Let’s begin our tour through the Jewish prayer book with the Shema and the Veyahavta. The Shema is the foundation of Jewish prayer.
“The Shema is probably one of the most famous parts of the prayer book and likely one of the most ancient. It was daily recited in the Temple and is referenced by Josephus and by Luke, which are evidence of its antiquity.” Rabbi Reuven Hammer, Entering Jewish Prayer
This statement is interesting coming from a Jewish Rabbi because most Jews view Josephus as a traitor and we generally know what most of them feel about the Gospels as well. But there is an even earlier source for this beautiful prayer that has become a pledge of allegiance for Judaism. The recitation of the Shema demonstrates the command to accept God’s absolute sovereignty over us, by declaring that He not only is one, but unique and indivisible. With it we submit every part of our own identities, possessions, behavior and even our very lives to His will.
The Shema is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and expanded upon in Deuteronomy 11:13-21. Today’s method of reciting the Shema varies greatly from the ancient methods. In ancient times it was written that in a quorum of ten men, also called a minyan, the Shema was not merely read, it was proclaimed! The leader would shout: “Shema Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” Upon hearing that verse the people would respond enthusiastically: “Blessed is the name of His glorious majesty forever and ever!” This method of proclaiming the Shema was abandoned, it is commonly believed, as a result of Roman persecution which forbade the practice of Judaism. At that point Jews continued to say the Shema but began today’s style of doing so quietly. Despite this, one of my very favorite “You-Tube” videos is of a man in Jerusalem who, in response to the Muslim call to prayer, gets on a loudspeaker and sings the Shema at the top of his lungs! It is a very moving sound and sight.
How to recite the Shema: the first line is recited loudly and clearly, the second part underneath in fine print is recited quietly in an undertone:
(loudly) “Shema Israel, Adonai elohey noo, Adonai echad.” (Softly) “Baruch shem kevod, malchoo-toe lay olam vayed” Deu 6:3 KJV
“Hear oh Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one. Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.”
Please take a moment to rewrite the English text in your own words:
Because the Shema is instructional, in saying it out loud for others to hear we publicly reaffirm and teach the principals of Jewish faith. The other prayers are communication between just us and God and should be said in an undertone, for God does not need us to raise our voices to be heard by Him.
When you examine the Shema text in the Torah scrolls as it appears in Hebrew, you will note something interesting: There are two enlarged letters printed larger than all of the other letters. Ayin is found in the first word, “shema” and Dalet in the last word, “echad” they are the last letter in both cases. Together these letters spell “witness”. Thus, like the American pledge of allegiance, the Shema is the unifying statement for all of Judaism. It speaks of HaShem’s unity and declares it to the world.
Mechanics
Why do we cover the eyes? For both parts the hand is placed over the eyes to emphasis hearing, rather than seeing. To attempt to attain Kavanah it has led to the closing of the eyes and/or the covering of the eyes with the hand when reciting it so that one may concentrate more fully upon the meaning of what is being said. This is required only for the first two lines; you are not required to cover for the paragraphs that follow the initial Shema declaration.
Do I stand or sit for this prayer? To stand in prayer before God is normally the correct posture for Jewish prayer. Therefore, when we address Him directly or say a passage in which we sanctify His name, we stand. We also should stand when the ark is opened and the Torah scroll is out. For a long time the Jews of Israel stood while reciting the Shema because of its importance and because it was an act of witnessing before God. Likewise, in Jewish court testimony is always given while standing. However, it is believed that the tradition changed while in Babylon. The Kairites exploited the widespread practice of standing for the Shema to demonstrate that ONLY the Shema and the Ten Commandments were important because of their divine Biblical origin. To disavow such views and give equal importance to other prayers the religious leaders ruled that the Shema may be said while seated. Therefore they say: if one has been seated you may say it seated and if one has been standing you may say it standing. In our congregation we prefer to say it standing regardless of our previous posture. You may have also noticed that if it appears in a worship song, those dancing stop dancing and cover their eyes for its duration. When visiting another congregation you may want to follow the lead of the congregation on this issue to avoid causing a scene. Most men wearing a tallit will also gather the fringes of it together in the left hand while reciting the Shema and kiss the fringes at the conclusion of the recitation.
“The Lord is ONE” is the most basic precept of Judaism. It is the outcry against pagan pluralism or Trinitarian concepts, which makes our offer of worship to Yeshua a major stumbling block for Jewish acceptance of Him. The Church’s insistence that He IS God, in Jewish eyes, makes us idolaters worshipping a false god. Trinitarianism at best makes us pluralistic in the Jews eyes. However, the concept of Yeshua as God’s son or as the heavenly High Priest can be an easier concept for them to swallow, as that leaves God as ONE. It is interesting to note that the first chapter of Genesis refers to God and His actions in the plural: “Let us make man in our image….” Gen. 1:26 which I think is beautifully explained in John chapter one as well. It is my opinion that these two chapters of scripture should always be read side by side.
Additionally, Dr. Michael S. Heiser has a lot to say on the idea of two powers in heaven which I think make a lot of sense:
“The ancient Israelite knew two Yahwehs—one invisible, a spirit, the other visible, often in human form. The two Yahwehs at times appear together in the text, at times being distinguished, at other times not. Early Judaism understood this portrayal and its rationale. There was no sense of a violation of monotheism since either figure was indeed Yahweh. There was no second distinct god running the affairs of the cosmos. During the Second Temple period, Jewish theologians and writers speculated on an identity for the second Yahweh. Guesses ranged from divinized humans from the stories of the Hebrew Bible to exalted angels. These speculations were not considered unorthodox. That acceptance changed when certain Jews, the early Christians, connected Jesus with this orthodox Jewish idea. This explains why these Jews, the first converts to following Jesus the Christ, could simultaneously worship the God of Israel and Jesus, and yet refuse to acknowledge any other god. Jesus was the incarnate second Yahweh. In response, as Segal’s work demonstrated, Judaism pronounced the two powers teaching a heresy sometime in the second century A.D.” http://drmsh.com/the-naked-bible/two-powers-in-heaven/
You may reasonably ask: how do we reconcile these statement with ‘God is One?’ Let me answer with a question: Why would there be a need to emphasize so clearly God’s oneness, unless there was something about Him to call His oneness into question? I believe that God and His Son Yeshua are one in purpose, mind and goals just like a husband and wife are one, yet are two.
The Bedtime Shema
The bedtime Shema is also taught, but the focus is bit different. I will briefly cover a few aspects of this prayer. The recital of the Bedtime Shema is perceived as a protection against the dangers of the night, like the possibility of never awakening from your slumber or evil spirits that may adversely affect your dreams.
Before retiring it is appropriate to examine one’s deeds for the day. If one finds an area where you have failed or sinned, forgiveness should be sought through prayer immediately and an effort should be made to plan how to correct one’s misdeeds and the overall behavior that led to it. Likewise, it is also appropriate to forgive misdeeds that were made against you by others.
Mechanics
After reciting the bedtime Shema it is not proper to eat, drink or talk. This is because the Shema really should be the last thing you do each night, if possible. It is even said that one who cannot go to sleep should repeat the Shema and passages of the Psalms until sleep overtakes them. This is an interesting idea I have never tried, but I think it would calm the mind much better than counting sheep or thinking of all that you have yet to get done!
We understand now that the Shema can be recited in any position but the Amidah (meaning the “standing prayer”) among other prayers must be recited standing. The difference lies in the idea that the Shema is a recitation of Torah while the Amidah is a prayer addressed directly to God Himself. This is why we will find that there are specific protocols for standing, bowing , facing, etc. during the Amidah.
As you progress through this workbook it is important to begin to pray the Amidah at least one time a day. Make notes regarding questions you have about the prayers regarding meaning, purpose, etc. as they come to mind. They may be things which you desire to have clarified, wording you disagree with, or concepts you find uncomfortable. If there is time, try to identify the scripture passages they are based upon. Record them in a notebook, and refer to it as you progress through each section of this workbook. Hopefully I will answer many of your questions as you work your way along.
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