Background
One of the most important precepts of Judaism is the recitation of the Shema. There is a Biblical commandment to recite the Shema twice daily, in the morning and at night.
Traditional sources teach us that we should recite the Shema as if it is the first time that we are reading it. It is only natural for human beings to become jaded by their daily routine, thus preventing the things that are truly important from making a sufficient impression on them. But a small amount of introspection should be sufficient to lift us to a more exalted level, at which we can attain a small degree of the feelings of awe and love for our Creator that the Shema is supposed to engender.
This, after all, was the purpose of all the preceding portions of the prayer services. We began by thanking G-d for returning our souls to us in the mornings, purified and refreshed. We gave praise to Him for exercising individual Providence over all of His creations. We discussed the great kindness He displayed by creating the world and the fact that He constantly creates the universe anew, at every moment. We went on to describe the miracles and wonders that G-d performed for us and our forefathers, and how He chose us from among the nations of the world to be His chosen people and to receive His Torah.
Without that introduction, we could never have been able to understand the commandment that appears at the beginning of the Shema: “You shall love G-d, your Lord.” Love, after all, is an emotion that must develop; how can we be commanded to feel love? The answer emerges from the order of prayers that lead up to the Shema. With even a minimal contemplation of the prayers we have already recited, we should be stirred to recognize the immense devotion and love that G-d has exhibited toward us, and thereby to develop similar feelings toward Him.
We recite the paragraphs of Shema while wearing the tallit and tefillin. This is appropriate in light of the content of these paragraphs, which contain the Biblical commandments to wear tefillin and tzitzit.
Shema Yisrael
The very first verse of the Shema embodies the essence of Jewish faith. Throughout our history, Jews have given up their lives for G-d with the words of Shema on their lips— with utter calm, supreme courage, and an extraordinary faith in G-d rooted in a deep, personal relationship with their Father in Heaven. The secret to the Jewish people’s survival throughout the generations lies in the powerful faith in G-d that is inculcated in Jewish children from the earliest age.
The following is a brief explanation of the meaning of this verse:
Hear O Israel—Jew! Listen and understand the following.
G-d is our Lord: G-d, Who is our Lord…
G-d is One: …is the sole Ruler and Force in all seven heavens, on the earth, and in the four corners of the sky. There is no god other than Him.
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- The first verse of the Shema is followed by a brief utterance: “Blessed is the name of the glory of His Kingship for all eternity.” This phrase lauds G-d for His eternal Kingship. It should be recited in a whisper.
- While reciting the first verse of the Shema, one should cover one’s eyes with one’s right hand. This enables us to enter a state of total concentration, with nothing to distract us from focusing on G-d’s sovereignty. While doing so, we continue to grasp the four corners of the tallit with our left hand.
- This verse should be recited with great focus and intent, pondering the meaning of every word. Kavanah—mental intent—is critical to the recitation of this verse. If one recited the verse without paying attention to its meaning, he is required to repeat the verse.
- If a person enters the synagogue and finds the congregation reciting the Shema, he must recite the first verse along with them even if he has already recited the prayers. This way, he will not appear to be uninterested in subjugating himself to G-d’s Kingship.
“V’Ahavta—You Shall Love G-d”
The first verse of Shema is followed by several additional verses that accompany it in the Bok of Deuteronomy, which instruct us to love G-d and dedicate our lives to the fulfillment of His Will. We are enjoined to pass this faith on to our children by giving them a Jewish education. This Torah portion also describes the commandment to wear tefillin (“You shall bind them as a sign on your arm”) and the commandment to install a mezuzah on every door (“You shall write them on the doorposts of your home”), both of which serve to remind us of our Jewish identity on a daily basis.
“V’Hayah Im Shamoa—If You Listen to These Words”
The second paragraph of Shema also originates in the Book of Deuteronomy. It contains a promise from G-d as well as an admonition. If we observe G-d’s commandments, this passage relates, G-d will bless the produce of our fields and provide sustenance for us and our livestock; thus, we will be able to live a life of contentment in our land. But if we disobey His commandments, we will be punished; rain will be withheld, crops will not grow, and we will be banished from the land. Thus, if we fail to heed G-d’s commandments, we will be forced to repent and recognize G-d as a result of suffering.
This paragraph also contains the injunctions to teach the Torah to our children, to wear tefillin, and to install mezuzot on our doors.
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- All three paragraphs of the Shema should be read aloud from a prayer book. One should take particular care to enunciate every word clearly and not to slur a single word or letter. Particular attention should be paid to instances in which a word concludes with the same sound that begins the word that follows it; one must take care to enunciate each word properly so that the two words do not run together.
- One should also take note of instances in which one word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a vowel sound. Such words are particularly prone to being run together, and one should take care not to do so.
- The four corners of the tallit should be held in the left hand throughout the first two paragraphs of the Shema.
- During each of the first two paragraphs, one should touch the tefillin of the hand and the head respectively when reading the words that refer to them. One should kiss one’s fingertips after touching the tefillin.
“Vayomer Hashem el Moshe—G-d Spoke to Moses”
The third paragraph of the Shema is taken from the Book of Numbers and discusses the obligation to wear tzitzit.
Tzitzit, which we wear every day, serves as a constant reminder of all of the Torah’s commandments. Over the years, the tzitzit have become a distinct identifying feature of a Jew.
This paragraph also mentions the fact that G-d saved us from Egypt so that we would be His nation and He would be our G-d.
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- Before beginning the third paragraph of the Shema, we take hold of the four corners of the tallit in our right hand as well, threading them through the fingers of the right hand just as we did with the fingers of the left hand.
- The word “tzitzit” appears three times in this paragraph, and at each mention of the word the tzitzit should be passed in front of the eyes and then kissed. They should be kissed again after the word emet (“true”) at the conclusion of the paragraph.
- One should look at the tzitzit when saying the words “You shall see them.”
- The three paragraphs of the Shema consist of a total of 245 words. Jewish tradition teaches us that the human body consists of 248 organs. In order to yield a total of 248 words, we add three words to the Shema. In the synagogue, we wait after the conclusion of the Shema until the chazzan repeats the final three words in order to make up the difference.
- A person praying alone should conclude the Shema as follows: “Ani Ad-noy Elo-heichem, Ani Ad-noy Eloheichem, Emet–I am G-d your Lord, I am G-d your Lord; it is true.” The addition of the three Hebrew words for “I am G-d your Lord” completes the total of 248 words.
“Emet V’yatziv—True and Certain”
This blessing is a direct continuation of the two blessings that preceded the Shema. It is known as “the blessing of redemption” because it concludes with the words, “Blessed are You, G-d, Who redeemed Israel.”
The blessing begins with the word “true,” the first in a series of sixteen adjectives related to the theme of truth. It then goes on to describe G-d’s eternal faithfulness to the Jewish people, the great love He demonstrated to us when He brought our ancestors out of Egypt, and the fact that He has always served as a support for us in times of trouble throughout our history.
In this blessing, we go on to describe again the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea, and we declare—along with Moses and the entire Jewish people—“Who is like You among the mighty, O G-d!” We then conclude the blessing by mentioning the eternal prophetic promise we received that G-d will redeem us from this lengthy exile as well, and we conclude with the formula, “Blessed are You, G-d, Who redeemed Israel.”
One should begin the Shemoneh Esrei prayer immediately after the conclusion of this blessing. Jewish law requires the blessing over redemption to be recited in as close proximity as possible to the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.
