[An oft-visited post, this was among the first few articles written when we started this website, posted April 5, 2012. —Admin1]
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad
(Hear O Israel, Hashem is our GOD, Hashem is the ONE and ONLY).
These are the first words of the Shema, one of the most important prayers for a Jew. The Shema is prayed every morning and evening and it is prayer differentiated from other prayers. The Shema is an affirmation of faith of the Jews in ONE God, YHWH:
“Hear O Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is the One and Only. You shall love Hashem your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources. And these matters that I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children and you shall speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire, and when you arise. Bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be ornaments between your eyes. And write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
“It will be, if you hearken to My commandments that I command to you today, to love Hashem, your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I shall provide rain for your land in its proper time, the early and the late rains, that you may gather in your grain , your wine and your oil. I shall provide grass in your field for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware for yourselves lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray and serve gods of others and prostate yourselves to them. Then the wrath of Hashem will blaze against you; He will restrain the heaven so there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will be swiftly banished from the goodly land that Hashem gives you. You shall place these words of mine upon your heart and upon your soul; you shall bind them upon your arm and let them be an ornament between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children to discuss with them, while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. In order to prolong your days and the days of your children upon the land that Hashem has sworn to your forefathers to give them like the days of the heaven over the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:13-21)
“Hashem said to Moses, saying, “ Speak to the children of Israel and say to them that they shall make tzitzis on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations. And they shall place upon the tzitzis of each corner a thread of turquoise wool. It shall constitute tzitzis for you, that you may see it and remember and perform all the commandments of Hashem and perform them; and not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray. So that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy to your God, Who has removed you from the land of Egypt to be a God unto you. I am Hashem your God.” (Numbers 15: 37-41)
From the above lines of the Shema, a number of signs and symbols are already mandated by YHWH according to Jewish tradition. What are these?
- The MEZUZAH:
The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of a companion passage, Deut. 11:13-21. On the back of the scroll, a name of God is written. The scroll is then rolled up and placed in the case, so that the first letter of the Name (the letter Shin) is visible (or, more commonly, the letter Shin is written on the outside of the case). The mezuzah is then placed at an angle in the doorway of a house. There are other rituals in Judaism attendant to the mezuzah, but for the purposes of this article, this will suffice.
The TEFILLIN: The word “tefillin” is usually translated “phylacteries.” “Phylacteries” isn’t very enlightening if you don’t already know what tefillin are, and the word “phylacteries” means “amulet,” suggesting that tefillin are some kind of protective charm, which they are not. The word “tefillin,” on the other hand, is etymologically related to the word “tefilah” (prayer) and the root Pe-Lamed-Lamed (judgment). Tefillin are bound on the arm and the forehead to remind those who wear them that their intellect and physical strength are committed to fulfilling YHWH’s commandments (mitzvot).
The TZITZIT and the TALLIT: The Torah commands Jews to weartzitzit (fringes) at the corners of their garments as a reminder of the commandments of God, kind of like tying a string around your finger to remember something. The passage also instructs that the fringe should have a thread of “techeilet,” believed to be a blue or turquoise dye, but the source of that dye is no longer known, sotzitzit are today are all white. The mitzvah to weartzitzit applies only to four-cornered garments, which were common in biblical times but are not common anymore. To fulfill this mitzvah, adult men wear a four-cornered shawl called a tallit during morning services along with the tefillin. There is no particular religious significance to the tallit (shawl) itself, other than the fact that it holds thetzitzit (fringes) on its corners.
- (SOURCE: http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm)
There are no magic charms associated with wearing, or using, these signs and symbols. They are just reminders of YHWH’s commandments because men have such short memories and are always in need of constant reminders of God’s goodness, kindness AND instructions.
DVE@S6K
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