Shema

''Shema Yisrael'' (''Shema Israel'' or '''''Sh'ma Yisrael''; ) is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema''') that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. Its first verse, Deuteronomy 6:4, encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism: "Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one" ().

The first part can be translated as either "The our God" or "The is our God", and the second part as either "the is one" or as "the one " (in the sense of "the alone"). Hebrew does not generally use a copula in the present tense, so translators must decide by inference which translation is appropriate in English. The word used for "the " is the Tetragrammaton (YHWH).

Observant Jews consider the ''Shema'' to be the most important part of the prayer service in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation as a ''mitzvah'' (commandment by God to Jews). Furthermore, it is traditional for Jews to recite the ''Shema'' as their last words, and for parents to teach their children to say it before they go to sleep at night.

The term ''Shema'' is used by extension to refer to the entirety of the portions of the morning and evening prayers that commence with ''Shema Yisrael'' and comprise Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41. These sections of the Torah are read in the weekly Torah portions ''Va'etchanan'', ''Eikev'', and ''Shlach'', respectively. Provided by Wikipedia