Knowledge lodges in our mind and intellect; the work of emunah is to bring it into our heart. The word “emunah” derives from “ne’eman”— faithful, steady, and consistent. A maamin does not merely believe. He is also faithful to his beliefs and convictions; he lives a life that demonstrates unfailing adherence to these principles. When the belief in divine retribution is deeply engrained in one’s heart, for example, he dares not fail in shemiras halashon; the ramifications are simply too dire.

Knowledge is a moment of truth; emunah is a lifetime of loyalty to that truth. When knowledge transforms one’s behavior and is reflected in his daily actions, reactions, and interactions, it is no longer mere intellectual knowledge, it is natural and instinctive, a part of his very essence.

The maamin lives on a different, higher plane of reality. His emotional certainty and spiritual attachment take him beyond the limitations of ordinary life. He is as aware of Hashem’s presence as if He were visible, and sins are as real a threat to him as is tangible risk. His trust in Hashem is forthright and uncomplicated; even in times of great need, he not only knows, but feels with every fiber of his being, that his parnassah is in the Hands of the ultimate Provider, that his health is monitored by the master Healer. He is so completely attached to his Creator that he touches the delight and serenity of Olam Haba here on earth.

Rabbi Akiva Tatz recounts the tale of the Rebbe Reb Mendel of Tzfas whose wife returned home from the marketplace one day with news that people were saying Mashiach had arrived. The Rebbe got up from his place, put his head out the window for a moment, and then proclaimed that the rumor was false. His exquisite spiritual sensitivity told him that the world was unchanged.

The chassidic storytellers ask why it was necessary for him to put his head out of the window to determine the truth. They explain that since Reb Mendel already dwelled in the spiritual zone — in the Messianic era, so to speak — he was unable to sense any change. He needed to make contact with the world outside his surroundings in order to judge the situation.

And what is the entrance ticket to this exalted zone? Enter the Thirteen Principles of Emunah, the Yud Gimel Ikrim, as delineated by the Rambam in his Commentary to the Mishneh.

Thirteen Pillars

The Rambam was one of our people’s most prolific teachers, writers, and philosophers. His Mishneh Torah is magnificent and colossal, his Moreh Nevuchim, revolutionary, his Commentary to the Mishnah, essential. Yet, from among all his teachings, he readily pinpoints the one most beloved: I consider the fundamentals of faith more precious to teach than all my other lessons.

What is the great significance of the Thirteen Principles? The Rambam rules that a person who believes in them has a portion in Olam Haba, the World to Come, and if he denies even one of the thirteen, he loses this portion.

The Rambam concludes his listing of the principles with this message: When an individual clearly believes in all of these (thirteen) principles, he is included in Klal Yisrael. It then becomes a mitzvah to love him, to have compassion on him, and to treat him as a brother, in accordance with Hashem’s instructions. And even if he sins greatly due to temptation or his base nature, and will be punished for these sins, he still retains his place in Olam Haba (which he’ll receive after atonement for his sins). However, if his belief in any one of these fundamental principles is compromised, he has detached himself from Klal Yisrael and is considered a heretic and a denier….

Famously, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik questions the meaning of this ruling. One who denies the validity of any one mitzvah, or even a single letter, of the Torah is considered a kofer, a heretic who loses his Olam Haba. What, then, is the uniqueness of these thirteen? Why are they singled out for special mention?

In an incisive answer, Rav Chaim explains the difference: in the other cases, one is considered a kofer and loses his Olam Haba only when the denial is a willful act; however, in the case of the thirteen, he forfeits his share if he denies any one of them, even if it is in error, and even if he’s merely ignorant of its existence. As the Maharal points out, Olam Haba is a state of dveikus, attachment to the Divine Presence, which a person receives in proportion to his efforts in Olam Hazeh. If he doesn’t have a relationship with Hashem in This World, it simply doesn’t exist for him in the Next World.

Twelve and a Core

The number thirteen bears a particular significance in the Jewish world. One of the sources that explore the meaning of thirteen is a lively song from the Hagaddah shel Pesach.

“Echad Mi Yodeia?” Who knows one? Significantly, the stanzas begin with number one and end with the number thirteen: Who knows thirteen?

Rav Pincus tells us to pay close attention to the lyrics. We don’t ask, “Who knows an example of thirteen?” We are not seeking models or illustrations of each number. Rather, we inquire, “Who knows thirteen? We are seeking knowledge of the number itself. Who can define the energy and meaning of thirteen? The answer is: sheloshah assar midaya. The message of thirteen lies in the fact that there are thirteen attributes of Divine mercy.

The thirteen attributes, or Yud Gimel Middos Harachamim, enumerate thirteen different aspects of Hashem’s mercy. Of course, Hashem is One and only One. In fact, the first of the middos is the four-letter Name which denotes His essence. Yet He manifests Himself to us in different ways, depending on the situation and our condition. These varied facets, all of which reflect goodness and compassion, comprise the remainder of the list. The first middah can be described as the point of origin for the next twelve.

A similar example of this system of thirteen is the twelve shevatim. Since they were all born of one father, Yaakov Avinu, he is their origin and unifier. Accordingly, the twelve tribes are not separate entities, but rather form the cohesive whole that we know as Klal Yisrael.

Geometrically, this system can be portrayed by a three-dimensional cube, which possesses twelve borders. The imaginary point in the center of the cube unifies and situates these borders so they form the cube.

Thus, the number thirteen denotes different parts that come together to form a unified whole, with one of them at the core. In fact, the construction of the word “echad”, one, in Lashon Kodesh alludes to this concept. The Maharal points out that “echad” has a numerical value of thirteen, and that it begins with an alef — one — and the subsequent letters add to twelve.

It’s now apparent why Echad Mi Yodeia begins with one and ends with thirteen. After announcing the various elements that make up Jewish life, we come full circle and are back at One — the start and end point of all existence.

We can readily apply this understanding of the number thirteen to the Yud Gimel Ikrim of the Rambam. The first Principle is belief in Hashem’s existence; the Shelah Hakadosh writes that this is the core of the next twelve. A person cognizant of all thirteen facets has grasped the whole, he is fully informed of the pillars of Judaism and possesses all the elements to build eternal life.

It’s critically important to have a minimum knowledge of the Thirteen Principles of Emunah, for the lack of this knowledge severs a person from eternal life. The Chofetz Chaim (Michtav 18) encourages us to recite them daily to strengthen our emunah. As we deepen our understanding of them, we’ll begin to internalize them and come closer to bridging the gap between knowing them and bringing them into our hearts. And in doing so, we, tourists in this physical, transient world, will be transformed into permanent residents of the world to come.

Sources include: Rav Shimshon Pincus, Rav Moshe Shapiro, Rabbi Ezriel Tauber, and Rabbi Akiva Tatz.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 460)