3.1 Shema

• It is written:
  • Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deut 6:4-9)
    
    
    • Discussion: Shema
• 3.1.1 Minimum Prayer
  • "These commandments" are given to us "today" - as in every day. As such, we are commanded to "talk about them" every day when we "sit at home," "walk along the road," "when you lie down," and, "when you get up." At the very least this means reciting the Shema at least twice per day: "when you lie down," and "when you get up."
    
    
    • Discussion: Shema - Minimum Prayer
• 3.1.2 Lordship of Messiah Yeshua (hu Adon)
  
  • It has been the practice of some Messianic congregations to insert a phrase related to the lordship of Messiah Yeshua into the Shema. According to orthodox halacha, one is not allowed to insert any prayer between Borchu and the start of Amidah, and thus this practice is not recommended. Furthermore the reasons often given to make the insertion deal with recognizing the lordship of Messiah Yeshua, but this presupposes that the lordship of Messiah Yeshua is not found in the Shema, a position which a growing majority of Messianics have rejected and have rather embraced the understanding that the Shema speaks of the lordship of Messiah Yeshua so much so that an addition to it is not even necessary, ignoring for the moment that such an addition is contrary to Jewish halacha, as well as adding to the Torah.
    
    • See Congregational Decision:
      Question - Israel asked a congregation why it was doing that. Question was asked why, and if it was permissible to add to the Shema.
      Response - The entire congregation commented on why they were doing it, but after quick deliberation and consultation with halacha, the Shema, and general practice, it was unanimously agreed that not only is adding to the Shema against halacha, its also not necessary given that the lordship of Yeshua is implied in the Shema, and inserting an addition is profane in adding to Torah, and such an insertion is also unnecessarily divisive with the greater Jewish community. The congregation has since ceased from inserting the hu Adon addition.
    • Discussion: Shema