An exploration of Judaism’s most sacred statement and world-changing idea.
“Hear O Israel, the Eternal is Our God, the Eternal is One!” There is arguably no more important statement in Judaism than the Sh’ma. Its words—calling us to hear, to listen, to pay attention—defy direct translation and have meant different things throughout history.
In a deeply personal exploration of this sacred proclamation, command, and prayer, Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler delves into the spiritual history of the Sh’ma, inspiring you to claim your own personal meaning in these enduring words. By examining how the Sh’ma has been commented upon by ancient sages and contemporary thinkers, he opens the doors between each generation that has found a different dimension of truth in the Sh’ma.
Each chapter focuses on a major historical figure and includes a sacred story, an exploration into the story’s many meanings, and a suggestion for a new way of “hearing” the voice in the story. Experience the Sh’ma through the lives of:
- Moses—Fighting Idolatry
- Akiba ben Joseph—The Sages Offer Their Lives
- Saaida Gaon—Proving the One
- Moses Maimonides—Nothing Like God
- Haim Vital—Communing with the One
- Moses Haim Luzzatto— “Master of the Universe”
- Abraham Isaac Kook—A Nation Reborn
- Leo Baeck—One Moral Standard
- Abraham Joshua Heschel—A Prophecy: “One World or No World”
“Contain[s] wonderful insights on the ‘oneness’ of both God and the Jewish people…. An ideal Jewish book club choice.”
—Jewish Book World
“Investigates the spiritual history of the Sh’ma by looking at how some key Jewish scholars and believers have interpreted the phrase…. An excellent addition to public, synagogue, and academic libraries.”
—Library Journal
“By presenting such a variety of approaches to the meaning of the Sh’ma, the author gives the reader a rich and full picture of what this important liturgical/biblical verse can mean. An excellent contribution to our understanding of the Sh’ma.”
—Jewish Media Review
Why did you want to write about the Sh’ma?
The Sh’ma is a great place to start if anyone is at all curious about what Jews believe about God. It is the cornerstone of Jewish spirituality, and the first prayer we learn in Hebrew school. It is the declaration converts make as they enter Judaism, and the word that many Jews aspire to say before they die. It is powerful, but it is also basic enough so that many Jewish people know it. If people want to explore the spiritual history of Judaism, then understanding the words of the Sh’ma is the first step.
If the Sh’ma is so basic, what is there to learn about it?
The six Hebrew words of the Sh’ma have been interpreted to mean different things at different times in history. On a most basic level, “Hear O Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One” is a simple declaration of monotheism, the belief that there is only one God. But people have understood “oneness” to mean very different things, depending upon the refractions of time and place. What Moses meant when he said the Sh’ma is different from what subsequent generations meant. In the book, I present nine different thinkers and what they meant when they said the Sh’ma, beginning with a story about each of them and the world they lived in.
If the Sh’ma has meant so many things to so many people, how can anyone know which is the correct interpretation?
Judaism is not about having one right answer or one correct interpretation. We do not have to have absolute certainty in our faith to be good Jews. Instead, we are supposed to question and have the freedom of conscience to change our minds. Judaism demands that we think seriously about the words we are saying, such as when we say the Sh’ma during prayer services, and struggle with what the oneness of God might mean to us. What we believed as children might be different than what we believe now as adults, and it will most likely change in the future. We can pick and choose from among numerous people’s interpretations, including from the figures I present in this book, in an effort to find our own.
