Timeless Torah

It is the affirmation of our faith and uniquely Jewish. No wonder then that it is both simple and profound at the same time. It is chanted calmly by the youngest schoolchild and recited with fervor by the venerated martyr. It is the Shema.
This proclamation includes three fundamental aspects of Judaism. 1) Our belief in a Supreme Being (Hashem). 2) He is our personal G-d (Elokeinu). 3) His oneness and unity is absolute (Echad).
While we may not question this axiom of Judaism, we do wonder about its choice of words. If this verse pronounces our most cardinal belief, why does it begin with the words “Shema Yisroel - Hear O’ Israel”? Wouldn’t the phrase “Ani Ma’amin- I believe” have been a much better opening for expressing faith?
But a person must realize that the Torah was not given just to him. Rather, Shema Yisroel! One must do his utmost to spread the idea of Hashem to all. Thus one who is able to influence others and doesn’t is held responsible for their ignorance and consequent errors. We don’t live in a vacuum. To quote the Boy Scouts of America, we must leave the area around us cleaner than the way we found it.
Indeed, Rashi sees in this verse a reference to the world at large ultimately recognizing the Almighty. His reading of this sentence goes like this: presently Hashem is only our G-d, but in the ultimate future He will be recognized as the only One, the G-d of all the nations.
The Kli Yakar refers us to the Talmud (Pesachim 50A) which offers a fascinating insight. In this world, when something ‘good’ happens we bless G-d as a “Good Being who does good.” When something ‘bad’ happens we bless Hashem as being “a Just Judge”. Being that we can have no understanding of Hashem Himself, any name that we give to Him is actually a description of the way that He is connecting to us. We therefore utilize different names based on our (mis)perception of Him acting with either compassion or justice. It was and is these seemingly contradictory occurrences in our lives which (mis)lead many of us to believe that there are two distinct and separate forces which rule this world. Thus Hashem’s name is not Echod - one.
However, in the blinding clarity of the World to Come, one will be able to see that every occurrence was nothing but an act of compassion. There were no contradictions whatsoever. No separate forces at all. As Zechariah the prophet exclaimed, “On that day Hashem will be One and His name will be One.”
This level was attained even in this world, the world of illusion, by Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest of our Sages. History relates that when the Romans caught Rabbi Akiva teaching Torah, the torturous death they decreed upon him was to tear the flesh from his body using combs of steel. As the executioners began their service, Rabbi Akiva began his by reciting the Shema Yisroel. His holy soul departed his body as he pronounced the word Echod. To Rabbi Akiva, even as he was being tortured to death, there were no contradictions. Hashem’s name was already One.
Accordingly, the pronouncement of faith that one makes by reciting the Shema contains not just the three beliefs mentioned above but also the belief that only good comes from Hashem. That which we perceive as bad is only a misconception and a misunderstanding of what is actually occurring.
One might wonder, being that the Shema Yisroel is so loaded with affirmations of our faith, why doesn’t it have a profound effect on us? The Chofetz Chaim gives a fabulous parable of a wealthy man who was traveling for a number of weeks and left his servants a detailed list of tasks that he wanted them to accomplish during his absence. In order that not even a single item be neglected, he ordered that the list be read daily.
Upon his return he immediately summoned his servants and asked if they had done as they had been instructed. They proudly answered that they had. Taking a quick look around, the wealthy man was shocked to see that not a single assignment from his list had actually been performed. He again summoned his servants and angrily asked again if they had followed his instructions. They again unabashedly assured him that they had... read the list daily, not once but twice.
Sure the Shema may be profound, but this mitzvah won’t make a dent in your soul if you don’t truly Shema - Hear - what you yourself are affirming.