לדמותו של אלהים על פי הרמב"ם- חלק 1 תורת האידאות, הלכות יסוד התורה, חמשת עיקרי האמונה על אלהים

Republic- the end of chapter 6, Plato

[Students at the Academy], even though they use visible forms and discuss them, they are not thinking about these forms themselves but about the ideals that these forms represent. Not about the shapes they draw, but about the absolute square, the absolute circle, and so forth — the forms they create, which are merely shadows and reflections in water in and of themselves, are transformed by them into representations. Yet in truth, they seek to understand the things themselves, which can only be perceived by the mind's eye

And what is appropriate to mention here — and this is the most fitting place to mention it — is that the foundations of our pure Torah and its principles are thirteen.

The First Principle: The Existence of the Creator (Blessed be He)

The first principle is the existence of the Creator, may He be blessed. This means that there exists a Being who possesses absolute perfection of existence. He is the cause of the existence of all beings, and their continued existence depends on Him. Their existence flows from Him, and without Him, nothing could exist. If we were to imagine His absence, the existence of all beings would cease entirely, and nothing would remain in existence. However, if we were to imagine the absence of all other beings except Him, His existence would not be nullified or diminished in any way. For He, may He be exalted, is independent in His existence and does not require anything else. Everything else — from the intelligences (angels), to the celestial spheres, to all things beneath them — exists solely because of Him and depends on Him for their existence. This first principle is what is signified in the statement: "I am the Lord your God..." (Exodus 20:2).

The Second Principle: His Unity (Exalted be He)

The second principle is His unity, exalted be He. This means that the Cause of all is One, but not in the sense of a species or a genus, nor as something composite that can be divided into many parts, nor as a simple body that is numerically one but divisible into infinite portions. Rather, He is uniquely One, in a unity that has no parallel in any sense. This second principle is what is signified in the verse: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4).

The Third Principle: Negation of Physicality

The third principle is that this One is not a body and has no connection to physicality. Physical properties, such as movement, rest, or any other attributes of bodies, do not apply to Him — neither inherently nor accidentally. Thus, the Sages, of blessed memory, negated from Him concepts such as connection and separation, saying: "He does not sit, does not stand, has no back, and no conjunction." "Back" refers to separation, and "conjunction" refers to connection, as in the verse: "And they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines" (Isaiah 11:14), meaning they will push them with their shoulders to unite against them. The prophet said: "To whom, then, will you liken God?" (Isaiah 40:18), and, "To whom will you liken Me that I should be comparable?" (Isaiah 46:5). If He were physical, He would resemble physical beings. All descriptions of Him in the Torah that seem to attribute physicality, such as walking, standing, sitting, and speaking, are metaphorical, as the Sages said: "The Torah speaks in the language of humans." Much has been written on this subject. This third principle is what is signified in the verse: "You saw no form" (Deuteronomy 4:15), meaning you did not perceive Him as having any form, for, as we have explained, He is not a body or a force within a body.

The Fourth Principle: Eternity

The fourth principle is that this described One is absolutely eternal. All beings other than Him are not eternal relative to Him. The proofs for this are numerous in the texts. This fourth principle is what is signified in the verse: "The eternal God is a refuge" (Deuteronomy 33:27). Know that the great foundation of the Torah of Moses, our teacher, is the belief that the world was created, that God formed it and brought it into being from absolute nothingness. If you find me discussing the eternity of the world according to the philosophers' view, it is only to establish definitive proof of His existence, as I explained and clarified in The Guide for the Perplexed.

The Fifth Principle: Worshiping Him Alone

The fifth principle is that He, exalted be He, alone is worthy of being worshiped, exalted, and made known, and one must obey Him. One must not act in this manner toward anything other than Him — whether angels, stars, celestial spheres, or the elements and all that is composed of them. For all these are fixed in their actions, lacking power or choice, and their existence depends entirely on His will, exalted be He. One must not use them as intermediaries to approach Him. Instead, all thoughts must be directed toward Him alone, and all else should be disregarded. This fifth principle is the warning against idolatry, and much of the Torah is devoted to cautioning against it.