Final answer:
The statement that Jewish belief holds that their leaders are not divine entities is true. Jewish tradition is strictly monotheistic, revering only one God, Yahweh, and while leaders like Abraham and Moses are highly regarded, they are not considered divine. The Jewish messianic expectation also does not include divinity in its concept of a savior.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or False: Jewish belief holds that their leaders are not divine entities. This statement is true. Jewish tradition emphasizes a monotheistic belief system centered around the worship of one God, Yahweh. Abraham and subsequent Jewish leaders, including Moses, are seen as important figures and prophets in Judaism, but they are not considered divine. Key Jewish texts like the Torah and the Talmud stress the importance of adhering to moral conduct and the laws set forth by God rather than the divinity of leaders themselves.
Throughout its history, Judaism has maintained that God is the singular divine entity, as pronounced in the Sh'ma prayers central tenet: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.' Maimonides, a preeminent Jewish philosopher, rejected the anthropomorphic conception of the divine, emphasizing that God is without physical form and unique. This sharply contrasts with leaders who are human and thus not subject to any form of deification.
Even the idea of a Messiah in Jewish belief does not confer divinity upon a leader; rather, a messiah is envisioned as a human savior who will lead and restore Israel without being a divine entity. This belief is distinct from the Christian belief in Jesus Christ as the divine son of God, a notion that is not shared by Judaism.