The Shema, Judaism's most famous prayer, is actually not a prayer at all. Rather it is a declaration of God's unity and other central doctrines of Judaism. It involves reciting three passages from the Torah, one of which is interrupted by another ancient phrase, the origins of which are outside the Bible.
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A Call to Love and TeachTANAKH
A Call to Love and Teach
TANAKH
The Shema is a central prayer in the Jewish tradition, affirming the oneness of God. First appearing in the book of Deuteronomy, the Shema instructs the Israelites to love God, teach God’s laws to their children, and physically symbolize these laws as reminders.
Reciting the ShemaMIDRASH
Reciting the Shema
MIDRASH
Jews have recited the Shema twice daily for thousands of years. Devarim Rabbah, a ninth-century midrashic commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, details the origins of the Shema and the specific guidelines for its recitation.
Timing Is EverythingMISHNAH
Timing Is Everything
MISHNAH
The Shema is traditionally recited once in the morning and once in the evening. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, provides detailed discussions and differing opinions on the exact times when the Shema should be recited in order to fulfill the biblical commandment.
Unpacking the Unity of GodCOMMENTARY
Unpacking the Unity of God
COMMENTARY
Because of the centrality of the Shema passage, commentators pay close attention to its language. Ramban, a thirteenth-century Spanish rabbi, kabbalist, and biblical commentator, provides a detailed commentary on the language and implications of the Shema, exploring the layers of meaning behind specific words and letters.
The Order of FaithHALAKHAH
The Order of Faith
HALAKHAH
The twice-daily recitation of the Shema includes portions from several biblical passages, each with its own religious meaning and teachings. Rambam, in his twelfth-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, outlines the obligation, content, and order of the Shema.
Accepting the Yoke of HeavenTALMUD
Accepting the Yoke of Heaven
TALMUD
What are we trying to do when we recite the Shema? The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Berakhot discusses several rules about the recitation of the Shema and explains that reciting the Shema is an act of “accepting the yoke of heaven.”
Understanding How to Love for GodJEWISH THOUGHT
Understanding How to Love for God
JEWISH THOUGHT
The text of the Shema commands us to love God, but how does one do that? In his twelfth-century philosophical work, Guide to the Perplexed, Rambam provides one suggestion about concrete actions that can instill a love for God.
Memory of the ExodusLITURGY
Memory of the Exodus
LITURGY
The Shema, recited twice each day, includes a verse that serves as a remembrance of the Israelite exodus from Egypt. This passage from the Haggadah, the guiding text of the Passover seder, questions the source of the obligation to remember the Exodus twice daily.
The Shema and the Ten CommandmentsTALMUD
The Shema and the Ten Commandments
TALMUD
Is there a relationship between the Shema and the Ten Commandments? The Jerusalem Talmud in tractate Berakhot creatively interprets each line of the Shema as corresponding to one of the Ten Commandments.
Decoding the ShemaCOMMENTARY
Decoding the Shema
COMMENTARY
In Torah scrolls, two letters of the Shema are larger than the rest — the ayin and the dalet. Hayyim Joseph David Azulay, an eighteenth-century rabbi known for his love of books and manuscripts, provides an interpretation of the large letters in the Shema, associating them with modesty and speech.
Angelic Echoes of the ShemaKABBALAH
Angelic Echoes of the Shema
KABBALAH
According to Jewish mystical tradition, angels also recite the Shema. Hechalot Rabbati, an early medieval Jewish mystical text, describes a celestial scene wherein angels, led by one named “Israel,” join in the declaration of God's unity.
A Great LoveLITURGY
A Great Love
LITURGY
The Shema prayer is a declaration of faith and love for the One God. This introductory blessing, recited immediately before the Shema during the morning service, emphasizes that this love is reciprocated, describing God’s love for the Jewish people.
Loving God with All Your BeingCOMMENTARY
Loving God with All Your Being
COMMENTARY
The Shema commands us to love God with all our heart, soul, and might. Rashi, the renowned eleventh-century French biblical commentator, explains each of these words as referring to a way we ought to sacrifice for the sake of religious commitments.
Cover Your EyesHALAKHAH
Cover Your Eyes
HALAKHAH
In order to ensure that one maintains focus and intention while reciting the Shema, there are specific guidelines for its recitation. In the Shulchan Arukh, the foundational sixteenth-century legal code, Joseph Karo provides detailed instructions on what to do with our hands, eyes, and voices as we recite it.
To Sit or to Stand? MISHNAH
To Sit or to Stand?
MISHNAH
When one recites the Shema, even their posture matters. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law, from the early third-century land of Israel, presents a debate between two major schools of thought, Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, as to whether one should sit or stand when they recite the Shema.
A Guide for Personal RefinementCHASIDUT
A Guide for Personal Refinement
CHASIDUT
The Shema is not just a declaration of faith but a guide for personal growth. Mordechai Yosef Leiner, in his nineteenth-century Chasidic commentary on the Torah, interprets the Shema as a guide for personal refinement in five areas.
Living and Dying by the ShemaTALMUD
Living and Dying by the Shema
TALMUD
What does it mean to truly live by the words of the Shema? The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Berakhot tells the story of Rabbi Akiva's martyrdom, an illustration of his commitment to loving God with all his soul.
The Healing Power of the ShemaKABBALAH
The Healing Power of the Shema
KABBALAH
The words of the Shema could be more than a mere declaration of faith. In the Sha’arei Kedusha, an early modern kabbalistic work, Chaim Vital points to a correspondence between the words of the Shema and the parts of the human body, arguing that the Shema has mystical power to heal our bodies and souls.
