The Shema
Welcome to Torah Tuesday, where every Tuesday we take a passage from Torah and explain its relevance today.
Today we are looking at one of the most famous scriptures in all of Torah, Deuteronomy 6:4-8:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
This passage is called the Shema. Shema means “to listen and do.” When God says, “Hear, O Israel,” he is telling them shema! Listen and obey! Listening and obeying are two different concepts. When put together, the Hebrew word shema comes to life. You can listen to someone and do the exact opposite of what they say, or you can listen and do exactly what they say. To listen and then follow through with your action is exactly the type of person God calls you to be.
Let’s look at what exactly God is telling us to listen to and obey.
- Yehovah Elohim is one.
First and foremost, just like the first commandment, God is telling his people not to forget that he is supreme over other gods. He is the highest. Listen and obey his words because there is none like him. Without obeying this first concept, one cannot properly follow God.
2. How to love Him.
To love with your heart, soul and might takes action. You can use words all day, but it’s in your action where others take note of your love. God doesn’t want just a piece of us, he wants our entire being and to listen and obey using our entire being. We are not to be people of just word, but in deed. So how do we do that?
3. Put his commands on our hearts.
Having God’s word hidden in our heart is not a new testament concept but actually one found all throughout the old testament, just like in this passage. Other examples include:
Psalm 37:30-31 – The mouth of the righteous uttered wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
Psalm 40:8 – I delight to do your will, O my God, and your law is within my heart.
Psalm 119:11 – Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Isaiah 51:7 – Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is my law; do no fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.
Deuteronomy 11:18 – You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
By having God’s words in our heart, we know how to love him with all our heart, mind and strength. If we do not live and breathe the words of God, they will not become part of us. God is telling us, “listen and obey the words I have told you and keep them close.” So how do we hide his word in our heart?
4. Teach, talk and write down his words.
When we have the word of God deep within us, we are then able to teach our children God’s ways. God tells us to constantly talk about his ways, write them down, put them in front of us at all times. Why? He wants his people to know him, to know his ways, to have his heart in mind when they decide on something, to keep their focus on him. God is very clear here – teach your children, talk about my words, write them down.
Being people that are constantly dwelling on and talking about God’s words, our focus is not on ourselves but on him and his ways. God is looking for people who will not just hear what he’s saying, but do what he says. By doing this, we create generations of people who listen and obey.
How have “shema-d” in your life? What areas do you need to work on?
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