Vaetchanan 5773
This week’s parshah, Vaetchanan, contains one of the most-recognized Jewish prayers: the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone. These are the first words of Torah we teach our children to recite; it is the verse we ask converts to Judaism to recite; it marks the conclusion of the vidui, the final prayers recited by a person on his or her deathbed.I have known the Shema for so long that I can’t actually recall a time when I didn’t know the prayer, but my feelings about the Shema changed when I became a parent. As soon as our daughter, Odelia, started having a regular bedtime, we marked that time with kriyat Shema al-ha-mittah, the “Bedtime Shema.” Consisting of three short songs – the first paragraph of Shema; Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Menashe, The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the children; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth (Genesis 48:16); and a short prayer acknowledging the angels who surround and protect each of us as we sleep – this bedtime ritual offered all of us an opportunity to slow down and reflect on the day that had passed. Although I was not going to sleep right then, our singing together still afforded me a few moments of stillness, no matter how hectic the day had been; and as our family has grown, I have also had the privilege of seeing Odelia teach her younger brother Azriel the bedtime rituals, empowering her to take an active role in our family’s Jewish life.
Perhaps most important of all, the bedtime Shema ritual helps our family make time, at least once each day, in which we give one another our undivided attention – no phones, no side conversations, no chores. And out of all of the wonderful experiences I have had as a parent – and there are many – the one that consistently means the most to me is also the one that happens each and every night. Sometimes, the most important things in life are the ones that are closest at hand.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Abe Friedman
