Sh’ma Yisrael! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad!
Listen, Israel! The Eternal* is our God, the Eternal is One!
The Sh’ma is the first prayer a Jewish child learns and often the last prayer on the lips of a dying Jew.
A teacher once gave me an exercise that I still find useful:
1. Find a quiet place to sit.
2. Say the first word of the Sh’ma: “Sh’ma.” Say it aloud, and listen to it.
3. Think about what that word means. Let your mind flow to other possibilities than the usual “Hear.” Or let your mind linger on the sound of the word. It’s up to you. (You can do this either in Hebrew or in English. Do what is comfortable for you.) Let your mind play with it until it is ready for something new.
4. Take a moment to be completely silent. Then take the next word, “Yisrael.” Say it aloud. Listen to it. Think about what all the various things the word means to you. Let your mind linger on it for a while.
When you are ready, proceed through the rest of the Sh’ma, one word at a time.
Sh’ma. Yisrael. Adonai. Eloheinu. Adonai. Echad.
Listen. Israel. Name of God. Our God. Name of God. One.
Now here’s my question: What does the Sh’ma mean to you?
*The actual word in Hebrew is the Name of God, which Jews do not pronounce. You may fill in with “Adonai,” “HaShem,” “The Eternal,” “Lord” or whatever works for you. Or you may simply be silent.