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Shema: The Focal Point of Prayer
The Shema prayer is the very essence of the Jewish religion. It is a declaration of faith which is composed from three
passages of the Torah. It begins with Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, G-d is One." The last letter in
the first and last words of this verse are written in larger letters than the rest. The two letters together spell witness
in Hebrew, symbolizing that each Jew bears witness to G-d’s Oneness. It is this verse that many people utter as their
last words, and that people utter when full of hope as well as despair. The Shema is recited several times throughout the
day: in the morning and evening services and before retiring for bed.
The Shema continues with a commandment to "serve G-d with our hearts." Prayer serves as a means of cleansing our hearts.
(Deuteronomy 11:13) "It will be that if you hearken to My commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your G-d
and to serve Him with all you heart and your soul." The meaning of "today" is that the commandments should each day be as
if we received them on that day. "Love" means that we are able to perform the commandments purely out of love and the honor
will ultimately come.
Starting and Finishing the Day
Our prayers are a stepping stone to bring us closer to G-d. We should always strive to do our best and more. We begin
our day and end our day with prayer -- giving thanks to G-d for waking up and being alive. The first prayer of the day addresses
just that: "I give thanks to You, living and eternal King, for having restored within me my soul with mercy, great is Your
trust."
Before we go to sleep at night, we want to do so with a peaceful mind. But, the only way to do so is to review the
course of the day. It is possible that we may have offended someone and need to rectify that situation. The day becomes so
hectic that we don’t always have the time to stop and think about our daily actions, but before we retire for the night
we have that moment to reflect on the day. We say a passage before reciting the nightly Shema to cleanse our hearts and our
souls. We must also ask for forgiveness from the person himself because that is the only way for true forgiveness, but the
prayer is a good beginning, and hopefully, a reminder to correct our future actions. | 
