeds to vindicate Maimonides’ principles, and their precise formulation.
The thirteen principles fall into three groups: The first five declare the existence of God as the Creator, One, incorporeal, eternal and alone worthy of man's worship.
The next four deal with the Divine revelation of the Torah, the authenticity of prophecy, particularly that of Moses, and the immutability of the Torah.
The last four deal with God in history, reward and punishment, belief in the coming of Messiah, and the resurrection of the dead.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 1. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
הוּא בוֹרֵא וּמַנְהִיג is the Creator and Guide
לְכָל הַבְּ֒רוּאִים of all created things,
וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ עָשָׂה וְעוֹשֶׂה and He alone has made, does make,
וְיַעֲשֶׂה לְכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים: and will make all things.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 2. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
הוּא יָחִיד is unique,
וְאֵין יְחִידוּת כָּמֽוֹהוּ and there is no uniqueness like His
בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים in any manner;
וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ and that He alone is our God,
הָיָה הֹוֶה וְיִהְיֶה: Who was, is, and will ever be.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 3. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
אֵינוֹ גוּף is not corporeal,
וְלֺא יַשִּׂיגֽוּהוּ מַשִּׂיגֵי הַגּוּף and that He is beyond all corporeal concepts,
וְאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם דִּמְיוֹן כְּלָל: and there is nothing at all comparable to Him.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 4. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
הוּא רִאשׁוֹן וְהוּא אַחֲרוֹן: is First and Last.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 5. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל is the only One to Whom it is proper to pray,
וְאֵין לְזוּלָתוֹ and to no being beside Him
רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל: is it proper to pray.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 6. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁכָּל דִּבְ֒רֵי נְבִיאִים אֱמֶת: that all the words of the prophets are true.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 7. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁנְּ֒בוּאַת משֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ that the prophecy of our teacher, Moses,
עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם may he rest in peace,
הָיְ֒תָה אֲמִתִּית was true,
וְשֶׁהוּא הָיָה אָב לַנְּ֒בִיאִים and that he was the father of all prophets,
לַקּוֹדְ֒מִים לְפָנָיו —of those who preceded him,
וְלַבָּאִים אַחֲרָיו: and of those who followed him.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 8. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁכָּל הַתּוֹרָה that the entire Torah
הַמְּ֒צוּיָה עַתָּה בְיָדֵֽינוּ which is now in our possession,
הִיא הַנְּ֒תוּנָה is the very one that was given
לְמשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם: to our teacher Moses, may he rest in peace.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 9. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁזֹּאת הַתּוֹרָה לֺא תְהֵא מֻחְלֶֽפֶת that this Torah will not be exchanged,
וְלֺא תְהֵא תוֹרָה אַחֶֽרֶת and that no additional Torah
מֵאֵת הַבּוֹרֵא [will be given] by the Creator,
יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ: blessed is His Name.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 10. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
יוֹדֵֽעַ כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה בְנֵי אָדָם knows all the deeds of men
וְכָל מַחְשְׁ֒בוֹתָם and all their thoughts,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר as it is said,2Psalms 33:15.
הַיֹּצֵר יַֽחַד לִבָּם He Who forms all their hearts as one,
הַמֵּבִין אֶל כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם: Who comprehends all their deeds.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 11. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ that the Creator, blessed is His Name,
גּוֹמֵל טוֹב לְשׁוֹמְ֒רֵי מִצְוֹתָיו rewards those who keep His commandments,
וּמַעֲנִישׁ and punishes those
לְעוֹבְ֒רֵי מִצְוֹתָיו: who transgress His commandments.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 12. I believe with complete faith
בְּבִיאַת הַמָּשִֽׁיחַ in the coming of the Messiah
וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵֽהַּ and even though he may tarry,
עִם כָּל זֶה nevertheless,
אֲחַכֶּה לּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא: I yearn every day for his coming.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה 13. I believe with complete faith
שֶׁתִּהְיֶה תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים that there will be a resurrection of the dead
בְּעֵת שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה רָצוֹן at a time that pleases
מֵאֵת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ the Creator, blessed is His Name,
וְיִתְעַלֶּה זִכְרוֹ לָעַד and His Name will be exalted forever
וּלְ֒נֵֽצַח נְצָחִים: and to all eternity.
לִישׁוּעָתְ֒ךָ קִוּיתִי יְהֹוָה, קִוּיתִי יְהֹוָה לִישׁוּעָתְ֒ךָ, יְהֹוָה לִישׁוּעָתְ֒ךָ קִוּיתִי: לְפֻרְקָנָךְ סַבְּ֒רִית יְהֹוָה, סַבְּ֒רִית יְהֹוָה לְפֻרְקָנָךְ, יְהֹוָה לְפֻרְקָנָךְ סַבָּרִית: