Shema brings to mind the quintessential statement of Jewish faith which has echoed through the generations, morning and evening, during times of peace and persecution. But where is the deep faith expressed in this verse cultivated? My fall semester course on Maimonides’ Principles of Faith at Lander College for Women just ended. Maimonides cites the verse of Shema Yisrael as the biblical source for his second principle, the complete unity and uniqueness of G-d. While I hope my students came away with a deeper appreciation of the philosophic underpinnings of this principle, and the different way the commentators before and after Maimonides understood Hashem’s “Oneness,” I doubt the classroom is the place where faith is ultimately instilled.
Does faith emerge from recitation of Shema in shul, daily, on Shabbat, or when belted out as Yom Kippur wanes? These are powerful moments, but I think it’s the quieter, private moments of a child’s bedtime recitation of Shema that leaves the most lasting imprint on the developing mind. I can vividly recall bedtime as a child, with my parents or often my older sister saying Shema with me, singing and soothing. Now I replicate the bedtime ritual and its songs for my children. For a child, transitioning to sleep can be hard. Shema teaches a child that Hashem is with them in the dark, guarding and protecting them, with angels on all sides and the hope for the new day ahead. This is the lesson we carry with us as we grow, and our concerns extend beyond the shadows of our room. The Guardian of Israel does not sleep or slumber.
