Shema

שְׁמַע

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Exodus from Egypt

Hebrew

צִיצִת עַל כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם
לְדֹרֹתָם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת
הַכָּנָף1 | פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת: וְהָיָה
לָכֶם לְצִיצִת, וּרְאִיתֶם | אֹתוֹ,
וּזְכַרְתֶּם | אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת יְיָ,
וַעֲשִׂיתֶם | אֹתָם, וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ
אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם
אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם:
לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם | אֶת
כָּל מִצְוֹתָי, וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים
לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם: אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם |
מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם
לֵאלֹהִים, אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם-

Sephardi

tzitzit al kanfei vigdeihem
l'dorotam, venatnu al tzitzit
hakanaf1 | petil techelet: vehayah
lachem letzitzit, ur'item | oto,
uzchartem | et kol mitzvot Adonai,
va'asitem | otam, v'lo taturu
acharei levavchem v'acharei eineichem
asher atem zonim achareihem:
lema'an tizkeru va'asitem | et
kol mitzvotai, vihyitem k'doshim
leiloheichem: Ani Adonai Eloheichem
asher hotzeti etchem |
mei'eretz Mitzrayim lihyot lachem
leilohim, Ani Adonai Eloheichem-

English

should hang on the four corners of their garments. This is something that should be done at all times; it is a commandment for all their generations. They should attach a blue string to the tzitzit on each corner.1 All the threads hanging together will be tzitzit for you. Tzitzit are worn as a reminder, and when you will look at these tzitzit, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord. This is because the numerical value of the Hebrew word tzitzit is 600. Adding the 8 threads and 5 knots, found on each corner, totals 613—the number of commandments in the Torah. Remembering the commandments will cause you to fulfill them. Then you will not wander after the desires of your hearts and the temptations your eyes see. Wandering after your desires causes you to stray from the path of Torah. Look at the tzitzit, so that you will remember and do all of My commandments. Through this, you will be holy to your God. I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt in order to be a God for you, and in order that you should accept Me as your God by keeping My commandments. I am the Lord, your God.

Do not pause between the words אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם and אֱמֶת. The chazzan says אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת quietly, and then repeats aloud אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת. When praying without a minyan, repeat the words אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם before concluding with אֱמֶת.

God has always protected us from our enemies

Hebrew

אֱמֶת וֶאֱמוּנָה2 כָּל זֹאת,
וְקַיָּם עָלֵינוּ, כִּי הוּא
יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֵין זוּלָתוֹ,
וַאֲנַחְנוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ,
הַפּוֹדֵנוּ מִיַּד מְלָכִים, מַלְכֵּנוּ
הַגּוֹאֲלֵנוּ מִכַּף כָּל הֶעָרִיצִים.
הָאֵל הַנִּפְרָע לָנוּ מִצָּרֵינוּ,
וְהַמְשַׁלֵּם גְּמוּל לְכָל אֹיְבֵי
נַפְשֵׁנוּ, הָעֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת עַד
אֵין חֵקֶר, וְנִפְלָאוֹת עַד אֵין
מִסְפָּר. הַשָּׂם נַפְשֵׁנוּ בַּחַיִּים,
וְלֹא נָתַן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֵנוּ. הַמַּדְרִיכֵנוּ
עַל בָּמוֹת אוֹיְבֵינוּ, וַיָּרֶם קַרְנֵנוּ עַל
כָּל שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ. הָאֵל הָעֹשֶׂה לָנוּ
נְקָמָה בְּפַרְעֹה, וְאוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים
בְּאַדְמַת בְּנֵי חָם. הַמַּכֶּה בְּעֶבְרָתוֹ
כָּל בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרָיִם, וַיּוֹצֵא אֶת עַמּוֹ
יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתּוֹכָם לְחֵרוּת עוֹלָם.
הַמַּעֲבִיר בָּנָיו בֵּין גִּזְרֵי יַם סוּף,
וְאֶת רוֹדְפֵיהֶם וְאֶת שׂוֹנְאֵיהֶם
בִּתְהוֹמוֹת טִבַּע, וְרָאוּ בָנָיו
גְּבוּרָתוֹ, שִׁבְּחוּ וְהוֹדוּ לִשְׁמוֹ.
וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בְּרָצוֹן קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם,
מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ עָנוּ שִׁירָה
בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה, וְאָמְרוּ כֻלָּם:

Sephardi

Emet ve'emunah2 kol zot,
vekayam aleinu, ki hu
Adonai Eloheinu ve'ein zulato,
va'anachnu Yisrael amo,
hapodenu miyad melachim, malkeinu
hago'alenu mikaf kol he'aritzim.
Ha-el hanifra lanu mitzareinu,
vehamshalem gemul lechol oivei
nafsheinu, ha'oseh gedolot ad
ein cheker, venifla'ot ad ein
mispar. Hasam nafsheinu bachayim,
v'lo natan lamot raglenu. Hamadrichenu
al bamot oiveinu, vayarem karnenu al
kol sone'einu. Ha-el ha'oseh lanu
nekamah beFar'oh, ve'otot umoftim
be'admat b'nei Cham. Hamakeh be'evrato
kol bechorei Mitzrayim, vayotze et amo
Yisrael mitocham lecherut olam.
Hama'avir banav bein gizrei yam suf,
ve'et rodfeihem ve'et sone'eihem
bitehomot tiba, vera'u banav
gevurato, shibechu v'hodu lishmo.
Umalchuto beratzon kiblu aleihem,
Moshe uvnei Yisrael lecha anu shirah
besimchah rabbah, ve'amru kulam:

English

We believe2 all this that was said in the Shema, and it is true. To us, it is an established fact that He is the Lord, our God, there is nothing else besides Him, and we, the Children of Israel, are His people. God saves us from the hand of kings who try to harm us; it is our King Who redeems us from the hand of all the cruel rulers who seek to harm us. He is the God Who takes retribution from our enemies for us. He pays back all our enemies who try to destroy our souls; He punishes them. He does an unlimited amount of great things and performs wonders, until there are so many of them that they cannot be counted. He kept us alive when our enemies tried to kill us, and He did not let our feet slip when our enemies attacked us. He led us to the high places that our enemies once ruled, and He increased our strength over all our enemies. He is the God Who took retribution from Pharaoh for what he did to us in Egypt; He did wonders and miracles for us in the land of the Egyptians, who were the descendants of Noah's son Ham. God angrily struck and killed all the firstborn Egyptians, He took out His people, the Children of Israel, from among them, and brought them to an everlasting freedom. God led His children through the twelve divided parts of the Sea of Reeds, and those who were chasing them, and their enemies, God drowned in the deep sea. When God's children, the Jewish Nation, saw His strength, they praised and gave thanks to His name, and they willingly accepted Him as king over them. Moses and the Children of Israel with great joy raised their voices in song to You, and they all said:

There is no one like God, our redeemer

Hebrew

מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם יְיָ, מִי כָּמֹכָה
נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת
עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא:3 מַלְכוּתְךָ רָאוּ בָנֶיךָ,
בּוֹקֵעַ יָם לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה, זֶה אֵלִי עָנוּ
וְאָמְרוּ: יְיָ יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד.
וְנֶאֱמַר: כִּי פָדָה יְיָ אֶת יַעֲקֹב,

Sephardi

Mi chamochah ba'elim Adonai, mi kamochah
ne'dar bakodesh, nora tehilot
oseh fele:3 Malchutecha ra'u vanecha,
bokea yam lifnei Moshe, zeh Eli anu
ve'amru: Adonai yimloch l'olam va'ed.
Vene'emar: ki padah Adonai et Ya'akov,

English

Who from among all the great and powerful creations is like You, Lord? Who is like God? You are adorned with holiness. The wonders that You do are so awesome3 that they cannot be sufficiently praised. Your children, the Jewish Nation, saw Your rulership when You split the Sea of Reeds in front of Moses and the entire nation. They announced proudly, "This is my God!" and said "the Lord will rule as king forever and ever." It says in Jeremiah: The Lord has redeemed the Jewish Nation, the Children of Jacob, and He has

Commentary

1 This word can also be translated as "consuming." When a fire consumes its fuel, the color of the flame closest to the fuel is blue—similar to the color of the blue string to which the Torah refers. This type of string symbolizes an ideal world—a world that is nullified and "consumed" by God's holiness.

2 Following the Shema during morning prayers, we affirm that the words contained in the Shema are "true and certain." Here, however, we merely declare that we "believe" that they are true. The reason for this difference is that at night there is a lack of Godly revelation, just as there is a lack of physical light, and we need to strengthen our belief that the words of the Shema are indeed true. During the "day," when Godliness shines brighter, we declare with absolute certainty that they are true.

3 Alternatively, "fearsome." We are afraid to praise God for His wonders, because His greatness is such that what we consider wonders are to Him simple, insignificant acts.