The Eternal Call of the Jewish People: Facts You Shouldn't Miss About the "Shema Yisrael"

1. The "Shema Yisrael" prayer is recited twice daily during the morning (Shacharit) and evening (Arvit) prayers. It is also recited when opening the ark and removing the Torah scroll on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, during circumcision ceremonies, and at the closing of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year.

2. The Shema consists of three passages. The first is: "Shema Yisrael." Ten commandments are included in the six verses of the first passage of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9):

a. "Hear O Israel, Hashem is our God" – The obligation to know that there is a Creator who currently guides the world, and especially the people of Israel.

b. "Hashem is One" – The obligation to believe in His unity, that He is one, unique, and there is no power in the world besides Him.

c. "And you shall love" – The obligation to love Hashem to the point of self-sacrifice for the sanctification of His name.

d. "And you shall teach them diligently to your children" – The commandment of education. The duty to teach Torah to one's child and educate them to fulfill the commandments.

e. "And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way" – The obligation to study Torah in every place and at all times.

f. "When you lie down" – The commandment to recite the Shema in the evening.

g. "And when you rise up" – The commandment to recite the Shema in the morning.

h. "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand" – The commandment to put on the hand tefillin.

i. "And they shall be frontlets between your eyes" – The commandment to put on the head tefillin.

j. "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" – The commandment to affix a mezuzah on the entrances of the house.

3. The second passage deals with accepting the yoke of commandments – "And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently to My commandments" (Deuteronomy 11:13). This passage includes the fundamentals of the doctrine of reward and punishment.

4. The third passage deals with the Exodus from Egypt: "I am Hashem your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt... to be your God... I am Hashem your God" (Numbers 15:37-41). This passage deals with the commandment of tzitzit, which reminds us of all 613 commandments.

5. There are two reasons for covering the eyes with the hand during the recitation of the Shema. One is to avoid looking at other things that prevent concentration. The second is that closed eyes resemble a blind person, and according to the Torah, "a blind person is considered as dead." Therefore, by closing the eyes, it symbolizes the death of the righteous and shows one's readiness to sacrifice their life for the sanctification of Hashem's name.

6. During the recitation of the Shema, one should hold the tzitzit around the ring finger of the left hand, and there is a deep secret in this matter. It is advisable to place the hand with the tzitzit on the heart and keep them there until reaching the words "and place Your Torah and Your word upon our heart" in the prayer. Then kiss them. The name of Hashem is alluded to in the tzitzit threads.

7. The Torah gives life and healing to the world and to mankind, especially the Shema, which contains the foundations of faith and the fulfillment of commandments. The Sages said that the Shema contains 248 words, corresponding to the 248 limbs in the human body. When a person recites the Shema properly, each limb takes one word and is healed by it. However, in practice, the three passages of the Shema contain only 245 words. To complete the 248, the prayer leader repeats "Hashem your God is truth," thus completing the 248 words.

8. The Talmud in Tractate Pesachim (56a) relates that before Jacob's death, all his sons gathered around him, and he wanted to reveal to them the end of days, but the Divine Presence departed from him and he could not reveal the end to them. He said to his sons: Perhaps there is someone among you who is unworthy, like Abraham who had Ishmael, or like my father Isaac who had Esau, and that is why I cannot reveal the end to you? They all responded by saying: "Hear O Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is One." At that moment, Jacob responded: "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever."

9. Before reciting the Shema, one should imagine that all the people of Israel are together, and you are addressing all of Israel saying: "Hear, O Israel!" – Listen to what I have to say. "Hashem is our God!" – Hashem, who is the Master of all, who was, is, and will be, is our God. "Hashem is One!" – Hashem is the only God, and there is no other deity besides Him.

Those who do not have at least the basic intention in the first verse of the Shema and in saying "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever" have not fulfilled their obligation in the commandment of reciting the Shema.

10. Throughout the generations, Jews have sacrificed their lives in times of wrath and distress with the declaration of "Shema Yisrael" on their lips. In doing so, they emphasized that now, as they leave the land of the living, they believe with complete faith that there is life after the current life here. They believe in the Creator who exists beyond the concepts of time and space, and therefore they continue to seek shelter in His shadow, and He will never abandon them.

This declaration also included a proclamation to the nations of the world who rose up to destroy us, and to anyone who tried to restrict the steps of our people, that their victory over us is temporary and limited. Even if they succeeded in achieving their goals in this material world, the final victory will belong to the people of Israel. Eventually, justice and truth will triumph and become the portion of all people in the world. The world is moving toward its redemption. Indeed, the path is long and sometimes unbearably difficult, but the people of Israel stand firm in their faith, and a good end awaits them somewhere in the future.

Rabbi Avraham Ben Asoulin explains the deep meaning behind the words "Shema Yisrael":

Click for the Bedtime Shema text, Sephardic version

Click for the Bedtime Shema text, Ashkenazi version