THE SH’MA AND ITS BLESSINGS
GOD IS ONE r ©n §W Hear O Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One.
KEx ¨A Blessed is the knowledge of God’s glorious rule forever and ever.
¨Y §a ©d ¨` §e Love the Eternal your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might. These words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. Repeat them to your children, and talk about them when you sit in your home, and when you walk in the street; when you lie down, and when you rise up. Secure them as a sign upon your hand, and let them be as reminders before your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of your home and at your gates. 1
V’ahavta et Adonai – in the Biblical world, the lev , heart, was the seat of the mind and intellect rather than the emotions. Thus we are called upon to try at all times to understand the meaning and significance of loving God, even when the circumstances make this a challenge. The word nefesh , soul, is related to the word for breathing, so it reflects that invisible ‘life force’ that distinguishes life from death – hence the word can mean ‘soul’, ‘spirit’, ‘appetite’or ‘self’. The nefesh can ‘leak away’ in illness, and be restored on recovery. According to Psalm 19, the Torah itself can ‘restore the
soul’. Rabbi Akiva understood this love to be self–sacrificing, even to the extent of martyrdom. ‘Me’od’ , power, is used to express a great amount of something. In this context it has been understood by Jewish tradition to mean our material wealth that should be dedicated to God as the source of all we possess. What we owe to God, we repay by what we share with others. Thus mind, spirit and material power are to be brought to the service of God. 1 Deut 6:4–9.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs