Blessings of the Shema

Koren Shalem Siddur·PDF 158-159·Keriat Shema Uvirchoteha

קריאת שמע וברכותיה

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The Shema must be said with intense concentration. In the first paragraph one should accept, with love, the sovereignty of God; in the second, the mitzvot as the will of God. The end of the third paragraph constitutes fulfillment of the mitzva to remember, morning and evening, the exodus from Egypt. See laws 347-356.

When not praying with a minyan, say: God, faithful King!

The following verse should be said aloud, while covering the eyes with the right hand:

Hebrew

שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃

English

Listen, Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is One.

Sephardi

šəmaʿ yiśrāʾēl yhwh ʾĕlōhênû yhwh ʾeḥād

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ, שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ, לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:

English

Quietly: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and all time.

Sephardi

bārûk, šēm kəbôd malkûtô, ləʿôlām wāʿed:

Touch the hand-tefillin at ° and the head-tefillin at °°.

Deut. 6

Hebrew

וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזֻז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃

English

Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children, speaking of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way, when you lie down and when you rise. °Bind them as a sign on your hand, and °°they shall be an emblem between your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of your house and gates.

Sephardi

wəʾāhabtā ʾēt yhwh ʾĕlōhêkā bəkol-ləbābəkā ûbəkol-napšəkā ûbəkol-məʾōdekā wəhāyû haddəbārîm hāʾēlleh ʾăšer ʾānōkî məṣawwəkā hayyôm ʿal-ləbābekā wəšinnantām ləbānêkā wədibbartā bām bəšibtəkā bəbêtekā ûbəlektəkā badderek ûbəšokbəkā ûbəqûmekā ûqəšartām ləʾôt ʿal-yādekā wəhāyû ləṭōṭāpōt bên ʿênêkā ûkətabtām ʿal-məzuzôt bêtekā ûbišʿārêkā

Touch the hand-tefillin at ° and the head-tefillin at °°.

Deut. 11

Hebrew

וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ וּלְעׇבְד֔וֹ בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃ וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃ הִשָּֽׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם פֶּ֥ן יִפְתֶּ֖ה לְבַבְכֶ֑ם

English

If you indeed heed My commandments with which I charge you today, to love the LORD your God and worship Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain in your land in its season, the early and late rain; and you shall gather in your grain, wine and oil. I will give grass in your field for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied. Be careful lest your heart be tempted and

Sephardi

wəhāyâ ʾim-šāmōaʿ tišməʿû ʾel-miṣwōtay ʾăšer ʾānōkî məṣawweh ʾetkem hayyôm ləʾahăbâ ʾet-yhwh ʾĕlōhêkem ûləʿobdô bəkol-ləbabkem ûbəkol-napšəkem wənātattî məṭar-ʾarṣəkem bəʿittô yôreh ûmalqôš wəʾāsaptā dəgānekā wətîrōšəkā wəyiṣhārekā wənātattî ʿēśeb bəśādəkā libhemtekā wəʾākaltā wəśābāʿətā hiššāmərû lākem pen yipteh ləbabkem

// Commentary

The Shema. The Shema is the oldest and greatest of our prayers, part of the liturgy since Temple times, recited evening and morning, “when you lie down and when you rise.” Its opening line is among the first words taught to a Jewish child, and among the last words spoken by those who went to their deaths because they were Jews. It is the supreme declaration of faith. The Shema contains no human requests, no praise, no plea. It is a set of biblical readings. It is less a prayer than a prelude to prayer. In prayer, we speak to God. In the Shema, God, through the Torah, speaks to us. The word Shema itself means “listen,” and the recital of the Shema is a supreme act of faith-as-listening: to the voice that brought the universe into being, created us in love and guides us through our lives.

The first paragraph represents kabbalat ol malkhut shamayim, “acceptance of the yoke of the kingship of heaven.” We pledge allegiance to the One God, Sovereign of the universe, to whose authority all earthly powers are answerable. We do so not in fear but in love and with the totality of our being: all our heart, our soul, our might. That love suffuses all we do, from our relationships with our children to the homes we make.