The Jewish people recite prayers to God in order to individually show their appreciation and obedience to the Lord. The Shema is possibly the most integral prayer in Judaism. Recited once a day, hung inside the doorway of the entrance to a Jewish home and kept inside tefilla, prayer binding, the Shema is supposed to be remembered and kept sacred. (Fishbane 146) Most Jews, myself included, at one time or another had the Shema memorized. The importance of this prayer in Judaism come from words; the Shema go beyond a simple demonstration of gratitude. Inside this one prayer is a description of Jewish space, actions that pious Jews should follow, the relationship between God and the Jews, and the nature of God’s actions.
The first two lines …show more content…
God’s covenant with the Jewish people extends past Abraham to his descendants. God will protect, assist and grow the Jewish people as long as they follow his commandments, simply the Jewish laws and lifestyle. In the Third Morning Benediction (Emet ve-yazziv), a separate prayer, the Jews say to God, “You have been the help of our fathers from of old, a Shield and Saviour to their children after them in every generation”. (Alexander 71) The children of Abraham are the children of God and are the chosen people. In order for the Jews to maintain their end of the covenant, spiritual texts must be taught to the children. The Shema reads, “These words… you shall teach them to your children… when you sit at home… walk in the street….” The worship of God must be central to the lifestyle of the future generations. Every Jew, young and old, must hold God in their heart, which is the second action in the first paragraph of the Shema. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”. (70) If one does not love God fully, then one cannot devote themself or their actions to him fully. The endless devotion and obedience to God is one of the defining factors of the relationship between God and the
The first two lines …show more content…
God’s covenant with the Jewish people extends past Abraham to his descendants. God will protect, assist and grow the Jewish people as long as they follow his commandments, simply the Jewish laws and lifestyle. In the Third Morning Benediction (Emet ve-yazziv), a separate prayer, the Jews say to God, “You have been the help of our fathers from of old, a Shield and Saviour to their children after them in every generation”. (Alexander 71) The children of Abraham are the children of God and are the chosen people. In order for the Jews to maintain their end of the covenant, spiritual texts must be taught to the children. The Shema reads, “These words… you shall teach them to your children… when you sit at home… walk in the street….” The worship of God must be central to the lifestyle of the future generations. Every Jew, young and old, must hold God in their heart, which is the second action in the first paragraph of the Shema. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”. (70) If one does not love God fully, then one cannot devote themself or their actions to him fully. The endless devotion and obedience to God is one of the defining factors of the relationship between God and the