shema

Ahavat Olam and Ahavah Rabbah: How God Shows Us Love

God does not show us love through indulgence or simple tenets of faith, but by illuminating the way to a holy life.

The two blessings recited prior to the Shema illustrate a fundamental duality in how Jewish spirituality relates to God.

Our praise of God for rolling away the darkness from the light is a statement of faith that while certain times may be hard, they are never eternal.

This prayer is the quintessential Jewish declaration of faith.

This blessing, recited prior to the Shema, asserts that God's love for us is expressed by the commandments.

Judaism's central prayer calls on us to listen, but what if you can't hear?

The prayer's three paragraphs seem unrelated, but they lead us on the steps of a spiritual journey.

The first paragraph of the Shema offers three models for loving God.

The concluding words of the Shema prayer call us together as a people and as humanity

This prayer, traditionally recited in the evening, envisions God as a guide and shelter.