Mission men

Jewish World Review ^ | August 8, 2003 / 10 Menachem-Av, 5763 | Rabbi Berel Wein

[yonif]

The basic tenet of all of Jewish life, history, culture and civilization appears in this week's Torah reading: "Hear O Israel the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is uniquely one."

Jews have lived by this credo, died with these words on their lips and in their souls and sustained themselves through all times of adversity by the knowledge and faith of G-d's existence and relationship to Israel represented by these simple words, known as the Sh'ma.

Throughout Jewish history, as Moses himself attests to in Dvarim (Deuteronomy), there have been differing shades of Torah piety and observance amongst Jews.

Again, as Moses points out in his words of challenge, there have been occasions when Jews, many Jews, who willfully ignored or betrayed G-d's commandments and assignments. But, even when Jews in the Biblical and later Greco-Roman eras succumbed to the local practices of social idolatry then prevalent, they remembered and in their heart of hearts believed that "the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is uniquely one." The Jews were the ones who pioneered in human society the belief in the existence of an unseen, omniscient, omnipotent, personally interrelated G-d of justice, compassion and eternity.

In short, the Jews were not only the "people of the Book," they were more importantly the people of a monotheistic and universal G-d.

[yonif]

[onedoug]

Thanks for the Va-Ethchanan reminder.

If Jews lose their religion of carrying Ethical Monotheism into the world, then they lose their "chosenness" and become merely another ethnic group. Entitled to human dignity, of course, but no different then, than any other.

[Salem]

Good article, Yoni. Another example of a Jew walking in a knowledge of G-d.

[American in Israel]

Do you have any idea how ironic the Schma sounds to a Christians ears? Schma Israel, Adnoi Elehenu, Adnoi echad.

Hear Israel, I Am God, I Am is one.

Christians do not worship three gods, they worship One God from three directions. Christians have been trying to tell that to their elder brother for years, but then, so has God.

Schma Bevackasha, schma ve meveen.

[Mr170IQ]

Schma Israel, Adnoi Elehenu, Adnoi echad.
Hear Israel, I Am God, I Am is one.

You seem to be garbling your Hebrew.

Adonai - means "My Lord" , Ani - means "I". They are not the same, nor do they sound the same.

Elohaynu - means "Our God" not just God, the 'aynu' ending means 'Our'

So the translation is:
Hear Ye, O Israel, my Lord is our God, my Lord is One.