Variant spelling - SHMA YISROEL, SHEMA YISRAEL

SHEMA is from the Hebrew, meaning HEAR, LISTEN (Alcalay, R. The Complete Hebrew English Dictionary. Jerusalem: Massada. 2660).

Are there angels in Jewish Tradition? ? ? ? YES! YES! YES! YES!

Do they have wings? The debate in (Hagigah 13b) is not whether they have wings, but how many. The Rabbis state that there are myriads of angels, that they were formed out of fire (Hagigah 14a), that they were created on the 2nd day, do not speak Aramaic, sing at night, are silent by day and are made of fire and water but have no physical body. The Sages debate about whether angels EAT! There are literally hundred of references in Talmud, Midrash, Zohar, Hasidic literature and Kabbalistic texts about angels, including guardian angels.

Mishneh Torah is a codification of Jewish LAW written by Maimonides, the 12th century halakhist, philosopher, physician. In this LEGAL document, Maimonides states that there are 11 levels of angels and ranks them by name (Mishneh Torah 1981. Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:7. Tr. Tr. Moses Hyamson. New York: Feldheim.).

So if there are angels in Jewish tradition, where are they? Angels are present in the Orthodox siddurs today. And angels still remain in Yotzer and the Kedushah in Conservative and Reform prayer books. In 1772, the Brody Herem banned the use of the Lurianic siddur, among other things, in response to the excesses of the Hasidim. The Lurianic siddur was replete with angels. One of the principles adopted by the American Reform community when the Siddur was revamped, was to discard the most recently added prayers, like the piyutim - poems. Since most of the references to angels were in these poems, they were also rejected (Schochet. Elijah Judah. 1994. The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna New Jersey: Jason Aronson. 13-14; (Elbogen, Ismar. 1993. Tr. Raymond P. Scheindlin. Jewish Liturgy. A Comprehensive History. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society 291-294; Silverman, Morris Rabbi. Ed. Rabbi Jules Harlow. 1973. Sabbath and Festival Prayerbook. USA: The Rabbinical Assembly of America, The United Synagogue of America 90, 170; Me’am Lo’ez. Tr. Yaakov, Culi and Areyah Kaplan. 1977. The Torah Anthology, Genesis 1, vol.1 “Kedusha.” New York: Mozanim. P. 57-59).

What are angels? To me, an angel is an archetypal image of a good thought. In other words, instead of sending a good thought to someone, one can send a PICTURE of a good thought - an angel. The word malach - ANGEL means MESSENGER.

Is it possible to prove whether angels exist or work in your life? Here's one way to test the theory--privately. Simply picture an angel, and send it to someone who you are worried about, or angry with. Then watch to see if it makes a difference. The results may surprise you.

SHEMA is the first word of Deuteronomy 6: 4, SHMA YISRAEL - which is the closest thing that there is to a Jewish confession of faith (Birnbaum, Philip. 1995. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts New York: Hebrew Publishing Company. 306).

The Shema sums up the first and second commandments: Hear O Israel, the Lord [Yud Hey Vav Hey] is our God, the Lord [Yud Hey Vav Hey] is One.
The Mishnah is a compendium of Jewish law compiled by Judah ha Nasi at the beginning of this era. In this work the reciting of the Shema morning and evening is discussed as an established custom. The Mishnah refers to the reciting of the SHMA as the acceptance of the yoke of kingdom of heaven (Mishnah Berachot 1 2:5; Birnbaum, Philip. 1995. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts New York: Hebrew Publishing Company. 306).

The reciting of the Shema includes three bible passages - Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11: 13-21, and Numbers 15: 37-41. It offers praises, reminds us to heed the commandments and teach our children. In fact the verse Deuteronomy 6:7 commands us to teach the commandments. The word in Hebrew that is translated as teach is shenantam, from shanan meaning TO INCULCATE, TO TEACH, TO REPEAT. This word means also TO SHARPEN - as in to sharpen a sword or an arrow. It is a powerful word and used to convey the importance of learning and study. This passage forms the foundation for the concept of learning and study in Jewish tradition. Since Deuteronomy is said to have been promulgated during the reign of Josiah (632-609) B.C.E.), this tradition of study is thousands of years old.

Babylonian Talmud - R. Hama b. Hanina said: If one in reciting the Shema pronounces the letters distinctly, hell is cooled for him (Berachot 15b).
It has been taught: Symmachus says: Whoever prolongs the word echad [one] has his days and years prolonged. R. Aha b. Jacob said: [He must dwell] on the Dalet [because the word does not mean one till he comes to the Dalet. R. Ashi said: Provided he does not slur over the Chet [by omitting its vowel and so make the when word meaningless]. R. Jeremiah was once sitting before R. Hiyya b. Abba, and the latter saw that he was prolonging [the word echad] very much. He said to him: Once you have declared Him king14 over [all that is] above and below and over the four quarters of the ‘heaven, no more is required (Berachot 13b).

Yerushalmi Talmud A. We learned, One who recites the Shema in the morning must mention the exodus from Egypt in [the blessing which follows the Shema and begins with the words] True and Right.
B. Rabbi says, One must mention [God's ] kingship in [that paragraph].
C. Others say One must mention the [miracles of the] splitting of the sea and the smiting of the first-born (JT Berakhot. 1:5, IV.A-C, p.57).

The first person Sh'ma
From the teachings of Rabbi Mitchell Chefitz, author of The Seventh Telling, The Thiry-third Hour, The Curse of Blessings) -
Pay Attention. It is my obligation (to meditate on) Adonai my God, Adonai who is one. Blessed is the Name of Glory, whose kingdom is throughout space and time. I shall love Adonai, my God, with all my heart, with all my life, with all I have, and these words which I am commanded, at this Adonai moment, are on my heart. I shall sharpen my children in them. I shall speak of them when I sit in my house, when I walk in the world, when I lie down at night, when I rise in the morning. I shall bind them as a reminder on my arm. They shall be as guideposts between my eyes. I shall mark them on the doorposts where I live and where I do business so that I might remember that I might do all according to Your will, so that I might be holy to my God. You are (after all) Adonai, my God, who brought me out from the tightest of places to relate to me as a God. You are Adonai, my God. And that's the truth [Emet].

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This work is accompanied by the kabbalistic explanation printed above.

The original 5x7 watercolor painting of this image is available.

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