Shema Yisrael Prayer

Did you have a busy and stressful day? Did you fail to find quality time with your child today? There is no need to end the day without turning things around.

This three minute routine - reciting Judaism's Shema Yisrael prayer together - will enable your child to go to sleep feeling loved and protected and you to regain your balance via a refreshed sense of connection and inner-peace.

What is the Shema?

The Shema – a.k.a. Shema Yisrael - is the central and most important prayer in Judaism.

The prayer states Judaism's central monotheistic tenet. The Shema focuses on loving the one God with all one's heart, soul and might.

The Shema prayer is a central feature in Jewish worship and practice.

• The prayer is written on the parchment stored inside the doorpost mezuzah and the prayer tefillin.
• It is a mitzvah (commandment) to say the Shema when waking up in the morning and going to sleep at night.
• The Shema is recited before reading from the Torah on Sabbaths and festivals.
• At the end of Judaism’s holiest day - Yom Kippur - the Shema is recited.
• It is traditional to teach Jewish children the Shema prayer before any other.
• Traditionally a dying person affirms his or her faith by reciting the Shema.

The Shema prayer comes directly from three Biblical verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41.

• Deuteronomy 6:4-9 commands Jews to love God, learn Torah, and pass Jewish heritage on to their children. The practice of mezuzot and tefillin are mentioned.
• Deuteronomy 11:13-21 describes the rewards for following the above commandments and the punishments for not fulfilling them.
• Numbers 15:37-41 commands Jews to wear tzitzit as a physical reminder of God’s commandments. These verses also remind of Exodus from Egypt.

What is the Bedtime Shema Prayer?

The bedtime Shema prayer consists only of the verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Reciting the Shema before going to sleep (Kri'at Shema al-Hamitah) is a practice that dates back to Talmudic times.

The practice was initiated to protect people from nighttime fears and dangers.

How To Recite the Bedtime Shema Prayer?

In the beginning, a parent can say the Shema out loud to their children. Once the child knows the prayer, he or she can recite it with or instead of the parent.

The Shema does not have to be recited in Hebrew. It may be recited in any language a person understands.

1. Close eyes and cover eyes with the right hand to aid concentration. Then recite out loud:

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
or
Sh'ma Yis-ra-eil, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, A-do-nai E-chad.

2. Uncover eyes. Then whisper this line since it is not a verse from the Bible but originally a congregational response to the declaration of the God’s oneness.

Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.
or
Ba-ruch sheim k'vod mal-chu-to l'o-lam va-ed.

3. Recite out loud:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be on your heart. You shall teach them to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.
or
V'a-hav-ta eit A-do-nai E-lo-he-cha, B'chawl l'va-v'cha, u-v'chawl naf-sh'cha, u-v'chawl m'o-de-cha. V'ha-yu ha-d'va-rim ha-ei-leh, A-sher a-no-chi m'tsa-v'cha ha-yom, al l'va-ve-cha. V'shi-nan-tam l'-va-ne-cha, v'di-bar-ta bam, b'shiv-t'cha b'vei-te-cha, uv-lech-t'cha va-de-rech,u-v'shawch-b'cha uv-ku-me-cha. Uk-shar-tam l'ot al ya-de-cha, v'ha-yu l'to-ta-fot bein ei-ne-cha. Uch-tav-tam, al m'zu-zot bei-te-cha, u-vish-a-re-cha.

The bedtime Shema prayer can be a very comforting and bonding way for a child - and an adult - to say goodnight.