What does Shema mean?
Shema” is the Hebrew word meaning “hear.” It is an imperative – a command to listen, and is best known as beginning the prayer known as “the Shema,” which is found in Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” It is one of the most basic and frequently offered prayers of the Jewish people. Messianic Jews likewise believe that there is only one God, but we believe that this One God is comprised of three Persons – God the Father, God the Son (Messiah Yeshua) and God Holy Spirit. In fact, when Yeshua was asked by an expert in the Torah which commandment He regarded as being the greatest of all, He answered that the greatest commandment is, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” adding that we are required to love this one God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (See Mark 12:28-31).
