PROCLAIMING THE UNITY OF GOD

SHEMA YISRAEL

One of the most important declarations of belief that a Jew can ever make is to say 'Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad' normally translated as: 'Hear O'Israel The Lord is our God The Lord is One'.

This declaration should be made at least twice a day from Biblical law, morning and evening, and rabbinically twice more, once more in the morning and once before sleeping.

The Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) states that this line should be among the first spoken words taught to Jewish infants when they start to speak.

In addition this verse should be recited by a dying Jew preferably among the last words said and ideally synchronizing the work 'echad' or 'one' with ones last breath - the soul leaving the body.

The Talmud in Berachot 15b states that reading the 'Shema' correctly has a tremendously positive effect on ones status in the future world (olam haba). If the 'Shema' is not said with concentration and understanding of its meaning it needs to be repeated and a person does not fulfill the mitzvah.

So what exactly should a person think when uttering these words?

The simple translation of the words: 'Hear O'Israel The Lord is our God The Lord is One'.

The commentator Yalkut Yosef explains that there are at least two fundamental concepts that a person must focus on A) to accept on oneself the Kingship of God the King of the Universe and B) belief in the Unique unity of God.

Here is the Shema in brackets are the explanations a person should concventrate on :when saying the words

SHEMA (HEAR, UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO ACCEPT)

YISRAEL (AMIDST THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL)

THE LORD (HE WAS IS AND WILL BE - UNCHANGING ABOVE TIME) IS OUR GOD (KING ALL-POWERFUL)

THE LORD (HE WAS IS AND WILL BE - UNCHANGING ABOVE TIME)

IS ONE (A UNIQUE UNITY, KING OF THE SEVEN HEAVENS ABOVE AND IN THE FOUR CORNERS OF OUR UNIVERSE WHO WILL EVENTUALLY BE RECOGNIZED AS SUCH BY ALL CREATION).