Shema Yisrael
The Shema
Shema means in Hebrew hear. Shema Israel is a prayer and is the daily declaration of the Jewish faith, recited in the morning and evening prayers and before retiring for the night. The Shema prayer is considered the most important in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation is one of the commandments.
The Shema focuses on loving the one God with all one‘s heart, soul and might.
The first part of the Shema bears the monotheistic credo of Judaism: Shema Yis-ra-eil, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, A-do-nai E-chad. Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
The Shema prayer comes directly from three Biblical verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41.
The prayer states Judaism‘s central monotheistic tenet. The Shema focuses on loving the one God with all one‘s heart, soul and might.
Apart from the daily Shema recitation we recite Shema when preparing to read the Torah on Sabbaths and festivals. We also recite Shema at the end of the holiest day of Yom Kippur.
The Shema is contained in the mezuzah we affix to the doorpost of our home, and in the Tefillin that we bind to our arm and head.
