Author Topic: Shalom  (Read 2938 times)

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Offline Dan Ben Noah

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Shalom
« on: April 22, 2012, 07:40:25 PM »
Shalom
« Last Edit: June 25, 2016, 05:23:57 PM by Dan Ben Noah »
Jeremiah 16:19 O Lord, Who are my power and my strength and my refuge in the day of trouble, to You nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Only lies have our fathers handed down to us, emptiness in which there is nothing of any avail!

Zechariah 8:23 So said the Lord of Hosts: In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Offline muman613

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Re: Rambam's Mishneh Torah: Book of Love: Reciting the Shema
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2012, 08:46:11 PM »
Aren't you a Noachide? I don't believe Noachides are obligated to say Shema while Jews are obligated to say Shema three times at least a day...

I wear tzittzit also and it is mentioned in the third paragraph of Shema. It is because of the command to guard our eyes and to SEE the fringes that I wear them.

One comment concerning saying Echad with an elongated D sound... When reading it in the siddur the word usually has an enlarged Dalet which makes sure the reader doesn't mistake it for a Resh {which would be read 'echar' which means 'other'}.



http://www.bnaiavraham.com/learning/weekly-parsha/parshas-vaeschanan-bearing-witness/

BEARING WITNESS

In the Torah scroll, the letter Ayin in the word Shema (Hear), and the letter Dalet in the word Echad (One), are both unusually large (). As the Baal HaTurim explains, the large Ayin and Dalet spell Ayd, witness, alluding to the verse in Isaiah,[3] “You are my witnesses.…” The large letters therefore teach us that when we recite the Shema we should bear witness to G-d’s Oneness. Yet how are we to put this teaching into practical action? Is simply reciting the Shema enough?

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/577,2088949/Why-are-some-letters-in-the-first-line-of-Shema-larger-than-others.html

Quote
"Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad"-"Hear, oh Israel; the L-rd our G-d is one L-rd"

When written in Torah; Tefillin and Mezuzah scrolls, the last letter of the first word of Shema –“ayin”, and the last letter of the last word (echad) –“daled”,1 are larger than the other letters. These two letters together spell the Hebrew word “eid” - witness. When a Jew recites the Shema, he bears witness to G-d’s unity and dominion over all of existence.

The Hebrew letter ayin has a numerical value of 70 (in Gematriah), representing the 70 names of the Jewish nation who were given a Torah that has 70 names and can be expounded in 70 ways to set them apart from the 70 nations.

The large Daled has a numerical value of four (in Gematriah), representing the union of G-d’s kingship in the heaven; earth and all four directions. Alternatively, the daled is larger so it won’t be confused with the letter reish which is similar in shape and if mistaken, would change the reading of the Shema into a statement of heresy (“Hashem acher”-“a different god”) in place of the fundamental declaration of belief ("Hashem echad"-“G-d is one”).2

The famous kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria (The Arizal) explains that larger letters represent a higher level of G-dly awareness, the large daled represents the divine attribute of Binah (understanding) and the Matriarch Leah.3
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Rambam's Mishneh Torah: Book of Love: Reciting the Shema
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2012, 10:59:01 PM »
Yes, I'm a Noahide but I'm still reading the whole Mishneh Torah, and also I have the intent of converting within the next few years.  I don't make a regular practice of saying the Shema but I recite it with congregations if I happen to be with them on Shabbat.

Kol HaKavod! I am glad to hear you are working towards conversion while currently observing the Noachide laws.

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14