Intentions while Reciting “Shema”

Question

Hello, I wanted to know what is called the intention in the reading of Shema, beyond the first verse whose intention I do know.

Answer

Dear …!
The main intention is to understand precisely the meaning of the words you are saying, and to seriously intend to accept the yoke of Heaven's kingdom as you say them. Additionally, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim ch. 61) states that one should say the words of “Shema” with awe, fear, trembling, and quaking. That means that one should feel them in a tangible way.
The Mishna Berura added three more points of intention, and I quote:
(subsection 2) Eliyahu Raba brought in the name of the Kol-Bo that in Talmud Yerushalmi at the end of the first chapter of tractate Brachos it states that the Ten Commandments are hinted at in the words of “Shema”.
1. “Hashem is our G-d” hints at “I’m Hashem your G-d”.
2. “You shall have no other gods” is hinted at by the word “one”
3. “You shall love etc.” hints at the words “you shall not take the Name of Hashem, your G-d, in vain”, for someone who loves his king will not mention His name to deceive.
4. The words “you shall write on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” hint at the commandment “you shall not covet”, since one should only write on his own house, and not on somebody else’s house.
5. The words “that you may gather in your grain” hint at the commandment “you shall not steal” — you shall gather in your grain, and not someone else’s grain.
6. And in the verse "you will be swiftly banished from the goodly land" hint that a murderer is punished by death.
7. And the verse “in order to prolong your days and the days of your children” hints at the commandment “honor your father”.
8. The verse “you shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes” hints at the commandment “do not commit adultery”.
9. The words “so that you remember and perform all My commandments” hint at the commandment “remember the Shabbos day”, which is equal to keeping all of the Torah.
10. The verse “I am Hashem your G-d” hints at the commandment “you shall not bear false witness against your fellowman”.
Therefore, one must contemplate these commandments when saying Shema in order to not transgress any of them.
(subsection 3): Awe and Fear — it appears that awe and fear is the way that one should intend when he reads Shema. He has to accept upon himself the yoke of Heaven, even to the point of giving up his life, and about this the verse says "Because for Your sake we’re killed all the time”. This is the intention is this is the way to read “Shema” — with awe and fear, trembling and quaking.
(subsection 4): Trembling and Quaking - The Tur (Arbaa Turim) writes in the name of Rav Amram that when one reads Shema, he should always think of it as a new proclamation [“proclamation” in this context is the king's commandment to his people], and he should think to himself that if a king of flesh and blood sent out a new proclamation, surely all the people of the kingdom would read it with awe and fear, trembling and quaking; how much more so this should be done with a proclamation of the King of Kings, Hashem, blessed be He. Everyone must read His proclamation with fear and trembling, shaking and awe.
“Prisha” writes that this is the reason the allegory for “Shema” is a proclamation of a king: in order to tell you not read “Shema” quickly and inattentively, or with a confused mind. You should read it slowly, word by word, making a pause between different points, like a person who reads king’s orders — very deliberately, each order by itself, in order to understand its intention correctly. This is the way one should read “Shema”: he should consider each order and each punishment by itself, understand and internalize it — for it is an order of the Mighty King, blessed be He.

Source

Shulchan Oruch, section Orach Chaim, chapter 61, §1
Mishnah Berurah, ibid., subsections 2-4

Comments

Have an additional question on this topic or need clarification? Leave your comment below. (Please note that the comment will not be published but will be sent directly to the answering Rabbi for review and a private response)

Please sign up or log in to submit your comment

Become our patrners in supporting and spreading the Torah
Help us answer more questions faster and better
Join the mission
More questions in this category