T
his verse is non-biblical in origin. In chapter 3 we men-tioned the Talmud’s explanation as to why this verse is recited in an undertone: it was not recited by Moses, but was uttered by Jacob on his deathbed, and therefore we compromise by whispering it.Three major elements are articulated in this verse:
a. Praise of the Creator. The Mishnah records that this verse was recited by the congregation after the High Priest, offi-ciating at the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple, uttered the Tetragrammaton “in purity and holiness”
(Yoma 35b).
b. The Eternity of God. Barukh shem kevod is a longer form of the well-known amen, indicating assent or belief, except that it is more inclusive in that it comprehends the ele-ment of the eternity of God as well. The Mishnah teaches that on the occasion of a public fast, the congregation responds to the blessings uttered by the reader (h. azzan) with the word amen. The Gemara limits this practice to a service being conducted outside the Temple; in the Temple
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itself one must respond with the more elaborate formula, Barukh shem kevod (Taanit 16b). The Talmud offers as the source of this halakha the verse in Nehemiah (9:5): “Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever; and blessed be Your glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” This verse links God’s eternity with the praise of God’s Name: Barukh shem kevod.
c. The Liturgical Sanctification of the Divine Name (kid-dush Hashem bi’devarim). The Halakha teaches that the divine Name is sanctified not only by an act of martyrdom, and not only by exemplary moral conduct, but also by pro-claiming faith in God’s holiness in public prayer. In all such cases of liturgical kiddush Hashem, such as the recitation of the Kaddish, Kedushah, or Barkhu, the mitzvah is per-formed in the form of a dialogue: the reader issues the sum-mons to perform the sanctification, and the congregation responds. The verse Barukh shem kevod represents such a response to the mention of the divine Name(s) in the Shema.2
These three major themes found in Barukh shem kevod aptly reflect the first verse of the Shema, which explains why this traditional verse is paired with the biblical verse, the Shema itself. The Shema obviously expresses “praise of the Creator.”
It also implies God’s eternity: the three mentions of divine Names in the Shema refer to God’s sovereignty before creation, during the existence of the universe, and after the destruction of all creation.3And the Shema and Barukh shem kevod are paired as responsive affirmations of the holiness of God, both sanctifying the divine Name.4
Given all the above conflicting or at least divergent inter-pretations, what kavvanah ought one entertain while reciting the Shema? From the retort to R. Jeremiah in Berakhot 13a (see chapter 6), we learn that the recitation of the Shema should be neither rushed nor dragged out too long so that others are 70
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disturbed. In those synagogues where the entire congregation recites the Shema (or at least the first verse) in unison, this problem is exacerbated because the time for the intense mental concentration of kavvanah is strictly limited. Does this mean that one should change this custom or avoid such synagogues that may seem too “modern” in their overemphasis on deco-rousness? While there is much to be said for individual varia-tion even during communal prayer, there are countervailing val-ues that must be considered. Singing—not only reciting—the Shema by the entire congregation in unison is recommended by the Midrash in no uncertain terms:5
“You who dwells in the gardens, the companions hearken to your voice; cause me to hear it. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.” (Song of Songs 8:13, 14)
When Jews gather in the synagogues and read the Shema with focused attention, with one voice . . . and with one melody, so that they all conclude [the recitation] together, the Holy One says to them, “You who dwell in the gar-dens,” when you are companions (because you read the Shema in unison), I and My [angelic] retinue “hearken to your voice.” But when Jews read the Shema in disorder, one earlier and one later, thus not focusing their kavvanah in [reciting] the Shema, the Holy Spirit cries out, saying,
“Make haste, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart”6—referring to the supernal hosts who emulate My glory with one voice and with one melody, “upon the mountains of spices”7—in the highest of the high heavens.8
Any of the various meditations already mentioned is accept-able as an appropriate kavvanah. One can, in light of the midrash mentioned earlier,9intend to address our Father Jacob and proclaim, to him as it were, that we still do and always will
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dren. Indeed, one can even reflect on this while saying the word
“Hear O Israel” and then refocus one’s thoughts on the usual interpretation, namely, that we are repeating Moses’ address to his people Israel.
The simplest kavvanah is to meditate, when we say “the Lord is our God,” on unifying the various dichotomies that cluster about these two Names. This thought should imme-diately be followed by the eschatological meditation, that is, that this unification is something we Jews now accept whole-heartedly and that the rest of the world will yet accept—at the time of the final redemption.
After these initial meditations, one has a variety of options.
One can think of the Talmud’s minimalist or comprehensive meditation—that God is omnipresent in space and, perhaps (following Rav Kook), in time as well—even though the Talmud recommended this kavvanah only when time is limited. Or, one may focus on the exclusivist interpretation advocated by a number of the Rishonim.
After these meditations have been practiced so that they can be fit into a reasonable time span such as mandated by R. H. iyya b. Abba to R. Jeremiah in the Talmud, one can proceed to the complex level of kabbalistic interpretations. Here one can focus one’s intention either on R. Shneur Zalman and R. H. ayyim’s acosmic view or on the directional interpretation of the Zidi-tchover. If one chooses the former, one need not bear in mind the Talmud’s meditation, because the acosmic notion transcends that of omnipresence. If the Ziditchover’s, it is sufficient in its own right, even though it does not comprehend the Talmud’s interpretation. (That, however, should not prove disturbing because, as has been said, the Talmud was concerned only with time constraints, not with the content of the kavvanah.)
Obviously, it is not possible to practice all these meditations at one and the same recitation, especially if one is just beginning to prepare for more complex kavvanot. It is better to divide
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the various meditations among the four daily recitations of the Shema.10 Thus, in the course of the day, one can “cover all bases,” thereby guiding one’s prayer via the most cogent inter-pretations of the holiest verse in all of the Torah.
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