(4) Hear, O Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה is one.
Rabbi Avin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzchak said: From where is it derived that the Holy Blessed One wears tefillin? As it is stated: “The Eternal has sworn by the Divine right hand, and by the arm of Divine strength” (Isaiah 62:8). “Right hand” refers to the Torah, as it is stated: “From the right hand, a fiery law for God's people” (Deuteronomy 33:2). “The arm of strength,” refers to tefillin, as it is stated: “The Eternal gave strength to God's nation” (Psalms 29:11). And from where is it derived that tefillin provide strength for Israel? As it is written: “And all the nations of the land shall see that the name of the Eternal is called upon you, and they will fear you” (Deuteronomy 28:10). It was taught, Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: This is a reference to the tefillin of the head.
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said to Rav Chiyya bar Avin: What is written in the tefillin of the Ruler of the world? Rav Chiyya bar Avin replied: It is written: “Who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?” (I Chronicles 17:21). Is the Holy Blessed One glorified through the glory of Israel? Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin answered: Yes as it is stated: “You have affirmed, this day, that the Eternal is your God...” And the subsequent verse states: “And the Eternal has affirmed, this day, that you are God's treasure...” (Deuteronomy 26:17–18). Thus the Holy Blessed One said to Israel: You have made Me a single entity [ḥativa] in the world, and I will make you a single entity in the world. You have made Me a single entity in the world, as it is stated “Hear, Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And I will make you a single entity in the world “Who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?”
(23) And who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth, whom God went and redeemed as God's people, winning renown for God's self and doing great and marvelous deeds for them for Your land—[driving out] nations and their gods before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt.
(21) And who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth, whom God went and redeemed as God's people, winning renown for Yourself for great and marvelous deeds, driving out nations before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt.
It was taught Sumakhos says: One who extends in the word 'One [eḥad]' will have their days and years are extended.
Rav Acha bar Ya’akov said: the dalet.
Rav Ashi said: only so long as one does not rush the ḥet.
Rabbi Yirmeya was seated before Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba. He saw that he was greatly extending. He said to him: Once you have crowned God over everything above, below and in the four corners of the heavens, you need not extend any further!
The Shema: The Essence of Judaism in Six Words (A Deep Dive Into Prayer)
by Rabbi Dr. Julie Hilton Danan
God is ONE: Echad! Which can mean there is only one God. It can also mean that God is totally unique. And it implies: God is a Unity and therefore we are all part of a great Unity. Ultimately all of us are one, all connected. “One, every single one, each one joined and united in the One.”
So Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echad: Hear O Israel, the Lord is Our God, the Lord is One, can be understood more fully: Listen and see, you wrestlers for God! YHWH, the indefinable, transcendent, divine life force –that’s our God! This is our ultimate measure, the only thing that can we judge life by. And that same, un-namable God, that breath of all life—is ONE, is a unity, and therefore nothing is outside it and we are all part of a whole!”
Rav Natan bar Mar Ukva said that Rav Yehuda said: upon your heart, while standing. Does it enter your mind that upon your heart alone must be recited while standing? Rather, say: until upon your heart while standing. From here on, one need not. Rabbi Yochanan said: One must recite the entire first portion while standing.
The Shema: Standing and Extending
by Rabbi Jeremy Markiz
On its surface, this is a discussion of how and when to stand while reciting the Shema. But I want to offer another reading, connecting this with what came before.
Our task is to spiritually stand in one place, extending and expanding our awareness, recognizing the Divine, and conceptualizing our interconnected nature.
We are all fundamentally connected. All of us.
The Shema grounds us to that fundamental truth every day.
Rabbi Roni Tabick in the Noam Siddur
The Talmud tells us that we should lengthen the word “echad (one)” in the phrase “Adonai echad (God is one)” (Berachot 13b) - why is it important to extend that sound? Because in declaring that God is one, is singular, unified without division, we want to extend that concept to each person, to all of Israel, to all humanity and the entire universe.
There is a oneness to reality, a unity beneath all opposites and differences.
When you really know that, it must change the way you act in the world.
Put these words in your heart, think of them all the time.
Close your eyes and listen. Can you hear it?