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Blessings The word "Shema" means "hear!" and it is the first word of a liturgy that is said by practicing Jews every morning and every evening throughout their lives. It is said as a constant reminder to live your life to honor God, and to love God with all of your heart and soul. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was (Mark 12:29-30), He recited the first two lines of the Shema. Hear, O Israel:
The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. Love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These
commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress
them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie
them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write
them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy
6:4-9 So if you
faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today,
to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all
your soul,
then I will send rain on your land in its season,
both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain,
new wine and oil.
I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat
and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods
and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and
he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will
yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD
is giving you.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;
tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get
up.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, The LORD
said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Throughout the generations to come you
are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord
on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will
remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not
prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts
and eyes.
Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated
to your God.
I am the LORD your
God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.
I am the LORD your God."
Numbers
15:37-41 Traditional Jewish people have developed blessings for almost every experience in life demonstrating their thankfulness to the Holy One for each part of their life. It is the same with reading the Bible. Accordingly, it is customary to bless God before and after the reading of the Torah and the Haftarah. Blessing Before the Torah Is Read:
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