Siddur on the Hill - The Vilna Shul

The Shema
קריאת שמע Kri’at Shema
The Shema declares loudly and clearly one of the central tenets of Judaism: Adonai is
the one and only God. More than a prayer, the Shema is a declaration of faith that
forms an integral part of the prayer service. It is customary to cover one’s eyes while
reciting the first line, so as to achieve a greater level of awareness of the moment.
The Shema is comprised of three sections: Ve’ahavta, Vehaya Im Shemo’ah, and
Vayomer Adonai. In the Ve’ahavta, we declare our principles of faith, focusing on five
basic tenets: to love God intensely; to pass Torah on to our children, to discuss the
Torah in our daily lives, to put tefillin on our arms and heads, and to place mezuzot
on our doorposts. Vehaya Im Shemo’ah focuses more on the application of faith: it
presents the concept of reward and punishment; God promises rewards if the
commandments are followed and punishments if they are ignored. Lastly, Vayomer
Adonai discusses the mitzvah of wearing tzitzit, or fringes, on the four corners of
one’s garments as a constant reminder of God’s commandments.
Historically, all three paragraphs of the Shema were recited aloud by the kohanim, or
priests, as part of the morning Temple service. After the first line was recited, the
assembled masses would respond with, “Blessed is the name of the Glorious Majesty
forever and ever.” This now has become a standard part of the Shema in prayer books
and synagogue services.
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