Shema

Shema
/sheuh mah", shmah/, n. Judaism.
a liturgical prayer, prominent in Jewish history and tradition, that is recited daily at the morning and evening services and expresses the Jewish people's ardent faith in and love of God.
[ < Heb shama' listen!]

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      (Hebrew: “Hear”), the Jewish confession of faith made up of three scriptural texts (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21; Numbers 15:37–41), which, together with appropriate prayers, forms an integral part of the evening and morning services. The name derives from the initial word of the scriptural verse “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The time for recital was determined by the first two texts: “when you lie down, and when you rise.” The Shema texts are also chanted at other times during the Jewish liturgy. The biblical verses inculcate the duty to learn, to study, and to observe the Torah. These texts and their appropriate prayers are consequently sacred to Jews because they contain a profession of faith, a declaration of allegiance to the kingship and kingdom of God, and a symbolic representation of total devotion to the study of the Torah. Since, however, meditation on the Torah “night and day” was a practical impossibility, the Shema became a substitute for Torah study or, more exactly, the minimum requirement for observing the precept.

      Following the example of the scholar-martyr Rabbi Akiba (Akiba ben Joseph) (2nd century AD), the Shema has been uttered by Jewish martyrs throughout the ages as their final profession of faith in the one God of humankind and their love for him. Pious Jews hope to die with the words of the Shema on their lips.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • SHEMA — Mot hébreu signifiant «écoute», par lequel commence le verset 4 du chapitre VI du Deutéronome: «Écoute, Israël, le Seigneur est notre Dieu, le Seigneur est Un.» Ce verset lui même est le premier d’un des textes les plus importants du rituel de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Shema — from Heb. ЕЎema hear!, imperative of ЕЎama to hear. First word of Deut. vi:4 …   Etymology dictionary

  • shema — shéma (šéma) ž DEFINICIJA term. 1. prethodni plan, skica, nacrt za neki budući posao (ob. tehnički, građevinski i sl.) 2. sređena, metodična kombinacija povezanih ili uzastopnih dijelova; sustav, sistem 3. fil. u Kantovoj epistemologiji, koncept… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Shema — [shə mä′] n. [< Heb shma < shma yisroel, Hear, O Israel (the opening words): see Deut. 6:4 9] a declaration of the basic principle of Jewish belief, proclaiming the absolute unity of God …   English World dictionary

  • shéma — e ž (ẹ̑) 1. kar prikazuje kaj poenostavljeno, z bistvenimi, pomembnimi značilnostmi: narediti, narisati shemo; shema krvnega obtoka, okostja; shema parnega stroja; sheme in preglednice // osnutek, okvirni načrt: izdelati shemo delovanja društva; …   Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika

  • Shema — noun Etymology: Hebrew shĕma‘ hear, first word of Deuteronomy 6:4 Date: 1706 the Jewish confession of faith made up of Deuteronomy 6:4 9 and 11:13 21 and Numbers 15:37 41 …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Shema — Chema Israël Religion Religions abrahamiques : Judaïsme Christianisme Islam     …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Shema — noun a liturgical prayer (considered to be the essence of Jewish religion) that is recited at least twice daily by adult Jewish males to declare their faith as soon as Leonard learned to talk he was taught to recite the first words of the Shema,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Shema Yisrael — (or Sh ma Yisrael or just Shema) (Hebrew: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל‎; Hear, [O] Israel ) are the first two words of a section of the Torah (Hebrew Bible) that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. The first verse… …   Wikipedia

  • SHEMA, READING OF — SHEMA, READING OF, the twice daily recitation of the declaration of God s unity, called the Shema ( Hear ) after the first word in Deuteronomy 6:4; also called Keri at Shema ( the reading of the Shema ). As it had developed by at least   as early …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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