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The Shema

Shema (שְׁמַע) is a Hebrew word meaning “Hear!” It appears in Deuteronomy 6, and its meaning is encompassed in the entire passage from verses 4-9: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Pious Israelites recite this passage three times a day. It is also a mandatory reading during the Sabbath service. The Lord Jesus Himself reaffirmed this passage while on earth, so the Shema is not only of great importance to the Israelites but also to us as Christians. We are to confess our sins, repent, and turn to God—the one and only true God—and love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Image: A carving of “Shema Yisrael” on the Knesset Menorah in Jerusalem. These are the first two Hebrew words of Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel.”
Image: Morning prayer at the Western Wall. The man on the left is wearing a prayer shawl (Tallit Shawl) and has a phylactery (Arm Tefillin) wrapped around his right arm. The boy on the right is wearing a phylactery (Head Tefillin) on his forehead. Inside the phylacteries are the verses of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21).
Image: A Jewish Mezuzah. The Hebrew letter on top, ש, is the first letter of the Hebrew word Shema (Hear) from Deuteronomy 6:4. Jewish scribes write the verses of the Shema on specially prepared parchment with black ink and a quill pen. The parchment is then rolled up and placed inside the box, which is affixed to the doorframe, fulfilling the commandment to “write them on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9). Many Jewish homes and offices have a Mezuzah on every doorframe except for the bathroom and toilet.
Image: A Torah scroll with the verse “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This verse is the foundation of the faith for the entire Bible, so the first and last letters of the first and last words in Hebrew are written larger than the other letters.

Chinese Church of Iowa City

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Chinese Church of Iowa City

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