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.
Intimacy, Awe, and the Binding Thread of Love
The two blessings recited prior to the Shema illustrate a fundamental duality in how Jewish spirituality relates to God.
Golel Ohr: The Interdependence of Light and Dark
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.
Ahavah Rabbah: God’s Boundless Love
This blessing, recited prior to the Shema, asserts that God's love for us is expressed by the commandments.
How a Deaf Person Can Understand the Shema
Judaism's central prayer calls on us to listen, but what if you can't hear?
The Shema: A Model of Moral Development
The prayer's three paragraphs seem unrelated, but they lead us on the steps of a spiritual journey.
Veahavta: And You Shall Love
The first paragraph of the Shema offers three models for loving God.
Adonai Eloheichem Emet: Finding Truth in Our Time
The concluding words of the Shema prayer call us together as a people and as humanity
Hashkiveinu: Seeking Comfort and Protection Through the Night
This prayer, traditionally recited in the evening, envisions God as a guide and shelter.