Probably the most renowned verse in the Torah, one repeated at least twice a day by so many Jews from the age of 2 until literally their last breath, is the first verse of Krias Shema. Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad. Let’s translate that. Or try to anyway. Because there are actually several good translations. Not explanations or descriptions, translations.
1. Hear oh Israel, The Lord our G-d, The Lord is One.
2. Hear oh Israel, The Lord is our G-d, The Lord is Alone.
3. Hear oh Israel, The Lord is our G-d, The Lord is the One and Only.
And you thought you had it down perfectly. I think that most people would say #1. I did, until I saw Artscroll which picks #3. Hashem is the One and Only. I still like #1 and I’ll explain that later.
We can also ask a very interesting question. Why does the Shema say Hashem twice? Shouldn’t it be enough to say Hashem who is our G-d is One, or One and Only? The answer is given by three Torah commentators who actually also give us the three translations.
The Ohr Hachaim says that after we pronounce that we accept the concept that Hashem is our G-d, we then pronounce our additional belief that Hashem is One. The Even Ezra answers that there is a difference between the concept of Hashem as a Name and Hashem as our G-d. The second Hashem is that Hashem our G-d is Alone. There are no beings other than Hashem. The Seforno comments that Hashem who is our G-d, That Hashem, who seems to be one among many, is actually the One and Only.
The famous contemplation of Echad is that it means that Hashem is One, Hashem is in the 7 Heavens and on earth (Ches or 8) and that Hashem is all over the 4 directions of the earth. As I said earlier, I’ll explain my choice of translation #1 with my contemplation during Shema. Apropos to the Shema being in the parsha of Vo’Eschanan, is the verse in the Haftorah, Se’u morom eineichem, Raise up or Elevate your eyes and observe who created all this. The Shema tells us: Shema are the letters of Se’u morom eineichem, Raise up your eyes to observe Hashem and in doing so, Elevate yourselves to the higher level of Yisroel. Observe that Hashem connoting Rachamim and Elokeinu connoting Din, is in reality all One, Hashem is all Rachamim. Kol D’Ovad Rachmono L’Tav Ovad, everything that Hashem the One of Rachamim, He does for good.
If we compare the first two parts of Krias Shema, V’Ohavto and V’Hoyo im shemoah, we see at the end of each, two seemingly comparable verses with a slight difference in language. In V’Ohavto it says, V’shinantom l’vonecho, and you should learn these words with your children. And you should speak these words when you are in your house and on the road, meaning constantly. In V’Hoyo it says v’limadetem osom l’vonechoh, you should teach these words to your children so that they will speak these words when you are in your house or on the road. Interesting juxtapositioning of language.
My friend Dr. Yonah Wilamowsky explained this as such. If a person will learn Torah with his children, and he will constantly speak Torah and set an example to his children, then they will follow him. If that person wants to teach his children, in other words inculcate them with a love for learning Torah, so that they too will learn Torah constantly, v’limadetem osom l’vonechoh l’dabeir bom, so that they too will speak Torah, then do it yourself constantly, in your house and on the road. The best way to teach, limadetem, so that they will learn, v’shinantem, is to set an example, b’shivtechah, when you do it too.
The Eglei Tal has a seminal explanation of why the Talmud begins with the law of when we are obligated to say Krias Shema at night. The Mishnah states that the time to say Krias Shema is from when the cohanim would be allowed to eat terumah after they cleansed themselves from any tumah, ritually unclean. The question is why do they have to wait until at night if they had already actually gone to the mikvah in the morning and became ritually clean? He answers because since they had been unclean for a part of the day, an unclean impression still remains even though they are ritually clean. When a new time period begins, at night, that impression leaves them.
He says that this is what the Mishnah is telling us. Just as an unclean person still has the unclean impression, so too when a person says Krias Shema he is covered with an impression of holiness which lasts all day. Then at the next time period he says Krias Shema again. Let us live our lives in kedusha holiness and be constantly enveloped by an impression of holiness.
