Illustration credit: Rivka Tsinman
Prayer in the Parashah תְּפִלָּה
There’s a story in the Gemara that imagines Yaakov feeling worried.
He wonders: After I die, will my children really continue in the ways that I taught them?
Yaakov’s children reassure him:
אָמְרוּ לוֹ בָּנָיו: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד.
אָמְרוּ: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין בְּלִבְּךָ אֶלָּא אֶחָד, כָּךְ אֵין בְּלִבֵּנוּ אֶלָּא אֶחָד.
His children said to him: Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem ehad.
They explained: Just as there is only one God in your heart, so too, we only have one God in our hearts.
“Shema Yisrael” is usually a message to all of us, meaning, “Listen, Benei Yisrael, God is one.” But in this story, “Shema Yisrael” is a message for just one person: Yaakov (whose other name is Yisrael). His children are telling him, “Listen, Yisrael/Yaakov, our God is one. Don’t worry that we’ll stray from the path!”
בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה פָּתַח יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ וְאָמַר: בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.
אָמְרִי רַבָּנַן: הֵיכִי נַעֲבֵיד? נֵאמְרֵיהּ, לֹא אֲמָרוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ.
לָא נֵאמְרֵיהּ, אֲמָרוֹ יַעֲקֹב.
הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ בַּחֲשַׁאי.
At that moment, Yaakov opened his mouth and said: Barukh shem kevod malkhuto le-olam va-ed (blessed be the name of the glory of God’s kingdom forever and ever).
The rabbis wondered what to do with this response.
They thought, we can’t say it as part of Shema, because it’s not in the Torah.
But since Yaakov said it, we can’t leave it out!
They compromised and decided to say it quietly.
- Try it out! When you say Shema, try having the different meanings in mind. One time, imagine you are talking to all of Benei Yisrael and telling them that God is one. Another time, imagine you are reassuring Yaakov and telling him that you still believe that God is one. How does each one feel? Which one do you like imagining better? Why?
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