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TheShemaHear,OIsrael,theLORDisourGodtheLORDisone

THESHEMAisthecentralprayerintheJewishprayerbook(Siddur)andisoftenthefirstsectionofScripturethataJewishchildlearns.Duringitsrecitationinthesynagogue,OrthodoxJewspronounceeachwordverycarefullyandcovertheireyeswiththeirrighthand.ManyJewsrecitetheShemaatleasttwicedaily:onceinthemorningandonceintheevening.PartsoftheShemaarewrittenonasmallscrollwhichisthenrolledupandputinsideamezuzah.

HearitSung(byPaulWilbur)

TheCompleteShemaTheShemaisactuallymorethanjustthefamoussixwordsShemaYisrael,AdonaiEloheinu,AdonaiEchad,butiscomposedofthreepartslinkedtogetherintoaunity:

TheFirstPart:

1. Shema(Deuteronomy6:49):ThecoreHebrewprayer.SpecialemphasisisgiventothefirstsixHebrewwordsofthispassage(ShemaYisrael,Adonaieloheinu,Adonaiechad)andasixwordresponseissaidinanundertone(barukhshemkevodmalkhutole'olamva'ed).Afterapause,Deuteronomy6:59isthenrecited,whichstressesthecommandmenttolovetheLordyourGodwithallofyourheart,soul,andmight.

Clickheretohearthefirstpart(foraflashpresentation,clickhere).

EnlargedLetters?

ThetwolettersAyin()andDalet()areenlargedinthefirstsentenceoftheShema.Together,theselettersformtheword'ed(),whichmeans"witness,"suggestingthattheShemaisatestimonyofthesovereigntyofGodandourprimarydutytoloveHimwithourwholebeing:

ThisstatementmarksthedeclarationthatLORDourGodisOne.Interestingly,thewordechadinHebrewcanimplyaunityindiversity(thewordforoneandonlyone,i.e.,unique,ismoreoftenrenderedasyachid).Forexample,inExodus26:6thevariouspartsoftheTabernacle(mishkan)aretobeconstructedsothat"itshallbeone(echad)tabernacle,"andEzekielspokeoftwo"sticks"(representingfragmentedIsrael)asbeingreunitedintoone:"andtheyshallbeone(echad)stickinMyhand"(Ezek.37:19).MosesalsousedechadinGenesis2:24whenhewrote,"Andthey(husbandandwife)willbecomeoneflesh(basarechad)."

TheSecondPart:

2. Vehayah(Deuteronomy11:1321):ThismovingpassagestressestheblessingsthatcomethroughobediencetoAdonaiandtheconsequencesthatcomethroughdisobedience.

Clickheretohearthesecondpart.

MezuzotScrolls

ThefirsttwopartsoftheShemaarewritteninSTA"Mscriptonasmallscrollwhichisthenrolledupandputinsideamezuzah:

TheThirdPart:

3. Vaiyomer(Numbers15:3741):Thispassageconcernstheuseofthetallit,arectangularprayershawlwithfourfringes(calledtzitzit).Onetzitzitisattachedtoeachcornerofthetallit.ThereasonforwearingthetzitzitistoremindoneselftoobserveallofthecommandmentsoftheLord.

Clickheretohearthethirdpart.

TheShemainLiturgy

Liturgically,theShemareferstoasectionoftheservicethatincludesthefollowingcomponents:

1. TheBarechuTheCalltoWorship

2. YotzerOhrTheCreatorofLightblessing

3. AhavahRabbahTheGreatLoveblessing

4. TheShemaCorewordsofDeut.6:4(followedbyblessinginundertone)

5. TheVe'ahavtaDeut.6:59

6. TheGe'ulahBlessingThankingGodforRedemption

RelatedTopics:

ShemaReadingPractice(forbeginners)

KeriatShema(firstpart)

ShemaStudyPage(PDF)

ShemaReaderPage(PDF)

TheBedtimeShema()TheCompleteShemaRecitedinHebrew

UsingtheTallit

TheShemaProphecies