Hebrew
אוֹתָנוּ לִמַּדְתָּ. עַל כֵּן יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ,
בְּשָׁכְבֵנוּ וּבְקוּמֵנוּ נָשִׂיחַ בְּחֻקֶּיךָ,
וְנִשְׂמַח בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וּבְמִצְוֹתֶיךָ
לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. כִּי הֵם חַיֵּינוּ וְאֹרֶךְ
יָמֵינוּ, וּבָהֶם נֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה,
וְאַהֲבָתְךָ לֹא תָסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ
לְעוֹלָמִים. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אוֹהֵב
עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל:
Sephardi
Otanu limadta. Al ken Adonai Eloheinu,
beshokhvenu uvkumenu nasiach bechukkekha,
venismach bedivrei Toratekha uvmitzvotekha
le'olam va'ed. Ki hem chayeinu ve'orekh
yameinu, uvahem nehegeh yomam valailah,
ve'ahavatkha lo tasur mimenu
le'olamim. Baruch Atah Adonai, ohev
amo Yisrael:
English
not know their reasons. Others are laws—we know their reasons. Therefore, Lord, our God, when we lie down and when we get up, we will always be speaking about Your decrees, and we will be happy with the words of Your Torah and with Your commandments forever and ever, because they are our true life and the length of our days; they give us long life. We will always study them, by day and by night. God, may Your love never leave us. Blessed are You, Lord, Who loves the Children of Israel, His nation.
Shema
When saying the Shema, concentrate intently on its meaning. While saying the opening line (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל), keep in mind that you are accepting God’s sovereignty; while saying the first paragraph (וְאָהַבְתָּ), keep in mind that you are accepting the commandment to love God; and while saying the second paragraph (וְהָיָה), keep in mind that you are accepting all of God’s commandments. By saying the third paragraph (וַיֹּאמֶר), you are fulfilling the commandment of remembering the Exodus from Egypt.
Special care must be taken to say each word of the Shema clearly. Pause at each punctuation mark to ensure that you do not string the words together and alter their meaning.
Say the following verse aloud, covering your eyes with your right hand. For transliteration, see page 943.
We declare God’s Oneness
Hebrew
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְיָ | אֶחָד:
Sephardi
Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai | echad:
English
Every Jew should listen and understand that the Lord is our God, and that the Lord is the One and only Ruler and King in the seven heavens, the earth, and the four corners of the universe.
Say the following line quietly:
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
Sephardi
Baruch shem kevod malchuto le'olam va'ed:
English
The name of God’s glorious kingdom is blessed forever and ever.
Love God
Hebrew
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ<sup>1</sup>, בְּכָל |
לְבָבְךָ, וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ,
וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ: וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים
הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם,
Sephardi
Ve'ahavta et Adonai Elohecha<sup>1</sup>, bechol |
levavcha, uvechol nafshecha,
uvechol me'odecha: Vehayu hadevarim
ha'eleh asher anochi metzavvekha hayom,
English
You should love the Lord,<sup>1</sup> your God, and keep His commandments with all of your heart, as one does when fulfilling his beloved’s request. Love God with all of your soul. Be ready to fulfill all of His commandments, even if you might lose your
English
life. Love God with all of your might. Be ready to fulfill all of His commandments, even if you might lose your money. These words of Torah, which I command you to do today and every day, should always be new and fresh to you, and they should be engraved on your heart; you should always be thinking about them.
Learn and teach Torah
Hebrew
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ
וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ,
וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ,
וּבְקוּמֶךָ:
Sephardi
Veshinantam levanecha
vedibarta bam, beshivtecha beveitecha,
uvelechtecha vaderech, uveshochebecha,
uvekumecha:
English
You should teach Torah to your children and students until they know it well enough to answer any question about it. You should be involved in the words of Torah and speak them whenever you can: when you sit in your house, when you go on the way, when you lie down at night, and when you get up in the morning.
Wear tefillin and place a mezuzah on your doorposts
Hebrew
וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת
עַל יָדֶךָ, וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין
עֵינֶיךָ: וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזֻזוֹת
בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ:
Sephardi
Ukeshartam le'ot
al yadecha, vehayu letotafot bein
einecha: Uchetavtam al mezuzot
beitecha, uvisha'arecha:
English
These words, the words of the Shema, should be written in tefillin. You should tie the hand-tefillin on your arm as a sign to remember God, and the head-tefillin should be put on your head, above the area between your eyes. You should write these words of the Shema on mezuzot, which you should put up on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Rewards for keeping God’s commandments
Hebrew
וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל
מִצְוֹתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי
מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם, לְאַהֲבָה
אֶת יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ,
בְּכָל | לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם:
וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם | בְּעִתּוֹ
יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ, וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ
וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ: וְנָתַתִּי
עֵשֶׂב | בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ,
וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ:
Sephardi
Vehayah im shamoa tishme'u el
mitzvotai asher anochi
metzaveh etchem hayom, le'ahavah
et Adonai Eloheichem ule'ovdo,
bechol | levavkhem uvechol nafshekhem:
V'natati metar artz'chem | be'ito
yoreh umalkosh, ve'asafta deganekha
vetiroshkha v'yitzharecha: V'natati
esev | besadcha livhemtecha,
v'achalta vesavata:
English
God tells the Jewish Nation in the Torah: It will be that if you listen to Me and keep all of My commandments that I am commanding you today, to love the Lord, your God, and to serve Him by praying properly with all of your heart and all of your soul; then I will bless you with the following blessings: I will give rain for your land at the right times—when people are not outside, such as on Friday night. I will bring you the early rain, which falls right after the seeds have been planted, and also the late rain, which falls after the plants have sprouted, to help them grow well. You will collect all of your grain, wine, and oil, and none will be taken by your enemies. I will put plenty of grass in your