Shema
/ʃəˈmɑː/noun
A central Jewish declaration of faith beginning with the words “Hear, O Israel.”
Did you know?The Shema is named after its first word in Hebrew, and its opening command has been recited for centuries as a daily affirmation of divine unity and covenant.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PSem
šmʕ
“to hear; to listen”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
שְׁמַע (šəmaʿ)
“hear! listen!”
Second Temple Period
Hebrew
Shema
“the opening word of the prayer beginning “Hear, O Israel””
Medieval Jewish Usage
Hebrew/Aramaic
Shema
“the central daily declaration of God’s unity”
Modern English
English
Shema
“the Jewish prayer or its opening declaration”