Six Hebrew words. That’s all it takes to define the essence of Judaism: the unity of G-d and the unity of the Jewish people.
“Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is one.” (Deut. 6:4)
The Shema — the Jewish daily declaration of faith. It is probably the most well known and pivotal Jewish prayer because it communicates to us, and to the world, Judaism’s core tenet, revolutionary when first introduced: monotheism, a concept brought to the world by the Jewish forefather Abraham.
The Shema is not only about a unitary G-d. It also encapsulates the idea of community, “our G-d,” not “my G-d.” We call out to the nation, “Hear O Israel,” so that all may hear and participate. During prayer services — the Shema is recited twice daily — the opening sentence is recited out loud, in unison.
The Shema is one of the first prayers taught to children, so we thought we’d turn to young people, and find out what the Shema prayer means to them. We asked area teens “What does the Shema prayer mean to you?” and received meditations from across the Front Range.
Avrami Walles, Aish Denver, 7th Grade Hillel Academy
The words Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Ehad may be the most powerful six words in the world.
When I cover my eyes and say them each day, it gives me the ability to come closer to Hashem and think about how He watches over every part of my life. Before saying the Shema, I think about how I am about to do a very important mitzvah and I know I am going to have a powerful six-word conversation with the Alm-ghty.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to say the Shema each day. Since I was a little boy up until this day, I have said the bedtime Shema together with my mother each and every night. It is a very special time for me because I get to connect to G-d one last time before sleeping and also have a few minutes of special time together with my mom.
Courtney Cohen, B’nai Chaim, Morrison, 7th Grade, Dunston Middle School & Riley Wank, B’nai Chaim, Morrison, 7th Grade, Deer Creek Middle School
As part of their B’nai Mitzvah, Courtney Cohen and Riley Wank wrote their interpretation of the V’ahavtah prayer.
“Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.”
Riley: There is only one G-d; we should follow in His footsteps.
Courtney: We should be righteous and holy in making our decisions daily.
“And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Riley: We all come to temple for services and to do a mitzvah. But, look past that, you should be here because you want to. If you want to be here, with all your heart, soul and might, and improve yourself by doing mitzvahs, you will bring yourself closer with G-d.
“And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.”
Courtney: The words from this holy prayer should be close to your heart and be reflected in your everyday actions. For example, you should think before you speak, for it may have negative consequences if you don’t.
“And you shall teach them diligently to your children . . . ”
Riley: We should always be teaching younger generations what this prayer means for them personally. We should teach children what to do in specific situations, like when a friend is experiencing sickness and you should ask how they are doing to make sure they’re OK. With your guidance, younger children can always try to remember and do the right thing.
“And you shall speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the way, and when you lay down and when you rise up.”
Courtney: These worlds mean “at all times.” Where you go, at school in class, at home with your family or with your friends at the mall. Whatever you do, you should be cautious in all your thoughts and all your actions. Be kind, and if someone is in need of help, even a stranger, do the mitzvah and help them out.
“And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.”
Riley: This line reminds us of tefilin, which are little prayer boxes with the Shema and V’ahavtah in them that go on your hand, and between your eyes, and the leather straps wrap around and up your arm and around your head. Your hands are points of action, if the prayer is embedded in your hands you will be more likely to take action and do a mitzvah. Your head is where all your thoughts occur, and what causes your hands to take action. Because of the symbol of the tefilin, the prayer is physically “on your mind” and causes you to think of it so you can complete your action.
“And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.”
Courtney: Similar to the tefilin, a mezuzzah has the prayer inside and goes on your doors and gates outside of homes. You go to temple to say prayers, do mitzvahs and be holy. Tefilin should help remind you that your thoughts and actions should be related to holiness and completing mitzvahs. In the same way, mezuzot keep your home and land holy and remind you to be holy both at temple and at home. For example, a farmer should not harvest the corners of his fields so that those in need may take it and eat. Seeing the mezuzah on his gate may lead him to remember and do this mitzvah.
“Thus you shall remember and do all of my commandments, and be holy for your G-d.”
Riley: You have to be considerate of your life. The commandments should always be in your mind and you should do mitzvahs no matter how small. Perhaps, instead of all of us being farmers and leaving corners of our land unharvested, we can take items from our pantry to a food bank once every couple of months.
“I am the L-rd your G-d, who led you from Egypt to be your G-d.”
Courtney: G-d led the people from Egypt where they endured hardship and suffering. If you endure and suffer through something, like school or a hard day at work, remember, you are always working toward a better future and just as G-d helped the people, you may be offered help through your hardships. For example, if your parents tell you to go to college, work hard and get good grades, they may offer to pay for your education.
Courtney and Riley: And the V’ahavta concludes with, “I am the L-rd your G-d!”
Sarah Pomerantz, Temple Emanuel, 10th Grade, DJDS
The Shema prayer is one of the most important prayers in the Torah. It symbolizes the connection we have to G-d. The Shema prayer also has a special connection to my life as well. Recently in my Judaics class, we were given the honor to place a new mezuzah on the door. We learned that we must recite the Shema because within the Shema it is commanded to us to put mezuzot on almost every door.
The Shema in meaning means to listen or to pay attention to. I think that the reason the Shema prayer is important to every Jew is because it is the reaffirming of our faith. We call out to every Jew in the world and share with them that Ad-nai is our G-d and is our only G-d. This is a direct connection that every Jew has to G-d and to the entire Jewish community. No matter where a Jew lives the Shema prayer and its meaning are universal.
H. Jonah Lefkoff, Har HaShem, Boulder, 6th Grade, Alexander Dawson School
So, my first question is, “Why do people discuss religion in general in such a deep way? Why do people spend so much time talking about different parts of the Torah?” My mom’s answer was to think of it like that dress on the Internet.
Remember the one a few months ago? Was it blue and black or white and gold? Some people were so sure that it was blue and black while others were so sure that it was white and gold (I thought it was blue and black, because it was!). My mom said that everyone interprets things differently, and so it is important to discuss different interpretations and what they mean to you.
The Shema is like this. It can have different interpretations and mean different things to different people. The literal translation of the Shema is there is only one G-d. Well, there is only one G-d that we believe in.
Other religions may believe in other gods, but we, as Jews, believe in only one G-d. I believe in only one G-d because that is what I believe in my heart to be true. I also believe in only one G-d because that is what I have been taught through hundreds of prayers as I have grown up from the time I was a tiny baby. You cannot be a Jew without the Shema, and you cannot have the Shema without Jews.
I enjoy being a Jew because there are not many Jews, so I feel like I am special in a good way. I also like being a Jew because Judaism is about learning; learning about meanings of prayers and the life lessons that come with those prayers.
Joshua and Matthew Mayer, Har Shalom, Fort Collins, 7th Grade, Preston Middle School
To us the Shema means that we and all of Israel should be happy and proud about the one G-d that we have. It also means that we should be proud of our beliefs. It also means that every day it helps us get reacquainted with G-d. It means that Israel is a holy land and blessed by G-d itself. It also defines our faith for those who aren’t of our faith.
Another thing the Shema means to us is that G-d has blessed us, His people. To us the Shema means that since we are blessed by G-d we must pray to Him to recognize this. It also means that the land (which he also blessed) must be taken care of and protected. The Shema means that we should recognize that G-d is one and that we should protect what he has given to us.
Gabrielle Cantor, Hebrew Educational Alliance, 11th Grade, Cherry Creek High School
Shema Yisrael Ad-nai Elokeinu Ad-nai Ehad. These six short words may not seem like very much, but to me they mean more than can be explained in words. To me, the Shema is a way to always communicate with Hashem. It is a direct link to Hashem, a way to quickly connect with Hashem and fellow Jews around the world.
The Shema is a way to always remind myself of my Jewish identity — I can say the Shema at any time, and I am instantly reminded of who I am.
The Shema is also a way for me to connect to Jews around the world. There are about 14 million Jews on this planet scattered between all corners of the world. There are Jews in all walks of life, and if you search hard enough you will almost always be able to find a fellow Jew. There are Jews in every time zone, and while each Jew may practice his or her own variation of the faith, the Shema is almost always a unifying factor. At any given point on any given day, chances are high that someone, somewhere in the world is reciting the Shema. Someone is saying those six simple words that are packed with meaning. Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.
This small reminder of Hashem and his presence that is uttered by Jews around the world carries so much meaning. When we say it, we are reminding ourselves of what it means to be a Jew. We are reminding ourselves that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, something that we may never be able to comprehend.
We are a part of a people who have struggled through the unimaginable and have emerged stronger each and every time. We are part of a people with a rich culture that has survived and will continue to survive for future generations. We are the Children of Israel — a small band of nomadic tribes that were willing to make a change. The Shema is all of this — it is our history, our tradition, our future.
The Shema is a way to attempt to sum up Jewish history from the time of Abraham and Sarah until now in six simple words. Shema.
These words to me are a way to remind myself of who I am, and they mean everything to me.
Jessica Cantor, Hebrew Educational Alliance, 9th Grade, Cherry Creek High School
The Shema is a voice in my heart. I can hear my mom and dad saying it to me as they get me ready to sleep. I can hear my older sister from her bed; the words too hard for my voice to form. This has to be my oldest memory. I can try to echo the sounds because they are so familiar, imprinted on my heart. Blessed be . . . every night it is the same . . . a blessing for me, for my mom and dad and for all the people in the world we love . . . very, very, very much — AMEN!
For as long as I can remember and even longer than that my parents put me to sleep with the words of the Shema. If they were out and we had a sitter my sister tried to help me say the words as best she could.
My first summer away at Shwayder camp it did not seem odd to say it to myself as I drifted off to sleep; I was just in another Jewish home.
The next summer far away across the country in Maine the familiar words helped lull me to sleep when everything else would not work. It was the voice in my head and my heart that told me all would be OK. “The L-rd is our G-d. The L-rd is One . . . ” no matter where I went to sleep.
Now when I babysit the little girl will ask me, “Will you say the Shema with me?” “Of course,” I say and together we say the beautiful words.
The Shema connects Jews together. I am excited for the future to teach my children the words of the Shema just like my mom and dad taught me.
There might be bedtime books or songs or a little time for chatter — but there is always the Shema. Always the chance to be reminded that G-d would keep us safe if I kept G-d in my heart and my prayers. The Shema is still and will always be a voice in my heart.
Mia Felsen, Temple Sinai, 7th Grade, West Middle School
The Shema can mean many things, concrete or abstract, but to me the Shema is a mix of feelings. The Shema means a pledge to one G-d. When I recite the Shema, I feel really connected to G-d. I usually cover my eyes with my right hand because when you want to focus on something, sometimes you close your eyes to help. It helps you concentrate. When I recite the Shema, I feel as if the world just stops and this is all that’s happening.
I feel loved and really just as if I’m the only one in the room. Of course the first part is loud and celebratory, but when you chant the soft part, everyone just becomes quiet. It’s like a blanket falls over the congregation and hushes them. That is the peaceful part. That is the part where you feel connected. Overall, the Shema means connection to me.
Nathan Hill, DAT Minyan, 9th Grade, DAT High School
The Shema states one of the main beliefs of Judaism: that Hashem is our G-d, and He is the only G-d. When I say the Shema, I feel connected to Jews all over the world because we are still saying these same words that we have been saying for thousands of years, and we will continue to say them for thousands more. This is important to me because it makes me feel like I am never alone in my beliefs.
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