Jewish Concepts of Divine Oneness (Cambridge
University Press, 2024), by Job Y. Jindo
Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review)
The concept of God’s oneness
stands at the very heart of Judaism. From the thunderous declaration of the Shema
to the theological reflections of medieval philosophers and mystics, Jewish
thinkers across the centuries have grappled with what it means to say that “Hashem
is One.” In his new book, Jewish Concepts of Divine Oneness (Cambridge
University Press, 2024), scholar Job Y. Jindo offers a concise yet penetrating
overview of the different models of monotheism that have emerged in Jewish
tradition from antiquity to the present.
As part of Cambridge’s Elements
in Religion and Monotheism series, this short volume is both scholarly and
accessible, designed to guide readers — Jewish and non-Jewish alike — through
the diverse understandings of Divine oneness in the Jewish canon. Jindo’s
central claim is that while belief in God’s oneness is a constant in Jewish
life, its precise meaning can vary in different strains of Jewish thought. What
unites the various formulations is not a fixed theology, but a shared
commitment to the oneness of the Divine, however it may be conceived.
To chart this evolution, Jindo
divides Jewish intellectual history into four major periods: Biblical, Rabbinic,
Medieval, and Modern, showing how scholars from each period engaged with the
concept of Divine oneness. Each of these sections contains a thoughtful
introduction to the theological tendencies of its era amongst Jewish scholars,
with ample references for further study. A robust bibliography at the end
provides readers with an excellent roadmap to the vast literature surrounding
this topic.
The Biblical Phase highlights
what Jindo (following scholars like Yechezkel Kaufmann and Benjamin D. Sommer) terms
the "qualitative" monotheism of the Hebrew Bible. Rather than
affirming merely the numerical singularity of God, the Bible presents a deity
whose uniqueness lies in His absolute freewill, creative power, and personal
relationship with humanity. Drawing on the prophetic literature and creation
narratives, Jindo underscores that Biblical Monotheism is deeply relational:
the God of Israel is not merely a remote abstraction, but a living personality
who actively engages with His people.
The Rabbinic Phase continues this
relational framework but channels it through a new center: the Torah. In
post-Temple Judaism, the rabbis upheld the primacy of Divine law and study, which
according to scholars like Boyarin led to the development of a theology in
which the Torah itself becomes the primary conduit to God. Jindo provocatively
describes this development as a kind of "binitarianism" — an unfortunate
and awkward term (as discussed below) in order to highlight the overly-exalted
status of Torah in rabbinic theology, where it is seen not merely as a legal
code, but as a form of Divinity Itself.
In outlining the Medieval Phase,
Jindo offers a well-informed contrast between the rationalist philosophers
(typified by Maimonides) who emphasized Divine simplicity and incorporeality,
and the Kabbalists who embraced a more dynamic, multi-aspected vision of God
through ideas like the sefirot. Jindo is especially effective in showing
how each of these systems seeks to preserve Divine unity, albeit through very
different metaphysical frameworks. Another point that Jindo stresses in this
context is how the cold, abstract God of the philosophers (Unmovable Mover)
represents something of a break from the traditional Biblical and Rabbinic
conceptions of God as a living Entity who engaged with His creation.
In the Modern Period, however,
the study somewhat falters. Jindo focuses almost exclusively on marginal and secular
Jewish figures like Baruch Spinoza, Sigmund Freud, Viktor Frankl, as well as to
antinomian, heterodox rabbis, namely Abraham J. Heschel and Mordecai Kaplan. In
focusing on these five figures, the author skips over much of mainline Jewish
thought throughout the Renaissance Period and Early Modern period. Moreover, while
each of these thinkers contributed important insights into Jewish thought, they
were either openly anti-religious or aligned with denominational movements that
have since distanced themselves from their theological legacies. The views of
these figures certainly do not represent important Jewish views on the
topic in the same way that the discussions cited earlier do.
Meanwhile, central voices of contemporary
Orthodox Jewish theology — such as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Yitzchak
Hutner, Rabbi Moshe Shapiro, and Rabbi Shnayor Z. Burton — are not even alluded
to. And important Jewish philosophers like Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and
Hermann Cohen —receive little more than passing mention or are omitted
entirely. By focusing squarely on Modern thinkers peripheral to mainstream
Judaism — who were often openly critical of halakhic tradition — Jindo bypasses
the rich theological discourse within both contemporary Orthodoxy and serious
non-Orthodox Jewish philosophy. This exclusion is especially glaring given the
stated aim of presenting diverse models of Divine oneness.
Throughout the book, Jindo
returns frequently to the Shema prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4) as a litmus
test for theological interpretation. He thoughtfully surveys the various ways
in which this central verse — “Hear, O Israel: Hashem our God, Hashem is One”
(which is but one of many ways of translating that passage) — has been
understood across the centuries. Whether seen as a statement of exclusive
loyalty, Divine unity, or cosmic uniqueness, the Shema serves as a
window into the diversity of Jewish monotheistic expression.
And yet, while Jindo’s
typological approach is often illuminating, it also raises concerns. His
decision to describe Rabbinic Monotheism as a form of “binitarianism” is
particularly problematic. He argues that the rabbinic exaltation of Torah
borders on treating it as a Divine entity in its own right. But this
misunderstands the rabbinic position: Torah is not a second god, but rather a
revelation of the One God’s will. There is no duality here — no theological
dyad. If one wished to explore the possibility of binitarian structures within
Judaism, far more appropriate candidates would be found in the thought of the
Raavad I (HaEmunah HaRamah), or in the dualistic speculations of Abraham
Miguel Cardozo and other Sabbatian thinkers. But those theorists are also
peripheral and need not be treated in an introductory book like this one.
Additionally, the book’s
conclusion departs from its otherwise neutral tone to offer a fairly explicit
critique of theological absolutism and a valorization of pluralism and
relativism. While Judaism indeed celebrates a multiplicity of voices, it also
draws boundaries. There remains an Overton window of acceptable belief. To
ignore this is to misrepresent the very tradition Jindo seeks to elucidate. The
book would have been stronger had it engaged more directly with thinkers such
as Jan Assmann, who explored the boundary-drawing function of monotheism
through the “Mosaic distinction” between truth and falsehood.
Nevertheless, Jewish Concepts
of Divine Oneness succeeds in its primary aim: to present a readable,
thought-provoking introduction to one of Judaism’s most foundational (and possibly
complex) theological claims. It is a valuable resource for students, scholars,
and general readers alike. With all its limitations, Jindo’s study invites us
to return anew to the question at the heart of Jewish faith: what does it mean
to proclaim that “Hashem is One”?
