аЯрЁБс > ўџ ; = ўџџџ : џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС 7 №П Ф2 bjbjUU "> 7| 7| Њ. џџ џџ џџ l А А А А А А А Ф 8 К Ц Ф 7 ю ю " Ж И И И И И И $ 7 W R м А м D А А ё D D D Ђ А А Ж D Ж D r D Ж А А Ж т цj'сЛХФ О В І Ж Ж 0 7 Ж Љ X ь Љ Ж D Ф Ф А А А А й The Shema
Ive been divorced for quite while now, but through my relationship with my ex-husband, I was part of a Jewish family for around 15 years. They were reformed Jews, although my husband was more culturally Jewish, than religiously Jewish which meant he would just go to high-holidays in the Fall, and celebrate Chanukah in December and Passover in the Spring. I would go with him.
Although congregation Rodolf Shalom has a lovely temple, the high holidays where held at the Civic Center, which would be nearly filled for the day-long services that were held for the high-holidays Roshashana and Yom Kippur. When I first started going, I was comforted by some of the things I noticed were similar to Christian services. I recognized the Hallelujahs and the Amens. The Torah simply meant the first five chapters of the Old Testament the readings from the Torah were ones that I was familiar with. But, the services were half in Hebrew - a language very different from anything I was brought up with. Because I was curious and sometimes, frankly, simply to pass the time during the long parts of the service that I didnt understand, I would look at Hebrew words, trying to get an understanding of the alphabet. One letter that I came to easily recognize is the SHIN, a fairly distinctive looking letter, which makes the sound of the English Sh. A SHIN is the first letter of the Hebrew word Shema, which is printed on the front page of your bulletin. (Words in Hebrew read from the right to the left).
And, one of the few Hebrew phrases that became familiar to me is Shema Yisrael, Adonai, Elohaynu, Adonai Ehad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord, our God, the Lord is One! This phrase, known as the Shema, is the first sentence of the long prayer, also referred to as the Shema, which Eleanor read for the todays reading. It is also frequently said just by itself .
One of the things I lost when I got divorced was my connection to Jewish traditions. It was something I missed quite a bit. So I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I started coming to the Fairfax Community Church, that the Shema was said every week it was a tie to my past, it was something familiar.
But, the explanation that we give as to why it is part of our service seemed to me to be incomplete that it was in recognition of the Jewish ancestry of Christianity, it was recognizing something that Jesus, who was Jewish, would have been familiar with, and said regularly.
I felt there was more to it than that. Certainly we were not conveying the importance of this phrase; at least to the Jews I had known. So, when Sara asked me to give a reflection, I said I would like to give it on the Shema, basically so I, myself, could learn a bit more about something that is part of the our tradition, and then pass it along to you. I started doing some basic research, and ended up being surprised with what I found out, both from a Jewish, as well as a Christian perspective.
Why is this phrase important? In Christianity, we have the Lords Prayer, given to us by Jesus. Historically, we picture the Christian martyrs in Rome praying the Lords Prayer before being put to death. Its a prayer that we say regularly. Particularly in difficult times, when situations seem hopeless, before someone we love dies, before we die. Its a prayer that contains for us the essence of Christianity.
To Jews, the Shema has a similar importance. Moses conveyed it to them from God. It was the last thing said by the Jews of Masada, who committed suicide rather than become slaves of the Romans. Jews prayed it before being put to death by the Nazis in WWII. Its a prayer thats said daily by orthodox Jews. Its said in times of trouble, before someone they love dies. Before they die.
One of the readings I found said: The Shema was the battle-cry of the priest in calling Israel to arms against an enemy. It is the last word of the dying in his confession of faith. It was on the lips of those who suffered and were tortured for the sake of the Law. Rabbi Akiva patiently endured while his flesh was being torn with iron combs, and died reciting the Shema. He pronounced the last word of the sentence, Echad with his last breath. For Jews, this prayer contains the essence of their religion.
Where is the Shema found in the Bible? The majority of the complete Shema comes from Deuteronomy, with a few of the later phrases found in the book of Numbers. You can see the exact references in your bulletins. In Deuteronomy, Moses has just gone over the 10 commandments. Then he says the Shema. Hear O Isreal, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE. In that time, this distinguished the Jewish religion. The Romans, the Greeks, the Pagans, all had their Gods and Goddesses. But the Jews believed that there was One God-this was and continues to be the essence of their religion. Moses continued with And, you should love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. He then discusses how to do this.
These passages were not considered to be general guidelines, but specific rules to follow in the lives of good Jews. One Jewish rule that youre all probably familiar with is the rule forbidding Jews to eat pork. But Judaism has great many rules, and quite a number of them come from these passages of the Bible.
How is the Shema to be said? One reference I found said: When we say the first statement, we close our eyes and cover them with our right hand to enable ourselves to concentrate on this very lofty and central thought. The first sentence is said louder than the second, because it reaffirms the basic tenets of Jewish faith, it is important to hear clearly what one is saying. It may be said while standing or sitting. The final word, echad, should be prolonged and emphasized.
When should the Shema be said? The bible passages say: You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Following this, traditional Jews say the Shema in their morning blessings, in the Sabbat service and on holidays, when the Torah is taken out of the, as a bedtime prayer, as part of the deathbed confessional, and at various other times.
Where should the words of the Shema be in the house? The bible says You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes, you will find a small case. The case is known as a mezuzah, which is Hebrew for doorpost, because it is placed on the doorposts of the house. You can see some pictures of mezuzahs on your bulletin. Mazuzahs can be found on all doorposts in Jewish homes, except the bathroom. The words of the Shema prayer are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, which is then rolled up and placed in the case. The letter Shin, the first letter of the Shema, is written on the outside of the case. The scroll must be handwritten in a special style of writing and placed in the case. Mechanically printed scrolls arent acceptable. The case is attached at an angle. Why? The rabbis couldnt decide whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically, so they compromised. When Jews pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, they touch the mezuzah then kiss the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for God and Gods laws and reminding themselves of the passages contained within them.
What are other rules? The bible says You shall bind (these words) as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. The words of the Shema are put in leather pouches, with long ribbons. These are called Tefillin or phylacteries. Traditional Jews tie one pouch to their left arm, and another to their forehead, at certain times while the Shema is said. There are specific ways to place the pouches and tie the ribbons.
The bible also says Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord. Traditional Jews wear fringes on their tallit their prayer shawls. Blue threads are included in the fringe. It is customary for worshipers wearing a tallit to hold the fringes in the left hand while reciting the Shema. It is customary to kiss the fringes as a sign of affection for the commandments.
These are just some of the rules regarding the Shema. There are more. What prayer do you say when you put up a mezuzah? What do you do with a mezuzah when you move to a new a house? Who is exempt from saying the Shema? What are the rules for saying the Shema during certain holidays? When do you say the Shema lying down? When standing up? The list goes on and on. And, these are just the rules surrounding the Shema.
We move forward from the time of Moses to the time of Jesus, 1,000 years more or less. By this time, there are no longer just the 10 commandments, but 613 commandments, plus their interpretations. The Pharisees made it their lifes purpose to understand and interpret these commandments. They regularly argued about the relative importance of each commandment, with different sides relying on different passages of the Bible and subsequent rabbinical interpretations.
In Mark, 12 verses 28 through 32, we find Jesus being tested by the Pharisees trying to catch him in his understanding of the laws. After a few other questions, a scribe asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? If Jesus argues on way, hell offend some of them. If he argues another, hell offend others. What does Jesus say? He respondes with the basic tenet of the Jewish faith: Shema, Isreal, Adonai, Elohainu, Adonai, Ehad 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 they strength: this IS the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
When one of the scribes heard what he said, and agreed that these two commandments contained the essence of all of the other commandments, Jesus told him that he was not far from the kingdom of God. And the Pharisees stopped questioning Jesus.
This is important. It is repeated at least twice more in the New Testament: first in Matthew 22 verses 34-40. And in Luke 10 versus 25-29, these two commandments are repeated again, with a man wanting a bit more of an explanation: He wanted to know more specifically what Jesus meant by the word neighbor. Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. God wants us to love everyone. Even our enemies.
With these commandments, Jesus took the core of Judaism, and made it the core of Christianity. But, instead of holding to the literal translation of the Bible, he gave us general guidelines: There is one God. Love your God. This God is not just the God of the Israelites. God loves us all. Therefore we are commanded to Love all others around us. In Christianity, these two commandments summarized the rules established under Jewish law.
It future services, when we sing the Shema, I hope I, and I hope you, will sing the words with this understanding: The Shema is the essence of Judaism. It is also the essence of Christianity. It was core to Jesuss growing up as a Jew. It was core to Jesuss message. With it he showed his total belief of the basic tenets of the Jewish religion. While at the same time, he used it to illustrate his change from the focus on intricate Jewish laws to the one basic law of Christianity: LOVE.
Please sing it now, after me.
Shema, Isreal, Adonai, Elohainu, Adonai, Ehad!
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