Continuing my encouragement of people of all religions to read prayers and the Bible, study, and learn to understand what they are reading to improve themselves, society, and the entire world, I will give some history of the Shema, my new translation, and comment on why I changed the literal wording.
The Shema is central to Judaism. Although a divine command and not a prayer, it is the main reading in the morning and evening services, Shacharit and Maariv. It is one of many biblical sections that contains wording that was not intended to be taken literally. While many think the Shema expresses love of God, the command is to constantly think of God because such thinking will improve individuals, society, and the world. While, as the Bible states in Exodus 33:21-23, humans cannot know details about God, people can understand what God made and act creatively with this knowledge.
Two other biblical sections are added to the key section of Deuteronomy 6:4-9. They are Deuteronomy 11:13-21, which tells the benefits of obeying the command, and Numbers 15:37-41, which commands men to wear tzitzit, fringes on garments, to help them remember the command and benefits of complying with 6:4-9.
A sentence was added following Shema’s first sentence, which will be discussed below.[1]
A customary translation
The King James version of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 translates the six verses which are the core part of Shema as follows:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
I translate it as follows:
Jews, obey God
Our God
He is unique.
Think of God
Your God
With your entire mind, body, and possessions.
Think of these words that I am now commanding
Constantly.
Teach them passionately to your children,
Speak about them at home and outside,
When you lie down and rise.
Make them like markers on your hands
And items set between your eyes,
As if written on the door of your house
And city gates.
General comments
The custom is to cover our eyes while reciting the first sentence to eliminate distractions during this essential reading.
The second sentence of the Shema in the prayer book is said quietly. It reads: “Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.” The verse is not in the bible. There are differing views as to its origin. One source is a discussion and story in Talmud tractate Pesachim 56a. The patriarch Jacob is on his deathbed. He questions his sons’ allegiance to God. They respond with the Shema, to which Jacob exclaimed: “Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.” We say it to make the same assertion that Jacob’s children made. The Talmud concludes that it should be said quietly since it is not a Biblical verse.
It is customary to end the holiday of Yom Kippur by reciting the first verse of Shema to affirm again, as Jacob’s sons did, that we have allegiance to God.
Many Jews have the custom, based on Talmud Berachot 60b, to say the Shema before going to sleep. The Talmud tells us that it is proper to go to sleep with words of Torah on our lips.
Comments on the translation
As the Aramaic translator Targum Onkelos and the commentator Rashi translates Psalms 18:45, Shema means “obey.” God is speaking to the Israelites like a mother speaks to her kids. When she says, “Hear me” or “Listen to me,” she is not referring to the children’s ears; she wants them to obey her.
The Shema mentions Israel, the name the Jews had at the time. I updated it to Jews.
The phrase “God is one” does not mean He is not more than one being; it means “unique,” “inimitable.”
The literal reading is “You must love God” because the ancients believed that thinking came from the heart, not the mind. As Maimonides stressed, Jews should not be passive, loving God or having faith in Him, but know God by understanding what He created or formed. Hence, “love” here means “think” and “know.”
Similarly, “heart” means “mind.”
The Bible uses the Hebrew nefesh. In post-biblical times, the word came to mean “soul,” which some people mistakenly use to translate the biblical phrase despite its not having this meaning. It means “person” in the Torah.
Some translations render meodecha as “might,” but since “might” is implied in “person,” the rabbis suggested “possessions.”
The rabbis correctly understood the phrases “bind them for a sign upon thine hand,””frontlets between thine eyes,”write them upon the posts of thy house,” and “on thy gates.” These words were not to be understood literally. They were telling Jews to think of God even on these occasions.
The rabbis ensured that Jews did so by instituting the requirement to wear tefillin on the head and arm and placing mezuzot on houses and gates.
[1] It may surprise some readers who expect the Sidur, the prayer book, to be filled with praise of God and petitions to Him for divine assistance. The Jewish concept is different. The Sidur is a compilation of various ancient documents inserted to make readers think of the past, present, and future, and judge themselves whether they are acting to improve themselves as they should. The word lihitpallel, meaning “to pray,” literally means “to judge oneself.”
Is the Shema?
IS it for beautifuling the Jewish life?
To re-affirm our beliefs, desires, and thoughts for our creator?
To use all whole body; Mind, Money, Possession, Thoughts, and Body for the Creator to help his creation live a dutiful life.
Yes
does the existance of the shema just serve as a reminder to live a good life; one endowed with Jewish values?
Yes
i like the structure of the poem israel.
its easier to understand and better for people to read.
You include specific words that help clarify what God Really desires.
This poem will last as long as Judaism exists.
Making the Sacred Shema upheld to the truthful standard that God wanted.
I see many blessings and responses to prayer. Prayer isn’t the least you can do, but the most you can do for our fellow man.
Very good thought.
I really like your translations of the Shema and the national anthem, Hatikvah. I agree with your rendring that when it says God is one it really means to say that God is unique. I also agree with the rabbis that the phrases to “bind them for a sign upon thine hand,” ”frontlets between thine eyes,”write them upon the posts of thy house,” and “on thy gates” are not ment to be taken literally. When we kiss the mezuzot, it is just a gester that is supposed to remind us of God. The mezuzot is not a protective device. Also, the Rashbam proves by noting similar wording in Proverbs, that the original meaning was figurative. The rabbis instituted the requirement to wear tefillin but this is not a divine law from sinai. It is rabbinical. We don’t have to wear it. However, if it reminds you of God it is a good idea to don tefillin.
Regarding the second benefit, the interaction between humans and God, I understand your skepticism, my dear Rabbi Israel Drazin ! I must say that I find your reference to Nachmanides’ concept of “secret miracles” to be intriguing. The idea that God’s responses to prayer may not always be overt or obvious, but rather subtle and hidden, is one that resonates with my own understanding of the divine. The example of rain, which appears to be a natural phenomenon but may also be seen as a manifestation of God’s providence, is a powerful illustration of this concept. In this sense, I believe that your openness to the possibility of secret miracles, and your recognition of the psychological benefits of prayer, demonstrate a profound understanding of the human condition and our relationship with the divine. Even if we cannot fully comprehend the nature of God’s responses to prayer, we can still acknowledge the transformative power of prayer in our lives and the lives of those around us. Best: stephen
Stephen, you are very kind.
“Guard yourselves so that you are not enticed by your hearts to veer and serve false gods and bow down to them. Then, the wrath of Adonai will flare against you, and He will restrain the heavens; there will be no rain, the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from upon the good land that Adonai is giving you.”
There are many financially successful atheists/secular so-called Jews today. So am I to assume the words in the Shema are not just?
Hag Shavout Seme’ah!
This is a question that has bothered many people for many centuries. Some people are convinced that these rich evil people will be punished for their evil acts after death in the next world.
Others understand that this is a treat and not a fact. The Torah is trying to frighten people not to act improperly. This is similar to the Torah saying God becomes angry when you do wrong. It is a teaching that maybe wrong but is designed to control people.
Congrats***** for your excellent translation, dear Rabbi Israel Drazin ! The Sidur, with its carefully curated selection of biblical passages, Talmudic quotes, and liturgical poems, serves as a catalyst for the process of self-examination. It prompts us to reflect on our actions, to consider the consequences of our decisions, and to strive for moral and spiritual growth. Prayer, in this context, is not simply a matter of reciting words, but an active engagement with the divine, which necessitates a deep understanding of oneself and one’s place in the world. Thus, when we pray, we are not merely petitioning God for favors or protection; we are, in effect, judging ourselves, evaluating our character, and striving to become better versions of ourselves. This is the true spirit of Jewish prayer, and it is this spirit that animates the Sidur, our sacred prayer book. Best: stephen
Dear friend Stephen,
You are convinced that prayer has two benefits: it should cause people to judge themselves and it causes an interaction between humans and God. This is undoubtably good. However, I am only convinced of the former because I see no response to prayer by God. But I do not dismiss the idea. I have an open mind. I also see the psychological benefit of peace prayer has brought to many people. I think it is possible, but I am not convinced of certainty, that the second benefit may be what Nachmanides would call not an open miracle but a secret miracle, such as rain. God does respond but not openly.
I agree with you about prayer. I also do not see responses from God to prayer but, like you, I hope it works and I am open about it, too. What does Nachmanides mean by secret miracle, such as rain? Does it entail that God acts through nature and the laws of nature? On the other hand, Nachmanids did not bleieve in the laws of nature so it can’t be that he felt that God operates through the laws of nature. Could you expound? Thank you.
Mr. Hill
Nachmanides believed that God is constantly involved in what happens on earth. No leaf falls from a tree unless God says leaf fall and does not stop but says continue to fall. This. according to him, is a secret miracle, not an open visible one.