The Shema: Listening Through our Hearts

Buck Moon - From the Field Guide to Insects

Eighty-eight thousand six-hundred
different species in North America. In the trees, the grasses
around us. Maybe more, maybe
several million on each acre of earth. This one
as well as any other. Where you are standing
at dusk. Where the moon
appears to be climbing the eastern sky. Where the wind
seems to be traveling through the trees, and the frogs
are content in their black ponds or else
why do they sing? Where you feel
a power that is not you but flows
into you like a river. Where you lie down and breathe
the sweet honey of the grass and count
the stars; where you fall asleep listening
to the simple chords repeated, repeated.
Where, resting, you feel
the perfection, the rising, the happiness
of their dark wings.

-Mary Oliver

The Shema comes in the 3rd ascending portion of the morning service (it also appears in the evening service)

It is a full section of the service, no only the words Shema/V'ahavta...

It follows the Psukey D'zimrah - opening to the wonder of creation, opening the heart/soul and consists of:

• Barechu - Formal call to worship, we're now one community united for prayer
• First blessing: The Yotzer blessing and the continuation of blessings on the theme of CREATION
• Second blessing: The blessing of love/Torah - REVELATION
• The Shema - Ve'ahavta, the Ve'haya (2nd paragraph), the Vayomer (3rd paragraph)
• Blessing after Shema: Ge'ulah - blessing of liberation, REDEMPTION, freedom to be God's people

Psukey D'zimrah was about the heart, and now Shema is about the mind, the senses - what we know and how we can know it through seeing, listening, with all the senses that provide us information.

The Shema section suggests a spiritual evolution in history from the creation of the world, revealing of Torah to the people, and then ultimate redemption (Messiah, Messianic time) that mirrors the national liberation from Egypt.

Creation is the landscape of existence - where God interacts with us within history -- Revelation is where we reach 'up' to transcend ourselves through the gift and wisdom of Torah, and Redemption is the direction toward the future where our efforts to redeem the world through mitzvoth leads to.

And God called the light day - Is it not day when there's light? This is surprising! It is taught: the light that was created in the six days of Creation cannot illuminate during the day because it dims the sun, and at night it cannot since it was only created to illuminate during the day. And where is it? It is hidden,and is prepared for the righteous for the Future, as it says "and the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times like the light of the seven days" (Isaiah 30:26).

Braysheet Rabbah 3:6

We must bear in mind that all the holy “sparks” are possessed ‎of an urge to serve their Creator, just as do the different ‎categories of angels all of whom vie to fulfill the wishes of their ‎Creator while being in awe of Him.

-Kedushat Levi (Genesis, Noah) - R. Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev

And one should intend while eating something or drinking something, that the flavor that one tastes in the mouth while chewing and swallowing, is the holy inner essence and holy sparks that dwell in this food or drink. And through eating, and grinding with teeth and digestion, the inner essence of the the food is purified, which is not unbound/permitted to influence the outer portion, and then one's soul will enjoy the inner essence, while the trash is unbound and and ejected to the outer portion.

-Noam Elimelech (Introduction, The Tzetel Katan 15)