Shema

שְׁמַע

Visible layers

God took us out of Egypt

Hebrew

לָכֶם לְצִיצִת, וּרְאִיתֶם | אֹתוֹ,
וּזְכַרְתֶּם | אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת יְיָ,
וַעֲשִׂיתֶם | אֹתָם, וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ
אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם1
אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם:
לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם | אֶת
כָּל מִצְוֹתָי, וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים
לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם: אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם |
מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם
לֵאלֹהִים,2 אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם-

Sephardi

lachem l'tzitzit, ur'item | oto,
uzchartem | et kol mitzvot Adonai,
va'asitem | otam, v'lo taturu
acharei l'vavchem v'acharei eineichem1
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,2 Ani Adonai Eloheichem-

English

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.1 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,2 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 יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת. When praying without a minyan, repeat the words אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם before concluding with אֱמֶת.

After saying the words וְנֶחֱמָדִים לָעַד in the following paragraph, kiss the tzitzit and release them.

We affirm everything said in Shema

God, His name, kingship, and Torah are everlasting

Hebrew

אֱמֶת3 וְיַצִּיב, וְנָכוֹן, וְקַיָּם,
וְיָשָׁר, וְנֶאֱמָן; וְאָהוּב
וְחָבִיב, וְנֶחְמָד וְנָעִים, וְנוֹרָא
וְאַדִּיר, וּמְתֻקָּן וּמְקֻבָּל,
וְטוֹב וְיָפֶה, הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה
עָלֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: אֱמֶת,
אֱלֹהֵי עוֹלָם מַלְכֵּנוּ, צוּר
יַעֲקֹב מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ, לְדוֹר וָדוֹר
הוּא קַיָּם, וּשְׁמוֹ קַיָּם, וְכִסְאוֹ
נָכוֹן, וּמַלְכוּתוֹ וֶאֱמוּנָתוֹ
לָעַד קַיֶּמֶת. וּדְבָרָיו חַיִּים
וְקַיָּמִים, נֶאֱמָנִים וְנֶחֱמָדִים
לָעַד וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים, עַל
אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְעָלֵינוּ, עַל בָּנֵינוּ וְעַל
דּוֹרוֹתֵינוּ, וְעַל כָּל דּוֹרוֹת זֶרַע
יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדֶּךָ-

Sephardi

Emet3 v'yatziv, v'nachon, vekayam,
veyashar, vene'eman; v'ahuv
v'chaviv, v'nechmad v'na'im, venora
v'adir, um'tukan um'kubal,
v'tov vayfeh, hadavar hazeh
aleinu le'olam va'ed: Emet,
Elohei olam malkeinu, tzur
Ya'akov magen yish'einu, l'dor vador
hu kayam, ushemo kayam, v'chis'o
nachon, umalchuto ve'emunato
la'ad kayemet. Ud'varav chayim
v'kayamim, ne'emanim v'nechemadim
la'ad ule'olmei olamim, al
avoteinu ve'aleinu, al baneinu ve'al
doroteinu, ve'al kol dorot zera
Yisrael avdecha-

English

This that we have just said in the Shema is true,3 certain, established, everlasting, right, and trustworthy, beloved and dear, pleasant and sweet, awesome and powerful, correct and accepted, good and beautiful to us, and it will be so forever and ever. It is true that God, Who rules over the entire universe, is our King. God, the strength of Jacob, is the shield that protects and saves us. He and His name will last forever, throughout all generations. His throne is well established in heaven. His rulership as king of the universe and His trustworthiness exist forever. God will always be the King of the universe and He will always be trusted to keep His promises. God's words, which are written in the Torah, are living, everlasting, trustworthy, and pleasant; and they always will be, forever and ever, for our fathers, for us, for our children, and for our descendants in future generations, and for all generations of the Jewish Nation—the descendants of Israel, Your servant—

Hebrew

עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְעַל הָאַחֲרוֹנִים
דָּבָר טוֹב וְקַיָּם בֶּאֱמֶת
וּבֶאֱמוּנָה, חֹק וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר. אֱמֶת,
שֶׁאַתָּה הוּא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי
אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, מַלְכֵּנוּ מֶלֶךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ,
גּוֹאֲלֵנוּ גּוֹאֵל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, צוּרֵנוּ צוּר
יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ, פּוֹדֵנוּ וּמַצִּילֵנוּ מֵעוֹלָם
הוּא שְׁמֶךָ, וְאֵין לָנוּ עוֹד אֱלֹהִים
זוּלָתֶךָ סֶלָה:

Sephardi

Al harishonim ve'al ha'acharonim
davar tov vekayam be'emet
uve'emunah, chok v'lo ya'avor. Emet,
she'atah hu Adonai Eloheinu veilohei
avoteinu, malkeinu melech avoteinu,
go'alenu go'el avoteinu, tzureinu tzur
yeshu'atenu, podenu umatzilenu me'olam
hu shemecha, v'ein lanu od Elohim
zulatekha selah:

English

For all the Jewish Nation, from earlier generations to later generations, Your word, the Torah, is good and everlasting. The Torah is true and trustworthy; it is a book of law that will never be changed or canceled. It is true: that You are the Lord, our God and the God of our fathers; You are our King and the King of our fathers. You are our Redeemer and the Redeemer of our fathers. You are our Rock, the Rock Who gives us strength and saves us. You are our redeemer and rescuer. Always, from the days of old, this is Your name; You have been known for this. We have no other god besides You, ever.

God always protected us in difficult times

Hebrew

עֶזְרַת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַתָּה הוּא
מֵעוֹלָם, מָגֵן וּמוֹשִׁיעַ לָהֶם
וּלְבְנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר.
בְּרוּם עוֹלָם מוֹשָׁבֶךָ, וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ
וְצִדְקָתְךָ עַד אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ.

Sephardi

Ezrat avoteinu atah hu
me'olam, magen umoshi'a lahem
ul'vneihem achareihem bechol dor vador.
B'rum olam moshavecha, umishpatecha
v'tzidkatecha ad afsei aretz.

English

God, You have always been the help for our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You have always been a shield that protects them, and You have been a rescuer for them and for their children who have come after them, in every generation. Even though Your home is in the highest levels of the universe, Your judgments and Your righteousness reach until the ends of the earth.