Many Jews cover their eyes with their right hand while reciting the first verse to eliminate distractions and focus on the meaning.
Declares God's oneness and commands that the words be placed on the heart, taught to children, and written on doorposts (mezuzahs).
- Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
- Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever (recited quietly after the first verse). Unpacking the Shema • Unpacked for Educators
It is a daily prayer serving as a declaration of faith in one God, rooted in the Torah (Deuteronomy).