08-25-2010, 02:09 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-04-2015, 11:46 AM by Director Michael.)
Although this verse expresses one of the positive ("to do") commandments to Jews specifically (that Jewish men must recite these words everyday, in the morning and in the evening), the call is universal. The call "Hear O Israel," that the True G-d is One, is appropriate to all mankind. Indeed, Rashi [in the name of the Talmud's Sages] explains this verse by citing the Hebrew Bible's prophecy that in the future Messianic Era [may it come speedily in our days!], the whole world will recognize that there is only the One G-d. In other words, the simple traditional meaning of the verse is: Hear, O Israel, that the True G-d you have realized through His revelation at Mt. Sinai (and through His redeeming you miraculously from slavery in Egypt) is One G-d; know that in the future Messianic Era, He will be recognized by all mankind as One G-d, as implied by the prophecy Zephania 3:9: "Then I will turn the hearts of all nations to call clearly in the Name of G-d," and Zecharia 14:9: "Then on that day [in the Messianic Era] G-d will be One, and His Name will be One [in the recognition of all humanity]."
There is an additional point here. A Jewish Commandment (a Mitzvah) [eternally commanded to the Jewish people] in the Torah, even though it is not given to Gentiles, does not mean that it is entirely unrelated to the Gentiles. Many commandments specifically given to the Jews are incorporated in the 7 Universal Noahide commandments. In the case in point, the general [negative, i.e. "do not"] Noahide commandment not to worship idols includes many details, including positive aspects, such as believing in the One G-d, praying (only) to Him, and meditating about Him and His attributes and His Truth, in order to bring every person to awe and love of Him. Therefore, although the verse "Hear O Israel" should not be seen as an explicit commandment to Gentiles, it indeed expresses a very important aspect of their Divine service - for every person to contemplate from this verse and others in the Torah, G-d's greatness and Unity.
The same point goes the other way. Although G-d commanded all mankind in a set of Divine Laws for Gentiles, still most of the 7 Laws for Gentiles are thematically also directed in the Torah to Jews, to enhance their Jewish commandments and obligations, but usually G-d has brought more detailed obligations on the Jews. In this case, this verse "Hear O Israel" is an opening to the following verses of Jewish commandments: "And you shall love G-d with all your heart, and all your soul and all your might, etc." The details that follow there are added dimensions of this recognition that G-d commanded to Jews, to deepen their belief into an especially demanding love for G-d, including constant preparedness to love G-d more than one's own self and one's own life, and to translate this belief and love not only into a Jew sacrificing his or her life to sanctify the Name of G-d when the extraordinary situation demands this, but also into the special mitzvah activities and sanctified way of life on a continuous daily basis that G-d commanded there for the Jews (studying Torah orally, Jewish education for the children, tefillin, mezuzah, etc).
There is an additional point here. A Jewish Commandment (a Mitzvah) [eternally commanded to the Jewish people] in the Torah, even though it is not given to Gentiles, does not mean that it is entirely unrelated to the Gentiles. Many commandments specifically given to the Jews are incorporated in the 7 Universal Noahide commandments. In the case in point, the general [negative, i.e. "do not"] Noahide commandment not to worship idols includes many details, including positive aspects, such as believing in the One G-d, praying (only) to Him, and meditating about Him and His attributes and His Truth, in order to bring every person to awe and love of Him. Therefore, although the verse "Hear O Israel" should not be seen as an explicit commandment to Gentiles, it indeed expresses a very important aspect of their Divine service - for every person to contemplate from this verse and others in the Torah, G-d's greatness and Unity.
The same point goes the other way. Although G-d commanded all mankind in a set of Divine Laws for Gentiles, still most of the 7 Laws for Gentiles are thematically also directed in the Torah to Jews, to enhance their Jewish commandments and obligations, but usually G-d has brought more detailed obligations on the Jews. In this case, this verse "Hear O Israel" is an opening to the following verses of Jewish commandments: "And you shall love G-d with all your heart, and all your soul and all your might, etc." The details that follow there are added dimensions of this recognition that G-d commanded to Jews, to deepen their belief into an especially demanding love for G-d, including constant preparedness to love G-d more than one's own self and one's own life, and to translate this belief and love not only into a Jew sacrificing his or her life to sanctify the Name of G-d when the extraordinary situation demands this, but also into the special mitzvah activities and sanctified way of life on a continuous daily basis that G-d commanded there for the Jews (studying Torah orally, Jewish education for the children, tefillin, mezuzah, etc).