PARAGRAPHS FOR THE SH’MA
Rabbinic teaching understands that when we recite the first paragraph of the Sh’ma we accept upon ourselves the ‘yoke of the kingdom of heaven’, the task of being God’s witnesses in the world. In a similar way, by reciting the second paragraph we take on the ‘yoke of the mitsvot ’, of the commandments. The third paragraph, about wearing tsitsit , fringes, on our garments keeps these commitments always before us. Reform Jewish liturgies have always retained the first paragraph, but sometimes removed or replaced the second and third paragraphs where the editors felt concerns about their actual content or these traditional interpretations. We have retained them within the body of the services, but offer here alternative Biblical passages with a variety of themes. They may be seen as other aspects of the words of Torah that the Sh’ma instructs us ‘to talk about’ at all times.
LIFE AND DEATH g ©T ¦YÎm ¦` If you accept My sayings, and set store by My commands, turning your ear to wisdom, and applying your heart to reason; if you appeal to understanding and speak out for reason; if you seek these like silver and search for them like hidden treasure; then you will understand what is right and just, integrity, and every path to good. When wisdom comes into your heart and knowledge is a pleasure to you, discretion will watch over you and reason will guard you, keeping you from bad ways. Then you will follow the way of good people, and keep the paths of the righteous. 1
i ¨x ¨n£` g ©T ¦YÎm ¦` :K ¨Y ¦` orR §v ¦Y i ©]re §v ¦nE L«¤p §fÇo` d ¨n §kÇog©l ai ¦W §w ©d §l :d¨pEa §Y©l L §A ¦l d ¤H ©Y ` ¨x §w ¦z d¨pi ¦A©l m ¦` i ¦M :L«¤lFw o ¥Y ¦Y d¨pEa §Y©l s ¤q«¨M ©k d¨P «¤W §w ©a §YÎm ¦` :d¨P «¤U §R §g ©Y mi ¦pFn §h ©O ©k §e h ¨R §W ¦nE w ¤c«¤v oi ¦a ¨Y f ¨` :aFhÎl©B §r ©nÎlÇoM mi ¦x ¨Wi ¥nE L«¤A ¦l §a d ¨n §kÇog `Fa ¨zÎi ¦M
:m ¨r §p ¦i L §W §t©p §l z©r «©c §e Li«¤l ¨r xrn §W ¦Y d ¨O¦f §n :d ¨M «¤x §v §p ¦z d¨pEa §Y r ¨x K ¤x «¤C ¦n L §li ¦S ©d §l
mi ¦aFh K ¤x «¤c §A K¥l ¥Y o ©r«©n §l :xrn §W ¦Y mi ¦wi ¦C ©v zFg §xÇo` §e
1 From Prov 2.
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