0+-+Background+on+Vahavta

וְאָהַבְתָּ **__ GENERAL BACKGROUND __**

The prayer וְאָהַבְתָּ is actually an extension of the שְׁמַע, found in the section of the Jewish prayer service called “ שְׁמַע and Its Blessings.”

Two blessings precede the שְׁמַע and its-three-adjoining-paragraphs: After the שְׁמַע there is In the evening a second blessing is added after שְׁמַע that asks God to protect us – that we should lie down in peace and rise up refreshed to renewed life. [For a detailed explanation see: []]
 * one blessing praises God for creating light and life ( מַעֲרִיב עֲרָבִים in the evening and יוֹצֵר אוֹר in the morning)
 * one blessing praises God for giving life meaning through the Torah ( אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם in the evening and אַהֲבָה רַבָּה in the morning)
 * one blessing that praises God for protecting those faithful to the Torah (this blessing includes the מִי כָמוֹךָ )

All of these blessings are a unit, and at its center, brings worshippers to a core understanding of Jewish thought (i.e., the שְׁמַע and its important ideas).

The שְׁמַע actually introduces three paragraphs, the first of which is וְאָהַבְתָּ. · //Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (verse 5 begins with the word// וְאָהַבְתָּ //)// This paragraph states that we should love our One God with all of our being, that we should pay attention to God’s commandments, and transmit our knowledge of Judaism to our children. · //Deuteronomy 11:13-21// The second set of verses tells us what will happen if we follow the // mitzvot // (good things!) or fail to follow them (bad things!). This paragraph is often omitted in liberal settings because of philosophical issues with the spirit of these verses. · //Numbers 15:37-41// The third set of verses gives us a concrete way to remind ourselves of the // mitzvot, // i.e., putting צִיצִית on the fringes of our garments as a visual, concrete reminder of what we are to do as people who love God the way the first paragraph of the וְאָהַבְתָּ explains. All three paragraphs are found in traditional //siddurim//. Those who use a liberal //siddur// generally recite the beginning paragraph ( וְאָהַבְתָּ ), as well as a couple of verses from the last paragraph, omitting the commands about wearing צִיצִית.

**__ SPECIAL CHOREOGRAPHY __** Some people cover or close their eyes during the שְׁמַע, the declaration that is at the heart of the section, “ שְׁמַע and Its Blessings;” worshipers do this to focus intently on the words they are speaking. If standing to say שְׁמַע (Deuteronomy 6:4), then it is customary to sit down before continuing with וְאָהַבְתָּ (Deuteronomy 6:5). A person wearing a טַלִית (generally only during a morning service), customarily gathers the <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">צִיצִית when starting the <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ and kisses them each time the word <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">צִיצִית is said during the third paragraph. Whether saying the third paragraph or not, some people will kiss the צִיצִית before letting go of them as this section concludes. At the end of the first paragraph of <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ, some worshipers will add the word <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">אֶמֶת , meaning //truth//. A few reasons for this are explained in an activity below under “Structure,” but the basic idea is to affirm the truth of the closing phrase: that “Adonai is our God.” The word אֶמֶת i s “borrowed” from the first word of the paragraph that follows: **<span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">אֱמֶת **<span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאֱמוּנָה in the evening and **<span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">אֱמֶת **<span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְיַצִיב <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> in the morning. **__ WORKING WITH TRANSLATIONS __** As with other prayers, there are many different translations of the וְאָהַבְתָּ available, and different translations may convey slightly different messages. Since וְאָהַבְתָּ comes straight from the Torah, any //Tanach// will have a translation of it//.// Below are a few translations of Deuteronomy 6:5-9 and Numbers 15:40-41, as found in various //siddurim//. You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Thus you shall remember and observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. I am Adonai, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am Adonai your God. **Reform**// : Mishkan T’filah: A Reform Siddur //, edited by Elyse D. Frishman, page 66.

You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, you shall take to heart. Teach them, diligently, to your children, and recite them at home and away, night and day. Bind them as a sign upon your hand, and as a reminder above your eyes. Inscribe them upon the doorposts of your homes and upon your gates. Then you will remember and observe all My // mitzvot // and be holy before your God. I am Adonai your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I, Adonai, am your God, [who is truth]. **Conservative**// : Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals //, edited by Reuven Hammer, page 112-113. And you must love THE ONE, your God, with your whole heart, with every breath, with all you have. Take these words that I command you now to heart. Teach them intently to your children. Speak of them when you sit inside your house or walk upon the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And bind them as a sign upon your hand, and keep them visible before your eyes. Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. …So that you remember to do all my // mitzvot // and be holy for your God. I am The FAITHFUL ONE, your God, who brought you from // Mitzrayim // to be for you a God. I am THE INFINITE, your God. ** Reconstructionist **// : Kol Haneshamah Mini-Siddur //, edited by Toba Spitzer, page 23. **__ DECODING HELP __** The <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ is not an easy prayer to decode. <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">· The //kamatz katan// (what looks like a //kamatz//, but for grammatical reasons is pronounced “oh”) is also prevalent, consistently found in the word <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">בְּכָל. <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">· There are many words with a //sh’va// (and even more than one //sh’va//). For help in understanding how to divide words into syllables when there is a //sh’va//, check out Dr. Lifsa Schachter’s article: [] <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -25px; width: 1px;"> The שְׁמַע actually introduces three paragraphs, the first of which is <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ. <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">· //Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (verse 5 begins with the word// <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ //)// <span style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 0in;">This paragraph states that we should love our One God with all of our being, that we should pay attention to God’s commandments, and transmit our knowledge of Judaism to our children. <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">· //Deuteronomy 11:13-21// <span style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 0in;">The second set of verses tells us what will happen if we follow the // mitzvot // (good things!) or fail to follow them (bad things!). This paragraph is often omitted in liberal settings because of philosophical issues with the spirit of these verses. <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">· //Numbers 15:37-41// The third set of verses gives us a concrete way to remind ourselves of the // mitzvot, // i.e., putting <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">צִיצִית on the fringes of our garments as a visual, concrete reminder of what we are to do as people who love God the way the first paragraph of the <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ explains. All three paragraphs are found in traditional //siddurim//. Those who use a liberal //siddur// generally recite the beginning paragraph (<span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">וְאָהַבְתָּ ), as well as a couple of verses from the last paragraph, omitting the commands about wearing <span style="color: black; font-family: David; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">צִיצִית <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">.