)
Reciting the Shema involves accepting the yoke of heaven upon ourselves. Men are obligated to recite all three paragraphs of the Shema in the morning and evening. Women are not obligated, but because of the Shema’s importance many women make sure to recite at least the first paragraph (as we mentioned in section 9 above). Accordingly, we will discuss the beginning of the Shema here, and the rest of it when we get to men’s obligations (22:3-4 below).
The first verse, Deuteronomy 6:4, is “Listen, Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Eĥad). This teaches us a fundamental of Jewish faith – monotheism. (See 15:1 above.) God is the master of everything, and there is no other higher power in the universe. Although it may sometimes look as if multiple forces are at work in the world, the one and only God is behind them all. Nothing exists independently of Him.
This is what to have in mind when reciting the first verse of the Shema:
“Listen, Israel” – the Jewish people, whose purpose is to reveal monotheistic faith to the world, must accept the yoke of heaven.
“The Lord” (written with the letters yud, hey, vav, hey and read as Adonai) – the master of everything, Who was, is, and will be.
“Is our God” – He is strong, all-powerful, and controls all forces.
“The Lord is one” – He is the only one, Who rules heaven and earth – the entire universe.
To help people to focus on the first verse, it is customary to recite it aloud. It is also customary to cover the eyes to avoid visual distractions.
Immediately following the first verse, the Sages instituted reciting the following sentence: “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.” Since this sentence does not appear in the Bible, we recite it in a whisper. However, it is considered a continuation of the first verse’s acceptance of the yoke of heaven of Shema. (See 2:10 above.)
