Mishneh Torah, Reading the Shema 1

Hook

Imagine the quiet of an Egyptian room, centuries before the Exodus, where the patriarch Jacob, sensing his end, gathers his children to ensure the flame of Monotheism survives him—a moment of intimate, trembling faith that every Sephardi and Mizrahi Jew echoes every single morning and evening with the whispered bridge, Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto Le’olam Va’ed.

Context

• Place: The tradition of the Mishneh Torah (The Code of Maimonides) is the bedrock of Sephardi and Mizrahi practice, bridging the intellectual rigor of the Spanish Golden Age with the lived, visceral piety of the North African and Middle Eastern communities.
• Era: Compiled in the 12th century (1170–1180), Maimonides sought to distill the vast, often chaotic sea of the Talmud into a clear, accessible manual for the Jewish home and communal life, ensuring that the mitzvot remained vital in the Diaspora.
• Community: For centuries, from the bustling souks of Fez to the scholarly enclaves of Baghdad and the vibrant synagogues of Thessaloniki, the Rambam’s rulings served as the authoritative guide for how a Jew wakes up, prays, and goes to sleep, grounding the community in a direct, unmediated relationship with the Creator.

Text Snapshot

"We are obligated to recite the Shema twice daily—in the evening and in the morning—as [Deuteronomy 6:7] states: '...when you lie down and when you rise.'... We begin with the section of 'Hear O Israel' since it contains the concept of the unity of God, the commandment of loving Him, and the study of Torah, it being a fundamental principle upon which everything is based."

"When reciting the Shema, after completing the first verse, one says quietly, 'Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom forever.'... It is our tradition that when the patriarch, Jacob, gathered all his sons... he commanded and urged them regarding the Unity of God... The wise elder responded: 'Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom forever.'"

Minhag/Melody

In the Sephardi and Mizrahi world, the recitation of Kri’at Shema is not merely a ritual; it is a profound act of historical reenactment. When we recite the Shema, we are not just reading verses; we are participating in a drama that stretches back to the bedside of Jacob. The custom of reciting Baruch Shem silently is a hallmark of our tradition, reflecting a delicate balance between the human and the divine. Because the angels in the celestial spheres sing this praise, we, as mortals, recite it in a whisper—except on Yom Kippur, when we are considered as pure as the angels and thus allowed to recite it aloud.

The melodic tradition of the Shema is equally textured. In many Moroccan and Syrian congregations, the Shema is chanted with a specific, haunting ta’am (cantillation) that emphasizes the absolute unity of the Creator. Unlike the Ashkenazi custom, which often treats the Shema and its preceding blessings as a singular, swift block of prayer, the Sephardi tradition often lingers on the Ahavat Olam or Ahavah Rabbah blessings, framing the Shema with a deep, emotional consciousness of God’s "everlasting love."

Furthermore, there is a beautiful, specific focus on the tzitzit in our communities. As the Rambam notes, even though tzitzit are not required at night, we recite the third paragraph of the Shema—which discusses the tzitzit—precisely because it contains the commandment to remember the Exodus. This creates a daily rhythm of memory. In many Mizrahi homes, the act of gathering the four tzitzit fringes during the recital of the Shema is done with great precision, kissing them and touching them to the eyes, as if to physically manifest the "seeing" mentioned in the Torah: "And you shall see them and remember all the commandments." This tactile connection, coupled with the rhythmic, often rapid-fire cadence of the piyut (liturgical poetry) that surrounds our morning service, transforms the Shema into a living, breathing pulse of the community.

Contrast

A respectful point of divergence exists between the Sephardi practice and the Ashkenazi tradition regarding the timing of the blessings. While the Rambam and the subsequent Shulchan Aruch (codified by Rabbi Yosef Karo, the quintessential Sephardi authority) emphasize the importance of reciting the Shema with the sunrise—the Vatikin practice—the emphasis is on the integration of the soul into the day's light. In many Ashkenazi communities, the Shema is often recited slightly later in the morning service. There is no hierarchy here; the Sephardi emphasis on "catching the sunrise" reflects a Maimonidean focus on precision and the sanctification of the moment, while the later recitation in other traditions emphasizes the communal nature of the synagogue service. Both approaches seek the same goal: to stand before the Creator with the yoke of Heaven firmly upon one's shoulders.

Home Practice

To bring this tradition into your home, try the "Maimonidean Pause." Before you recite the Shema at night, take one minute of silence to visualize the scene described by the Rambam: the patriarch Jacob at his final hour, concerned for the continuity of his family's faith. After saying "Shema Yisrael," whisper Baruch Shem—not just as a routine, but as if you are the son or daughter answering Jacob’s call. By connecting your personal bedtime to the legacy of the patriarchs, you transform a daily obligation into a moment of trans-generational connection.

Takeaway

The Shema is the bridge between the individual soul and the collective history of the Jewish people. By following the Rambam’s guidance—understanding why we read these three specific sections, why we mention the Exodus, and why we honor the patriarchs—we move from merely performing a commandment to participating in an eternal, living conversation with the Divine.