The Torah column is supported by a generous donation from Eve Gordon-Ramek in memory of Kenneth Gordon.
Va’etchanan
Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
The short and powerful Jewish prayer known as the Shema occurs in this week’s Torah portion, Va’etchanan. It serves as the theological cornerstone and liturgical highlight of the morning and evening services, and its simple words are well known to Jews throughout the world: “Hear, O Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
The Shema is our quintessential expression of monotheism.
Many Jews consider the Shema to be the most important part of the worship service, and observant Jews view its twice daily recitation as a religious obligation. It is a tradition to recite the Shema both before going to sleep at night as well as when one wakes in the morning. It is also a tradition to say the Shema, if possible, as one’s last words.
The prayer is of personal and pastoral significance to me as a Jew and a rabbi. I recite the Shema every time I take off on an airplane; I’ve said it before sky diving and bungee jumping; I recited it at my great uncle’s death bed, as well as with congregants who were about to pass.
For me, though, perhaps the greatest and most awe-inspiring utterance of the Shema occurs during the High Holidays, at the very end of the Ne’ilah service on Yom Kippur. Together, as a community, Jews recite the ancient prayer, which is then followed by a tekiyah gedolah — a long, powerful, final blast of the shofar.
This ritual experience serves as a dramatic climax of, and finale to, the Days of Awe. After 10 days of introspection and prayer, while we are hungry and exhausted, Jews boldly declare God’s oneness in a collective expression of monotheism and covenantal faithfulness.
In the prayer book and in the Torah itself, the Shema contains two larger-print letters at the end of the first and last words, an ayin and a dalet. Combined, these letters form the Hebrew word eid, or “witness.” Through the recitation and proclamation of the Shema, a Jew thus becomes a living witness to the truth of our belief in one, indivisible God.
Some have called the Shema Judaism’s greatest contribution to religious thought. Its words are echoed in the Christian Gospels and in Islamic theology. It is the source from which Jews over the millennia drew their strength for comfort, renewal and inspiration. It is the guiding star of the Jewish people and their spiritual tradition.
The words of the Shema have always played a central role in Jewish thinking and liturgical practice, and this position became especially hallowed after the death of Rabbi Akiva, who was martyred by the Romans in the first century while purportedly saying the prayer.
In the early biblical period, the existence of other gods seems to have been accepted by the Israelites. But the uniqueness of Adonai as the singular, solitary divine being in the cosmos became an article of faith in Judaism as time went on. Adonai was not only Israel’s personal guardian; Adonai was superior to all other deities — if they could be said to exist at all.
When Jews repeat the Shema, they direct themselves to this special and eternal relationship and commit their very lives to bear witness to God’s transcendent reality. As a kingdom of priests and “a light unto the nations,” the Jewish people have lovingly offered humanity — and continue to offer, with each and every generation — a gift that will enlighten and bless it.
That gift is monotheism, the watchword of Judaism.
In an episode of the first season of the popular television series, “The Pitt,” Dr. Robby, who is a non-practicing Jew, recites the Shema in order to comfort himself during a difficult moment in the ER. He shares with a physician colleague that he used to recite the prayer with his grandmother when he was a child.
While a large number of Jews today most likely don’t know the Shema’s origins, evolution or theological meaning, it is still a source of support and inspiration to many of us — whether or not we belong to a synagogue or practice our religion in a consistent way.
It is also a profound but accessible vehicle for connection — with our parents, our grandparents, our ancestors and ultimately with God. The same can be said for so many of Judaism’s other prayers and rituals, if only we’d give them a chance to work their magic. That is the challenge and the opportunity for the contemporary Jew. May we be open to both.