Shema Yisrael

Shema Yisrael, also known as the Shema or Sh'ma, is a Jewish prayer that serves as a centerpiece of Jewish prayer services. It is found in verse Deuteronomy 6:4 of the Hebrew Bible. A common translation is: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone." A practicing Jew may substitute the terms "HaShem" ("the Name", often abbreviated to ה׳) or "Adonai" ("my Lord") for "the Lord". In the Hebrew Bible, the Shema is directly followed by the V'ahavta.

A Torah scroll displaying the opening verses of Deuteronomy chapter 6. The Shema Yisrael prayer is the sixth line from the top, demarcated by enlarged ayin (ע) and dalet (ד) letters.

This page lists various quotes about the Shema. For more information, see the Wikipedia articles Shema Yisrael, Va'etchanan and Book of Deuteronomy.

Quotes

Scripture

Book of Deuteronomy

• שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד
  • Deuteronomy 6:4 (MT)
  • Transliterations:
    • Sh'ma Yisra'el, YHWH 'eloheinu, YHWH 'eḥad.
    • Sh'ma Yisra'el, Adonai 'eloheinu, Adonai 'eḥad.
  • Translations:
    • Hear, O Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה alone.
      • JPS translation (Sefaria.org)
    • Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
      • JPS translation
    • Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.
      • KJV translation
    • Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
      • NIV translation
    •  Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
      • NASB translation
    • Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
      • NRSVUE translation

The New Testament

See also: Great Commandment

"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29)

• Καὶ προσελθὼν εἷς τῶν γραμματέων ἀκούσας αὐτῶν συζητούντων, ἰδὼν ὅτι καλῶς ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς, ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτόν· Ποία ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη πάντων; ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Πρώτη ἐστίν· Ἄκουε, Ἰσραήλ, κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου. δευτέρα αὕτη· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. μείζων τούτων ἄλλη ἐντολὴ οὐκ ἔστιν.
  • Mark 12:28–31 (SBL)
  • Translations:
    • And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
      • KJV translation
    • One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
      • NIV translation

Literature

"[T]he ayin [ע] of Shema and the dalet [ד] of echad are enlarged." (Maimonides: Mishneh Torah)

• [In] the third passage, Shema, the ayin [ע] of [the word] Shema and the dalet [ד] of [the word] echad are enlarged.
  • Maimonides: Mishneh Torah, Sefer Ahavah, "Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll" 2:6

• When they recite the Shema today, Jews give it a monotheistic interpretation: Yahweh our God is One and unique. The Deuteronomist had not yet reached this perspective. "Yahweh ehad" did not mean God is One but that Yahweh was the only deity whom it was permitted to worship. Other gods were still a threat: their cults were attractive and could lure Israelites from Yahweh, who was a jealous God.
  • Karen Armstrong: A History of God

Fiction

• Julius Levinson: Everybody, hold someone's hand. Hold hands! Come on in. Sh'ma koleinu, HaShem eloheinu.

  Albert Nimzicki: I'm not Jewish.

  Julius Levinson: Nobody is perfect.

  • Independence Day (1996)

• Lenny Meyer: All right. Now we'll say a prayer together. Repeat after me: Shma Yisroel.

  Max Cohen: Shma Yisroel.

  Lenny Meyer: Right. Adonai Eloihenu.

  Max Cohen: Adonai Eloihenu.

  Lenny Meyer: Adonai Echod.

  Max Cohen: Adonai Echod.

  • Pi (1998)

• Harry: Something I got to say. Always used to wonder if I would, but, you know, what the hey. Sh'ma Yisroel, Adonai Elohaynu, Adonai e'hod. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. … It's good that I said the Sh'ma. My old man always said it guaranteed you a place in Heaven.
  • Sandman #08

See also

• Great Commandment
• Judaism
• Tanakh#Deuteronomy
• Tetragrammaton
• V'ahavta