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August 11, 1995 - Image 26

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1995-08-11

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

EIVIANU EL

"God Is With Us"

Our Words and Deeds
Underlie Commitment

RABBI IRWIN GRONER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

I

How About You?

Come and celebrate the traditions and rituals that have
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TEMPLE EMANU-EL

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Emeritus Norman Rose • Rabbi Emeritus Milton Rosenbaum
Arlene Klein, Administrator • John E. Jacobs, President



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n this week's sedrah, we find
the greatest of all declarations
that the Bible contains, the
Sh'ma. "Hear, 0 Israel, The
Lord is Our God, the Lord is One."
This verse is recited every day dur-
ing the morning and evening ser-
vice. It is the most famous of the
Torah's 5,845 verses.
No other statement has been
as frequently upon the lips of
Jews. The infant just learning
how to speak'is taught among the
first words, these words of the
Sh'ma. The Jew whose life is end-
ing summons his last energy for
the final utterance of this verse.
No statement can be compared
in its spiritual force with the six
words that have become the con-
fession of faith of the Jewish peo-
ple.
It is important for us to note
that the Sh'ma is not really a
prayer which is addressed to God,
but rather is this statement di-
rected to other Jews, and not only
to other Jews, but to one's self. It
is not so much a prayer as it is a
proclamation, a declaration. Jews
are reminding each other and
telling each other the most im-
portant truth. And the word
"hear" does not mean physical,
but rather spiritual hearing. It is
a hearing of the spirit; and un-
derstanding of the heart is
meant.
It is, therefore, to the people of
Israel that this word is spoken.
We cannot expect all mankind to
be aware of the divine presence.
But we can expect Israel, a peo-
ple of seers and prophets, a peo-
ple that has heard and known the
message of God, to understand
and respond.
Maurce Samuel once observed
that the Jew not only taught
monotheism, he "sweated it out."
Into this doctrine, the Jew corn-
pressed all he believed about God.
Out of this doctrine, he drew all
he believed about humanity in
the world.
Thus, the Sh'ma taught many
lessons. This statement negates
polytheism, dualism, and athe-
ism. It affirms the unity and or-
der of the natural universe and
the unity of history as the un-
folding of the divine plan. Since
there is only one God, the creator
of the world, He is also the Fa-
ther of all men.
Once we have affirmed the Fa-
therhood of God, we have there-
by proclaimed the brotherhood of
man. It is this doctrine that leaps
over the barriers that divide
creeds, states, races and classes.
Finally, the God of the Sh'ma is,
for the Jewish people; not only

one, but "Our God," the Almighty
to whom we are bound in an un-
breakable covenant, and whose
will we are to fulfill.
In the text of the Hebrew
Bible, the last letter — Ayin — of
the first word "Sh'ma," "Hear' is
written large, as is the last letter
— daled — of the last word,
"Ehad," "One." These two letters
spell the Hebrew word "Ed,"
meaning "witness." The implica-
tion of this commentary is that,
in reciting the Sh'ma, the Jew
bears witness that he believes in
the one God, a God of righteous-
ness, mercy and truth. What a
glorious privilege it is that we
have been called upon to such
witnesses.

Shabbat Vaetchanan:
Deuteronomy
3:23-7:11
Isaiah 40:1-26.

But the Jew who recites the
Sh'ma does more than make a
statement about belief. He also
makes a commitment to live by
the teachings of this faith. In the
word of our sages, he thereby "ac-
cepts the yoke of the Kingdom of
Heaven." It is not enough to pro-
fess God in words. He also is to
be loved through deeds. Hence,
the verse of the Sh'ma is followed
by the next passage, which de-
clares "You shall bye the Lord,
your God, with all your heart and
with all your E( ul and with all
your might." Subsequent verses
define how this love is to be ex-
pressed — through the obser-
vance of commandments,
through the discipline of daily
conduct, through the fulfillment
of sacred acts.
Thus, these verses set forth the
method by which we may realize
the recognition of the divine uni-
ty, as well as our obligation to
love God and obey His com-
mandments. For this very pas-
sage of the Torah is to be written
as sign bound to man's hand, as
frontlets worn before his eyes,
(tefillin) and on the doorposts of
his house (mezuzzah).
Finally, these commandments
are not only to be obeyed by the
adult community, but they must
be transmitted to future genera-
tions. Fo- this, the intensive ed-
ucation of the young is required.
"And you shall teach them dili-
gently unto your children." At the
very heart of Judaism is this con-
cern for the systematic education

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