Simplified Jewishness: A Shema anthology – diary

Sharing my edited covid-diary extract of Feelings about our single most familiar six word declaration: The Shema; six ‘Standard’ and four ‘more Modern’ translations, & Then some of mine → six lines/couplets/or-stanzas – as paragraphs; sometimes appended-with ‘versions’ of those next whispered six words too. WHY: Since our ritual texts are NEVER to become Mindless-Mechanical chants or readings. [I hope this inspires YOU to renew your ongoing efforts to make Your Shema NEW again – each time you ‘recite’ it!]

from Hours of Devotion ©1866 translated by Rav. Moritz Mayer – from “Stunden der Andacht” [1855 by Fanny Neuda]: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One in Unity” – now and for evermore, Amen!

from The Authorized Daily Prayer Book ©1948 by Dr. Joseph H. Hertz – The Late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire: (1) Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. [Hertz] – (2) Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One. [Davis & Adler] – (3) Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is Alone. [Ibn Ezra] – (4) Hear, O Israel, the Eternal our God is a unique, eternal Being. [Zunz] – (‘1’) Blessed Be His Name, Whose Glorious Kingdom Is For Ever And Ever. [Hertz]

from The Hirsch Siddur ©1969 by The Samson Rafael Hirsch Publication Society [Rav. Dr. Joseph Breuer]: HEAR YISRAEL, GOD OUR GOD IS GOD, THE ONLY ONE ! Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom in all the future which, though veiled, is certain.

‘THE HOLY NAME’ version, from The FlashFlood ©1986 by Dudaim Basadeh – Senior Lurianic Guide after 35 years of private ‘instruction’ from Hacham Mordechai Sharabi of the Jerusalem Nahar Shalom Academy: “Understand O Israel, if from now on we all unite, this will bring home to God, our exiled spiritual mother, and by empathy, induce higher pairings, till all is one.” – “Blessed be the hallowed name that brings glory to this unique universal kingdom, existing for six thousand years, up to the present, and forever afterwards.” This fundamental creed is the esoteric truth of the kabbalah! ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ -AND- Apparently, a closer to ‘classical’ version Also from The FlashFlood: Know O Israel! the God that we chose to be our own Almighty, is the one God that is unique.

My early-life ‘Aspiring’ version אל שם שמאי ישי בן חיים מאיר – כ’ בניסן ה’תש”נ   —   Listen and understand: Israel has an aspect which is Eternal, Our G-D [The JUDGE] has an aspect which is Eternal, and these two aspects are ONE [Identical] ; This being the fundamental definition of our faith.

‘haiku’: 5-7-5 syllable pattern maybe: Yehuda Amichai A”H→ She–ma Yis–ra–el — A–do–nay El–o–hei–nu — A–do–nay E–chad.

The ‘Renewal version, from Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yedaber Pi ©2009 by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi: Listen, you, Yisrael person, (say your own name here) Yah who Is, is our God, Yah who Is, Is One, Unique, All there Is. [whisper] Through time and space, Your glory shines, Majestic One.

…& a few of My Somewhat More Recent Attempts; With Labels: For Reference Only

‘Recursive’: Listen ⇒ understand in sequence unlike ‘seeing’ — which involves simultaneous images, a Straight-Forward (simple independent uncomplicated) Law-of-Causality: The Attribute-of-Rachamim (wombs’ encompassing) IS Our-Nature; (and therewith appreciate) That Attribute-of-Rachamim (mercy, compassion, acceptance, pity) Allows us to-be-Whole (as: individuals, friends, sanctified couples, families, neighbors, a community, and as a nation)!

‘Reflexive’: (Intentful Preface) According to The True Torah which YOU gave to us, and by virtue of The Living Halacha which enlightens therefrom, There is a Universal Law ⇒ expressed as action and reaction, as cause and effect, as reward and punishment, as ‘Midah k’neged Midah’ upon which time is both determinate and indeterminate; Thus Behold, Just as YOU command us to observe-obey, hear, understand, & appreciate The 613 Torat-Moshe Commandments, their Rabbinical Interpretations (Our Most Righteous Scholarly Consensus of ‘Best Life-Practices Advice’ for The Instant-Now), and all matters, in each of our own hearts, which are consistent therewith: We beseech YOU to accept upon YOURSELF a request from us YOUR Chosen People ‘As If’ it is a Command: ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ “Please ‘LISTEN TO ISRAEL’ for the reason that — in AWE — Our Beloved Timeless Nature yearns to Join with YOU in Unification.” ⇒likewise https://www.derondareview.org/TorahTechnology.pdf 

‘Tautology’: Heeding Instant Empirical Causality: Our 10 Dimension OmniPresent Now, Ten Mind Magnitudes are Singularity. 

‘Narrative’: Behold: Once upon The Seventy Transformation Names are Appreciated → Then: Our Temporal Transaction Decalog shall finally Unify Life Ultimate.

‘MARTYR’: Shouting with the totality of my Energy — To our unfinished future And to all Life — Only Unifications of an Infinite Present — Responsibility: For Me With My Family — Final: Rewards & Punishments Merge — …for YOUR Love is Better Than Wine…

‘Listening’: An Intimate Conversation of Egalitarian Solidarity — Our Sharing Unlimited Humane Sentient Potential— One too Profoundly Respectful Sincerity Together. (gently–softly–dearly–quietly) Love-Trust-Honor-Awe-Open-Endless 

‘Home’: Seventy Are: Layers of Woman & Cut-Facets of Man— Called To Render: Risk-Avoiding Practical Opinions — ALL Directors Report Option Potentials: Near & Far — By Collective Majority A Wise Consensus Emerges — From Paternal and Maternal To The Young Couple — Simultaneously: Parents, Sibling, Spouse, and Child.

‘Growing’: Stop letting the EYE decide: what it is and why it is here — There exists Vision: to observe the sequences of events — The courtship dance of Bride and Groom building peace — One to the All and thus, for the Ours of the forever more — Expanding by Contracting Appreciating by Becoming — A Sharp Sense of Mature Mutual Language: FOUR eyes.

‘Mom’: Stretch – Dress – Laugh – Morning Coffee – Get it Moving – Where is the… — Routine Chatter – Anyone Listening? – Remember to do … a long list Today — Thousands of Voices – All Talking at Once: My Mothers – My Sisters – My Daughters – Me? — What About – What If – But Could Be – Idunno – Yeah I Know – Anyway – Sort Of – Maybe – OK. — He said – She said – I thought – Must be – We Us – Us Them – Come on: stay Safe! – be Healthy! — Finish this – Do that – Call her – Pay it – Pick up – Prepare – Get ready – Did I – Tell Him? better wait.

‘Switching’: Waking Living – Birthing Being → Washing Folding – Dressing Thinking — Breathing Doing – Learning Teaching → Eating Drinking – Telling Sleeping — Feeding Listening – Yearning Caring → Feeling Hugging – Snuggling Dreaming —Kissing Knowing – Looking Seeing → Wanting Having – Giving Receiving — Loving Nurturing – Sharing Experiencing → Planning Shopping – Cooking Remembering — Setting Placing – Cleaning Arranging → Checking Lighting – Blessing Shabbat. ⇒likewise https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shabbat-starts-when/ 

&&& ‘Shabbat’ …experienced at my grandparents’ table:   Sing Together Enter Welcome Come Stand Sanctify Sit — Wash Bless Cut Salt Taste Bring Eat Drink Talk Share — Torah Portion Mitzvot Kids Explain Discuss Reminisce Tell — Harmonize Relax Appreciate Enjoy Behold Thank — Oneness Family Guests Friends Neighbors — Saints Scholars Students Newness — Father Mother Brother Sister — Flowers Fruit Sweets — Israel HaShem — Shalom.

‘Awareness’: 70 nation families, 70 language families, 70 sanhedrin immortals, 70 ways of thought; each has a name, — We wrestle with The Laws of Nature. We struggle inventing Life-Mind Technologies. Our efforts yield. — Awesome and Amazing are the successful accomplishments of Mankind – a testimony to Divine Love, — We honor our antecedents, ancestors, parents, and teachers. Our appreciation is boundless and limitless. — Time-Space-Idea-Detail are all innumerable, and we are honest and faithful to our great good fortune, — We teach each other’s children, support each other in need, elebrate each other’s joy, and acknowledge.

‘Starting’: Awakening, Amazing, Alive, Hearing, Seeing, Feeling, Pondering – Listen very Deeply OH YOU Internal-Most Self — Lots & Lots of things to do just to continue our yesterday – No moment can ever be like the instant of Now — Oh Awesome and Passionate Source of our Everything and Always – Remember the merits and sacrifices of our Ancestors — WE once again declare “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine” – Please give us the strength and wisdom to be worthy — Vanity of Vanities All is Vanity and a striving after Breath – ‘all as heard, fear God, keep the commands; for this is’ ⇒ We are your betrothed. We are your kith and kin. We are Identical. — Behold… Our Oath forever binds us to Your Blessing.

‘Kindness’: i awaken to my names echoing yet bouncing within my head – confident almost aware of all the intentions we freely share – transactions, give and take, offer and acceptance, tithes, charity – mother nurture, father consistent, all goodness, human nature — who am i, that i am? why am i, if i am? when am i, if time is? am i? – collective eternity, primordial consciousness, bicameral sensitivities – we affirm. we believe. we know. we were there. we received. we exist. – we hereby solemnly swear: YOU are True! -and- Torat Moshe is True!  — Gila Rina, Ditza VeChedva, Ahava VeAchava, VeShalom VeRe’ut – Rejoicing, Jubilation, Pleasure & Delight, Love & Brotherhood, & Peace & Friendship – “Behold: By this token, WE partner —> experiencing enlightened instant now” – a sacred continuity, building our trustworthy nation with Love & Awe & Peace.

‘Dawning’: Quiet ‘Shush’ Listen: sounds, notes, tunes, melody, symphony, grand-horizon – Approaching — waking creatures, love songs, birds, changing breezes, a pause between tides – a baby stirs — In This moment transcending: out of night & into day – Time stands still – Nature meditates — heart still beats as breath anew – mind searches as awareness emerges – dreams softly fade — Oh merciful creator of nature of man Oh joyful giver of life of idea – Oh beloved companion — Arise with me, walk with me, guide me, show me, sustain me, as i am – discovering your wonder — We remember, We study, We thank, We praise, We beseech, We acknowledge, We strive, We obey — We do, We try, We persevere, We suffer, We survive, We engage, We succeed, We receive, We give — Spark Light Flame Illumination Enlightenment Radiance Aura Modesty Charity Honesty Righteousness — The Good and The Better, The All and The Every, The Before and The After, The Here and The Now — From the Faithful Homes in Israel from which we came To the faithful home in Israel which we build — Unto the faithful homes in Israel We are united Likened unto none other than – You our very only One.

‘Progressive’: (ideational FOUR Folded pairings) Of Associative Mature Adult Realizations. >>>(Devarim 6:4-11 >>> NOTE: This is MORE than the Siddur quoted 6:4-9 paragraph.)

:שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָ–אֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד

By 70 Names FACES of Direct-Causality Our Instant-Consciousness Nature is each 4 PAIRED-Actions of 4 Aspects:

-FIRST- where Parents-As-ONE Conceive! by: FOUR Pairings

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ (1)בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ (2)וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ (3)וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ – וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם (4)עַל לְבָבֶךָ

..And THRU LOVING – YOU ‘exemplify’ Their Conscious Nature – having received from (1) Their whole Heart; (2) Their whole Energies; (3) Their whole Effort – And Thus: BECOMING a unique-created visceral manifestation of THEIR UNIFICATION as a singular timeless instructive moment emanating upon (4) Their Heart…

-SECOND- Our Gestation: Thru FOUR World-Stages

וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם (1)בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ (2)וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ (3)וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ (4)וּבְקוּמֶךָ

And THRU REPETITIOUS GROWING of CONSTRUCTIVE ITERATIONS And Thus: VISCERAL SENSE DEVELOPING (1) from fetal Positions in sac; (2) to stretching Motions in womb; (3) to extending Postures during the maternal dilating contractions; (4) to birthing Emergence from Their Primordial Hearth Outward…

-THIRD- Our FOUR Childhood Development Origins:

Allowing Our Appreciating FOUR Basic Gifts of Our Married-Life Experience

וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ  – וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע (1)לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ (2)לְאַבְרָהָם (3)לְיִצְחָק (4)וּלְיַעֲקֹב

:לָתֶת לָךְ

לֹא בָנִיתָ (a) עָרִים גְּדֹלֹת וְטֹבֹת אֲשֶׁר

לֹא מִלֵּאתָ (b) וּבָתִּים מְלֵאִים כָּל טוּב אֲשֶׁר

לֹא חָצַבְתָּ (c) וּבֹרֹת חֲצוּבִים אֲשֶׁר

לֹא נָטָעְתָּ (d) כְּרָמִים וְזֵיתִים אֲשֶׁר

& THRU ATTACHING to actions of their hands – And Thus Becoming deeply central into Your eye-brain – & Thereby: THEIR INSCRIBING upon movements of Your Womb & of Your Gateway INVOKES! – by reason that Their Conscious Nature escorts You stepwise – into the 70 stable infrastructures on to (1) Your Ancestral-Anticents, on to (2) Your ‘ENHANCED’ Fundamental Life-Personality, on to (3) Your Inner Life-Celebration, & on to (4) Your Maturing Deliberation – including unconditionally providing You: Your loving And nurturing mate (a) Not conceived by You, & Her mature goodness attributes (b) Not by Your protocol, & Her immortality potential (c) Not formed by Your design, – ‘when worthy’: daughters And sons (d) Not of Your flesh 

-FOURTH- Arriving at Our Visceral Living NOW

וְאָכַלְתָּ  וְשָׂבָעְתָּ

…And THRU Intentful INTERACTING with This All Physical World — And Thus: ‘SEVEN–Fold ACTUALIZING SATISFACTIONS’ of Our Life-DECADES develop beyond (Our Conscious Horizons).