Shema
שְׁמַעThe core declaration of Jewish faith, recited morning and evening.
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ אֶחָדבָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶדוְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶךָוְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל־לְבָבֶךָוְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָוּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָוּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָוְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶםוְנָתַתִּי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָוְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּהִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן־יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶםוְחָרָה אַף־יְיָ בָּכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה מָטָר וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת־יְבוּלָהּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר יְיָ נֹתֵן לָכֶםוְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת־דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה עַל־לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל־נַפְשְׁכֶם וּקְשַׁרְתֶּם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל־יֶדְכֶם וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶםוְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶם לְדַבֵּר בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָוּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָלְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְיָ לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל־הָאָרֶץוַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹרדַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל־כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם לְדֹרֹתָם וְנָתְנוּ עַל־צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶתוְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺת יְיָ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְלֹא־תָתֻרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶםלְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיכֶםאֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad Barukh shem kevod malkhuto le'olam va'ed Ve'ahavta et Adonai Elohekha bekhol levavkha uvkhol nafshekha uvkhol me'odekha Vehayu hadevarim ha'eleh asher anokhi metzavekha hayom al levavekha Veshinantam levanekha vedibarta bam beshivtekha beveitekha uvlekhtekha vaderekh uvshokhbekha uvkumekha Ukshartam le'ot al yadekha vehayu letotafot bein einekha Ukhtavtam al mezuzot beitekha uvish'arekha V'hayah im shamoa tishme'u el mitzvotai asher anokhi metzaveh etkhem hayom, l'ahavah et Adonai Eloheikhem ul'ovdo b'khol levavkhem uv'khol nafshekhem. V'natati metar artzekhem b'ito, yoreh umalkosh, v'asafta deganekha v'tiroshkha v'yitzharekha. V'natati esev b'sadkha livhemtekha, v'akhalta v'savata. Hishameru lakhem pen yifteh levavkhem, v'sartem va'avadtem elohim acherim v'hishtachavitem lahem. V'charah af Adonai bakhem v'atzar et hashamayim v'lo yihyeh matar, v'ha'adamah lo titen et yevulah, va'avadtem meherah me'al ha'aretz hatovah asher Adonai noten lakhem. V'samtem et devarai eleh al levavkhem v'al nafshekhem, ukshartem otam l'ot al yedkhem v'hayu l'totafot bein eineikhem. V'limadtem otam et beneikhem l'daber bam, b'shivtekha b'veitekha uvlekhtekha vaderekh uvshokhbekha uvkumekha. Ukhtavtam al mezuzot beitekha uvish'arekha. L'ma'an yirbu yemeikhem vimei veneikhem al ha'adamah asher nishba Adonai la'avoteikhem latet lahem, kimei hashamayim al ha'aretz. Vayomer Adonai el Mosheh lemor. Daber el benei Yisrael v'amarta alehem v'asu lahem tzitzit al kanfei vigdeihem l'dorotam, v'natnu al tzitzit hakanaf petil tekhelet. V'hayah lakhem l'tzitzit ur'item oto uzkhartem et kol mitzvot Adonai va'asitem otam, v'lo taturu acharei levavkhem v'acharei eineikhem asher atem zonim achareihem. L'ma'an tizkeru va'asitem et kol mitzvotai, vihyitem kedoshim l'Eloheikhem. Ani Adonai Eloheikhem asher hotzeti etkhem me'eretz Mitzrayim lihyot lakhem l'Elohim, Ani Adonai Eloheikhem.
Hear, O Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is one. Blessed is the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever. You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. And it will be, if you diligently obey My commandments which I command you this day, to love Adonai your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. I will give the rain of your land in its season, the early and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil. And I will give 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 other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of Adonai will flare against you, and He will shut the heavens so there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce, and you will be swiftly lost from the good land that Adonai gives you. And you shall place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. So that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied on the land that Adonai swore to your ancestors to give them, like the days of the heavens over the earth. And Adonai said to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to place upon the corner fringe a thread of blue. And it shall be fringes for you, and you shall look at them and remember all the commandments of Adonai and do them, and you shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes, after which you go astray. So that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am Adonai your God.
The Shema is recited twice daily, in the morning and evening services, and traditionally before sleep. Its opening line declares that God is one. Many cover their eyes while saying it to aid concentration.
Variation: The second line ("Barukh shem…") is customarily said quietly, except on Yom Kippur, when many communities say it aloud.
Practice saying it aloud
Optional — read the line out loud and see how close you get.
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד
Quick check
What does the word "echad" mean?
How often is the Shema traditionally recited?
Which root means "to hear"?