I’ve been meaning to purchase Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s recently published prayerbook. So far, I like everything I hear about it (read: what Gil Student writes about it). The conventional translation of the first verse of the Shema begins with “Hear O Israel.” R. Sacks translates it as “Listen, Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” Rabbi Gil has been kind enough to quote from R. Sacks’s explanation of the translation choice.
Shema means not only to “hear” but also “to listen, understand, internalise, respond and obey.” It is translated here as “Listen” because listening is active, while hearing is passive. This, the most famous line of Jewish prayer, is a call to action on the part of the mind, emotion and will. It asks us to reflect on, strive to understand, and to affirm the unity of God. God speaks in a “still, small voice”, and to serve Him is to listen with the totality of our being.
Secular terms for understanding are permeated with visual images. We speak of insight, foresight, vision, observation, perspective; when we understand, we say “I see”. Judaism, with its belief in an invisible, transcendent God, is a culture of the ear, not the eye. The patriarchs and prophets did not see God; they heard Him. To emphasie the non-visual nature of Jewish belief, it is our custom to cover our eyes as we say these words.
A dvar Torah that you would enjoy by Rabbi Sacks is accessible on his website. Go to years 2003-2004, then click “Vayetse” to read the entire speech, which is fantastic.
The quote you will like best is the conclusion (if you have time for the whole thing, don’t read this yet):
“I began by pointing out that the Torah was a text intended to be read aloud and listened to. It is the single greatest expression of faith in a G-d we cannot see, but only hear. Judaism is supremely a religion of the ear, unlike all other ancient civilizations, which were cultures of the eye. This is more than a metaphysical fact. It is a moral one as well. In Judaism the highest spiritual gift is the ability to listen – not only to the voice of G-d, but also to the cry of other people, the sigh of the poor, the weak, the lonely, the neglected and, yes, sometimes the un- or less-loved. That is one of the meanings of the great command Shema Yisrael, “Listen, O Israel.” Jacob’s other name, we recall, was Israel.
“Jacob wrestles with this throughout his life. It is not that he has a moral failing. To the contrary, he is the most tenacious of all the patriarchs – and the only one all of whose children become part of the covenant. It is rather that every virtue has a corresponding danger. Those who are courageous are often unaware of the fears of ordinary people. Those of penetrating intellect are often dismissive of lesser minds. Those who, like Jacob, have an unusual capacity to love must fight against the danger of failing to honour the feelings of those they do not love with equal passion. The antidote is the ability to listen. That is what Jacob learns in the course of his life – and why he, above all, is the role model for the Jewish people – the nation commanded to listen.”
Comment by Chana — August 1, 2007 @ 11:48 pm