Shema

Shema Yisrael (or Sh'ma Yisroel or just Shma) (Hebrew: שמע ישראל; "Hear, [O] Israel") are the first two words of a section of the Torah (Hebrew Bible) that is used as a centerpiece of all morning and evening Jewish prayer services and closely echoes the monotheistic message of Judaism. It is considered the most important prayer in Judaism.

Its main content is loving the one God with all one's heart, soul and might, and the rewards that come with this. It is the duty of parents to teach this to their children.

History

Originally, the Shema consisted only of one verse: Deuteronomy 6:4 (see Talmud Sukkot 42a and Berachot 13b). The recitation of the Shema in the liturgy, however, consists of three portions: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. These three portions relate to the central issues of Jewish belief.

Additionally, the Talmud points out that subtle references to the Ten Commandments can be found in the three portions. As the Ten Commandments were removed from daily prayer in the Mishnaic period, the Shema is seen as an opportunity to commemorate the Ten Commandments.

Content

The first, pivotal, words of the Shema, are: שמע ישראל י-ה-ו-ה אלהינו י-ה-ו-ה אחד

Judaism teaches that the Tetragrammaton (י-ה-ו-ה) is the ineffable name of G-d, and as such is not read aloud in the Shema but is traditionally replaced with אדני, Adonai ("my Lord"). For this reason, the Shema is recited aloud as:

Shma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.

(or phonetically, "Sh'ma Yis-ra-el: Adonai El-o-hai-nu, Adonai Eh-hud")

The literal word meanings are roughly as follows:

Shma - Listen, or Hear.

Yisrael - Israel, in the sense of the people or congregation of Israel.

Adonai - a word often translated as "Lord", it is used in place of the Tetragrammaton.

Eloheinu - Our God, the word "El" or "Elohei" signifying God (also see: Elohim), and the suffix "nu" signifying "our"

Echad - the Hebrew word for "one" (in the sense of unity), not "one" (the number), which would be "yechad".

In common with many other ancient languages, connective words such as "is", and conventions regarding punctuation, are usually implied rather than stated as they would be in modern English.

The first portion relates to the issue of the kingship of God. The first verse, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord," has ever been regarded as the confession of belief in the One God. It should be noted that due to the ambiguities of the Hebrew language, there is more than one way of translating the text of the "Shema," including:

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God! The LORD is One!" and

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God – the LORD alone."

Many commentaries have been written about the subtle differences between the translations. As can be seen, there is an emphasis on the oneness of God, on the one hand, and on the sole worship of God by Israel, on the other. There are other translations, though most retain one or the other emphasis.

The following verses (commonly referred to by the first word of the verse immediately following the Shema as the V'ahavta, meaning "And you shall love...") contain the commands to love God with all one's heart, soul, and might; to remember all commandments and "teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up" (Deut 6:7); to recite the words of God when retiring or rising; to bind those words "on the arm and the head" (interpreted as a reference to tefillin), and to inscribe them on the door-posts and on the city gates (referring to mezuzah).

The passage following the "Shema" and "V'ahavta" relates to the issue of reward and punishment. It contains the promise of reward for serving God with all one's heart, soul, and might (Deut 11:13) and for the fulfilment of the laws, and the threat of punishment for their transgression, with a repetition of the contents of the first portion.

The third portion relates to the issue of redemption. Specifically, it contains the law concerning the tzitzit as a reminder that all the laws of God are to be obeyed, as a warning against following the evil inclinations of the heart, and, finally, in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. For the prophets and Rabbis, the exodus from Egypt is paradigmatic of Jewish faith that God will redeem them from all forms of foreign domination.

In summary, the content flows from the assertion of the oneness of God's kingship. Thus in the first portion there is a command to love God with all one's heart, soul and might and to remember and teach these very important words to the children throughout the day. Obeying these commands, says the second portion, will lead to rewards, and disobeying them will lead to punishment. To ensure fulfillment of these key commands, God also commands in the third portion a practical reminder, wearing the tzitzit, "that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God."

The full content verse by verse, in Hebrew, phonetic Roman, and English translation, can be found here.

The second line quoted, "Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever", was originally a congregational response to the declaration of the Oneness of God; it is therefore often printed in small font and recited in an undertone, as recognition that it is not, itself, a part of the cited Biblical verses. The third section of the Shema formally ends at Numbers 15:41, but in fact traditionally Jews end the recitation of the Shema with the following word from the next verse, Emet, or "Truth", as the end of the prayer.

Recitation and reading

The commandment to recite the Shema twice daily is ascribed by Josephus to Moses ("Antiquities" 6:8), and it has always been regarded as a divine commandment (see, however, Sifre, Deut. 31.)

The reading of the Shema morning and evening is spoken of in the Mishnah as a matter of course, and rests upon the interpretation of ("when you lie down, and when you rise up"; Deut. 6:7, see Talmud tractate Berachot 2a).

Accompanying blessings

The Benedictions preceding and following the Shema are traditionally credited to the members of the Great Assembly. They were first instituted in the Temple liturgy.

According to the Talmud, the reading of the Shema morning and evening fulfils the commandment "You shall meditate therein day and night". As soon as a child begins to speak, his father is directed to teach him the verse "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33:4), and teach him to read the Shema (Talmud, Sukkot 42a). The reciting of the first verse of the Shema is called "the acceptance of the yoke of the kingship of God" (kabalat ol malchut shamayim) (Mishnah Berachot 2:5). Judah ha-Nasi, being preoccupied with his studies, put his hand over his eyes and repeated the first verse in silence (Talmud Berachot 13a).

The first verse of the Shema is recited aloud, simultaneously by the hazzan and the congregation, which responds with the rabbinically instituted Baruch Shem ("Blessed be the Name") in silence before continuing the rest of Shema. Only on Yom Kippur is this response said aloud. The remainder of the Shema is read in silence. Sephardim recite the whole of the Shema aloud, except the Baruch Shem.

Bedtime Shema

Before going to sleep, the first paragraph of the Shema is recited. This is not a Biblically instituted commandment, but is derived from the verse "Commune with your own heart upon your bed" (Psalms 4:4).

Other instances

The Shema was the battle-cry of the Kohen ("priest") in calling Israel to arms against an enemy (Deuteronomy 20:3; Talmud Sotah 42a). It is the last word of the dying in his confession of faith. It was on the lips of those who suffered and were tortured for the sake of the Law.

Rabbi Akiva patiently endured while his flesh was being torn with iron combs, and died reciting the Shema. He pronounced the last word of the sentence, Echad ("one") with his last breath (Talmud Berachot 61b).

Quote in New Testament

Shema is one of the sentences that are quoted in the New Testament. The Gospel of Mark 12:29 mentions that Jesus considered the Shema the beginning exhortation of the first of his two greatest commandments: "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, 'Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord'" (KJV). Jesus also refers to the Shema in The Gospel of John 10:30. A group of Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, asks him if he is Messiah, the anointed one of God. Jesus concludes his response with the words "I and my Father are one" (KJV). This is an allusion to the Shema, which the Jews immediately recognize and pick up stones to stone him.