What is the role of the gods for the Hebrew?

Answer 1

The Hebrews (later called the Israelites, and then the Jews) were polytheists originally, since this was a common belief in ancient times. They seem to have worshiped a number of local gods, including some of the Canaanite and Babylonian deities. But at some point, Abraham declared himself a monotheist, a believer in only one deity, whose name is often translated as The Lord or God (it is referred to in the Hebrew Bible by several names, including El, and JHVH, as well as by attributes such as the Righteous One, and the Eternal One).

The early books of the Hebrew Bible demonstrate the struggle that the Hebrews had being faithful to only one invisible deity: stories such as the worship of the Golden Calf show that the Hebrews were still influenced by the polytheistic beliefs of other cultures. Despite good intentions, they found it difficult to abandon those beliefs, even as Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and others tried to teach them about worshiping the One God. This is why, in the story of the Ten Commandments, God gave Moses specific rules, telling them that they must worship no other gods, make no graven images (no idols or other kinds of statues used in worship ceremonies) and commit themselves to the practice of ethical monotheism. Thus, in the Hebrew Bible, the worship of other gods was regarded as infidelity-- turning away from the True God and worshiping false gods; it was seen as a grave sin, because the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites, and they were not supposed to break it. A recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible is how some of the Israelites returned to their old, pagan ways, while others (especially the Prophets) remained faithful to the Lord and continued to serve and trust Him.

After the Israelites (today known as the Jews) became ethical monotheists, they continued in that belief system, and to this day, there is no role that gods and goddesses play in Judaism. Jews worship One Deity only, and do not worship other gods, nor make statues and images of their Deity.