Shema Yisrael
The first, pivotal words of the Shema are:
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד׃
Šəmaʿ Yīsrāʾēl YHWH ʾĕlōhēnū YHWH ʾeḥād:
The Shema Yisrael serves as the central affirmation of Jewish faith. It is traditionally recited twice daily (morning and evening).
The prayer consists of three scriptural sections:
Deuteronomy 6:4–9: Acceptance of the yoke of Heaven (Monotheism).
Deuteronomy 11:13–21: Acceptance of the yoke of the commandments (Reward and Punishment).
Numbers 15:37–41: The Exodus and the commandment of Tzitzit.
Part 1: The Declaration
The first line is recited aloud; the second line is traditionally whispered.
Hebrew
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
Transliteration
Sh'ma Yisra'el Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.
(Whispered) Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam va'ed.
English
Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.
Part 2: The V’ahavta (Deuteronomy 6:5–9)
Commands to love God and practice the commandments.
Hebrew
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם, עַל־לְבָבֶךָ. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ, וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזוּזֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ
Transliteration
V'ahavta et Adonai Elohecha, b'chol l'vavcha uv'chol nafsh'cha uv'chol m'odecha. V'hayu had'varim ha-eileh, asher anochi m'tzavcha hayom, al l'vavecha. V'shinantam l'vanecha v'dibarta bam, b'shivt'cha b'veitecha, uv'lecht'cha vaderech, uv'shochb'cha uv'kumecha. Ukshartam l'ot al yadecha, v'hayu l'totafot bein einecha. Uchtavtam al m'zuzot beitecha uvish'arecha.
English
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.
Part 3: The V’haya Im Shamoa (Deuteronomy 11:13–21)
The consequences of obeying or disobeying God's will.
Hebrew
וְהָיָה, אִם־שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַי, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם, לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ, בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶם. וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ, יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ, וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ. וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ. הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם, פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם, וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם. וְחָרָה אַף־יְהוָה בָּכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה מָטָר, וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת־יְבוּלָהּ, וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה נֹתֵן לָכֶם. וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת־דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, עַל־לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל־נַפְשְׁכֶם, וּקְשַׁרְתֶּם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל־יֶדְכֶם, וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם. וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶם לְדַבֵּר בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ. לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם, עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם, כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל־הָאָרֶץ12345
Transliteration678910
V'haya, im shamoa tishm'u el mitzvotai, asher anochi m'tzaveh etchem hayom, l'ahava et Adonai Eloheichem ul'avdo1112, b'chol l'vavchem 13uv'chol nafsh'chem. V'natati m'tar artz'chem b'ito, yoreh umalkosh, v'asafta d'ga14necha, v'tirosh'cha v'yitzharecha. V'natati eisev b'sad'cha livhemtecha, v'achalta v's15avata. Hishamru lachem,16 pen yifteh l'vavchem, v'sartem va'avadtem elohim acheirim, v'hishtachavitem lahem. V'charah af Adonai bachem, v'atzar et hashamayim v'lo yihyeh matar, v'ha-adama lo titen et y'vulah, va'avadtem m'heirah me'al ha-aretz hatovah asher Adonai notein lachem. V'samtem et d'varai eileh, al l'vavchem v'al nafsh'chem, ukshartem otam l'ot al yedchem, v'hayu l'totafot bein eineichem. V'limadtem otam et b'neichem l'daber bam, b'shivt'cha b'veitecha, uv'lecht'cha vaderech, uv'shochb'cha uv'kumecha. Uchtavtam al m'zuzot beitecha uvish'arecha. L'ma'an yirbu y'meichem vimei v'neichem, al ha-adama asher nishba Adonai la-avot17eich18em latet lahem, kimei hashamayim al ha-aretz.
English
And it will be, if you will diligently obey My commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain for your land at the proper time, the early rain and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Take care lest your heart be lured away, and you turn astray and worship alien gods and bow down to them. For then the Lord’s wrath will flare up against you, and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce, and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the Lord gives you. Therefore, place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates—so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven above the earth.
Part 4: The Vayomer (Numbers 15:37–41)
The commandment of Tzitzit and remembrance of the Exodus.
Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם, וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל־כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם לְדֹרֹתָם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל־צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת. וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת, וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺת יְהוָה וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם, וְלֹא־תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם. לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָי, וִה19ְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם. אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, לִהְי20וֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים, א21ֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
(אֱמֶת)
Transliteration
Vayomer Adonai el Moshe leimor. Daber el b'nei Yisra'el v'amarta aleihem, v'asu lahem tzitzit al kanfei vigdeihem l'dorotam, v'natnu al tzitzit hakanaf p'til t'cheilet. V'haya lachem l'tzitzit, uritem oto uzchartem et kol mitzvot Adonai va'asitem otam, v'lo taturu acharei l'vavchem v'acharei eineichem, asher atem zonim achareihem. L'ma'an tizk'ru va'asitem et kol mitzvotai, vih-22yitem k'doshim l'Eloheichem. Ani Adonai Eloheichem, asher hotzeiti etc23hem mei-eretz Mitzrayim, lih-yot lachem l'Elohim. Ani Adonai Eloheichem. (Emet)242526272829
English303132333435
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of 3637Israel and tell them to make for th3839emselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to attach a thread of blue on the fringe of each 4041corner. They shall be to you as tzitzit, and you shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of the Lord and fulfill them, and you will not follow after your heart and after your eyes by which you go astray—so that you may remember and fulfill all My commandments and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God. (Truth)
Note: The word "Emet" (Truth) is added at the very end as a bridge to the next prayer, affirming the declaration.
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