The Shema is a declaration of
faith, a pledge of allegiance to One God. It is said upon arising
in the morning and upon going to sleep at night. It is said when
praising God and when beseeching Him. It is the first prayer that
a Jewish child is taught to say. It is the last words a Jew says
prior to death.
The Talmud says that when
Jacob was about to reveal the end of days to his children, he was
concerned that one of them might be a non-believer. His
sons reassured him
immediately and cried out, "Shema Yisrael."
