Weekly Reflection – The Shema

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

— Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, O Israel,” Shema Yisrael in Hebrew, are the first words of the Torah portions which are the cornerstone of Judaism. The word shema means to hear, to see, and to obey. Recited in morning and evening prayer services, it captures the monotheistic essence of the Jewish faith: “Hear, O Israel: God is our Lord, God is one.” The full Shema consists of three portions of Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41. This pronouncement is the last prayer recited at Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and it is the last prayer uttered before death.