“Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad” are the most famous words in the Jewish world. As well as being recited twice a day during Shacharit and Ma’ariv, these “magical” words are recited when we go to sleep at night, they are said next to the baby the night before his Brit Milah, they are recited during the Mussaf Kedusha of Shabbat and Yom Tov and they are said when the Sefer Torah is removed from the Holy Ark. Over and over again, they are said by Jews worldwide. It’s as if we cannot say them enough!

What is it about the Shema that makes it the bedrock of our relationship with Hashem? “Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad” portrays the unique relationship that exists between Hashem and His nation, and it also encapsulates the eternity of the Jewish People. Our Sages teach that “Kriat Shema” is the acceptance that Hashem is our King. This is what is referred to as “Kabbalat Ohl Malchut Shamayim, Acceptance of the Heavenly Yoke.”

The basest urge of human beings is to be completely free, without any restraints whatsoever. Not to be beholden to anyone or anything. Yet, in contradistinction, we recite Kriat Shema to declare our allegiance to Hashem by recognizing that Hashem is our King. We are acknowledging that Hashem gave us our souls and sustains us throughout life in this world. And that He grants us access to an eternal existence that is indescribably superior to anything that the physical world has to offer.

The first step to reaching that understanding is to declare that Hashem is One. The Maharal writes (Netivot Olam, Netiv HaAvodah 8) that the word Echad denotes something that is complete. It denotes that only Hashem can be described as Echad – Whole and Absolute.

The word Shema means far more than just “hear” or “listen.” Shema means to “intellectualize” as well. A person who does not internalize the essence of Kriat Shema has missed the most crucial reason for reciting it: to recognize that Hashem is our King. More than that, a person can be privy to the most obvious manifestations of Hashem’s total control over their life and they can choose to ignore them. Or, perhaps even worse, to be completely unaware of them.

Rabbi Yitzchak Yeruchem Bordianski, the Mashgiach of Yeshivat Kol Torah, related that he was once in a taxi and the non-religious taxi driver told him a story: “As a teenager, I camped out with friends in the desert, in the south of Israel. In the middle of the night, one of our friend’s terrifying cries woke us all up. A snake had wound itself around his body. His life – and essentially the lives of all of us – were in danger. Our guide had a gun and he wanted to shoot the snake in its head to save the boy’s life. However, to do so was extremely dangerous as the snake was wrapped around our friend. To miss by a millimeter meant the bullet would hit our friend. But he felt that he didn’t have a choice. One of the boys in the group was religious. He asked our guide to wait a moment. He rushed over to our friend and told him, ‘Repeat after me Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.’ When they got to the words ‘Hashem Echad,’ the snake suddenly released its grip and slithered away.”

Rabbi Bordianski was intrigued by the taxi driver’s story, and he asked him, “What happened to that boy? Did he do Teshuvah (repent) after witnessing this miracle?”

“He did,” the taxi driver assured him. “Today he spends his day immersed in Torah studies in Yeshivat Ohr HaChaim in Yerushalayim.”

“And what about you?” asked Rabbi Bordianski. “Did you do Teshuvah?”

“No,” the taxi driver answered.

“Why not?” pressed Rabbi Bordianski. “You also witnessed the miracle.”

“True,” responded the taxi driver. “But the snake wasn’t wrapped around my body...”

How immeasurably sad that a person can clearly identify the Hand of G-d and then choose to ignore what they have seen.

Declaring that Hashem is Echad is our key to a healthy and enduring relationship with Him. The Rabbis point out that it is no coincidence that the Hebrew letters that spell out the word Shema – ‘shin’ ‘mem’ ‘ayin’ – backwards are an acronym for Ohl Malchut Shamayim!

To be continued…