What is the Shema?
The Shema is the Jewish daily confession from Deuteronomy 6:4–5: «Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.»
«Shema» means «Hear» in Hebrew — the first word of the prayer. Jewish people have prayed it twice daily for millennia. It is the heart of Old Testament faith.
Two truths center it. First, the LORD is one — a single, supreme God, not many. Second, this God is to be loved with the whole self — heart, soul, might.
Jesus quoted it as the greatest commandment (Mark 12:29–30), then added a second from Leviticus 19: love your neighbor as yourself. The Shema is the foundation of biblical religion.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.