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Sh’ma Yisrael (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל) (“Hear, O Israel”) are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is the centerpiece of prayer and worship, encapsulating the monotheistic essence of Judaism:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, The Lord is one.”
We are obligated to say the Sh’ma twice daily: “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.“
The first verse of the Shema, from the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, is among the best-known in all of Jewish liturgy. It is among our daily prayers, recited often during synagogue worship, at the climactic moment of the final prayer of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, and traditionally as the last words before death. Traditionally, it is recited with the hand placed over the eyes.
This verse is followed by one line of text that is traditionally recited in an undertone: Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever
The remainder of the Shema prayer is taken from three biblical sources: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13 – 21; Numbers 15:37 – 41.
:שְמַע יִשְרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
Sh’ma Yisra’eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.
[בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד]
[Barukh sheim k’vod malkhuto l’olam va’ed.] in an undertone.
Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶךָ׃
V’ahavta eit Adonai Elohekha b’khol l’vavkha uv’khol nafsh’kha uv’khol m’odekha.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
:וְהָיוּ הַדְבָרִים הָאֵלֶה אֲשֶר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְךָ הַיּוֹם עַל־לְבָבֶךָ
:וְשִנַנְתָם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַרְתָ בָם בְשִבְתְךָ בְבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְךָ בַדֶרֶךְ וּבְשָכְבְךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ
:וּקְשַרְתָם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵין עֵינֶיךָ
:וּכְתַבְתָם עַל־מְזוּזֹת בֵיתֶךָ וּבִשְעָרֶיךָ
6Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. 7Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; 9inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
:וְהָיָה אִם־שָמֹעַ תִשְמְעוּ אֶל־מִצְוֹתַי אֲשֶר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְכֶם
:וְנָתַתִי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ
:וְנָתַתִי עֵשֶב בְשָדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶךָ וְאָכַלְתָ וְשָבָעְתָ
:הִשָמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶן יִפְתֶה לְבַבְכֶם וְסַרְתֶם וַעֲבַדְתֶם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְתַחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם
וְחָרָה אַף־יְהוָה בָכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת־הַשָמַיִם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה מָטָר וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵן אֶת־יְבוּלָהּ וַאֲבַדְתֶם :מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹבָה אֲשֶר יְהוָה נֹתֵן לָכֶם
:וְשַמְתֶם אֶת־דְבָרַי אֵלֶה עַל־לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל־נַפְשְכֶם וּקְשַרְתֶם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל־יֶדְכֶם וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵין עֵינֵיכֶם
:וְלִמַדְתֶם אֹתָם אֶת־בְנֵיכֶם לְדַבֵר בָם בְשִבְתְךָ בְבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְךָ בַדֶרֶךְ וּבְשָכְבְךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ
:וּכְתַבְתָם עַל־מְזוּזוֹת בֵיתֶךָ וּבִשְעָרֶיךָ
:לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶר נִשְבַע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם כִימֵי הַשָמַיִם עַל־הָאָרֶץ
13If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving the LORD your God and serving Him with all your heart and soul, 14I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late. You shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil—15I will also provide grass in the fields for your cattle—and thus you shall eat your fill. 16Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods and bow to them. 17For the LORD‘s anger will flare up against you, and He will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is assigning to you.
18Therefore impress these My words upon your very heart: bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a -symbol on your forehead, 19and teach them to your children—reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; 20and inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates—21to the end that you and your children may endure, in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to assign to them, as long as there is a heaven over the earth.
:וַיֹאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶה לֵאמֹר
דַבֵר אֶל־בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָ אֲלֵהֶם וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל־כַנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם לְדֹרֹתָם וְנָתְנוּ עַל־צִיצִת :הַכָנָף פְתִיל תְכֵלֶת
:וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶם אֶת־כָל־מִצְוֹת יְהוָה וַעֲשִיתֶם אֹתָם וְלֹא־תָתֻרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶר־אַתֶם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם
:לְמַעַן תִזְכְרוּ וַעֲשִיתֶם אֶת־כָל־מִצְוֹתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִים לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם
:אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
37The LORD said to Moses as follows: 38Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. 39That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of the LORD and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge. 40Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. 41I the LORD am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, the LORD your God.