The tenth positive commandment as enumerated by Maimonides is one that is simultaneously well-known by most Christians and yet foreign to most Christians. We recognize the command from interactions with Jesus in the Gospels, but the cultural understanding of the command is unfamiliar to us.
P10 – To recite the Shema twice daily, as Deuteronomy 6:2 states: “And you shall speak of them when you lie down and when you arise.[1]“
We understand and recognize the Shema as the most important command in Scripture as per Yeshua’s statement:
Mark 12:29 (TLV)
Yeshua answered, “The first is, ‘Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.’”
Ok! I found this one, so job complete. Right?
Not really. That wasn’t enough for me. I was pretty sure there was more to be gleaned from this command. If it’s the most important commandment, then Jesus certainly gave it some more time and teaching. Perhaps not so literally as the above verse, but did He share the heart of it in different ways?
Initially, I found myself struggling to find what I was looking for, but as I have found in several situations now, consulting Jewish insight helped me see it more clearly.
As our Jewish Rabbi Yeshua was speaking these words, those hearing Him wouldn’t have mentally stopped at Deuteronomy 6:7. In Jewish thought, the recitation of the Shema is not just the single sentence that Yeshua spoke. Boiling down into just a few words the contents of a very long study on the Shema, it is an expectation that one recites three sets of verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-9[2] and 11:13-21[3], and Number 15:37-41[4].
What is the purpose of these three together? They obviously aren’t next to each other in one section of Scripture, yet Judaism (including early Jewish believers and modern Jewish believers) understands this command to apply to all three sets of verses. Why? The case law of Israel has the answer.
Deut 6:4-9 is understood as “taking on the yoke of heaven[5]”
Deut 11:13-21 is understood as “taking on the yoke of His commandments[6]”
Numbers 15:37-41 is understood as “remembering the Exodus from Egypt[7]”
I don’t know about you, but my lightbulb lit up with this information. This idea of the “yoke” was the big hint to direct me to find more of the Shema in the teachings of our Master.
Matthew 11:29–30 (TLV)
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Could these two concepts be connected? I had to contemplate this for a day, but when I consider the full context of Matthew’s reference to Yeshua’s words, I can begin to see the relation to the Shema, or at least, the yokes that we’re taking on as disciples of Yeshua.
The full context that I’m reviewing is this:
Matthew 11:25–30 (TLV)
25 At that time Yeshua said in response, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and discerning and revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was pleasing to You. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
I’m certain this is a midrash on the Shema. Pulling apart these verses a little at a time, I’m spotting some patterns. All things on heaven and earth have been handed over to Yeshua. No one knows the Father except through Yeshua and so the “yoke of heaven” belongs to Him. To accept Jesus as our Savior, Master, Lord, and King is to take on the yoke of heaven. That’s what it is to become a disciple of Yeshua – we take on His yoke.
At the same time, we’re told in John 1:1 that Yeshua is “the word” made flesh. He is the Torah – the commandments – personified in the flesh. Obedience to Him is our calling as we begin to disciple under our Master. We are His servants. Every day we should be looking more like Him through our imitation of Him.
The act of accepting the Yoke of Heaven comes before accepting the Yoke of God’s commandments, as demonstrated at Mount Sinai. The Jewish people, along with the mixed multitude, left Egypt and pledged their loyalty to the God who had just delivered them. Only those who followed God out of Egypt were given His teachings. By following God into the desert, they showed their commitment to Him, and He then provided them with His teachings. Just as our Lord says, “follow me,” and then begins to teach and guide you to imitate Him.
Exodus From Egypt
The final part of this is the exodus from Egypt. The significance of the Exodus from Egypt should not be overlooked. The Israelites are the rightful recipients of God’s promises, and this is upheld by Jesus and the apostles. On a deeper level, the Exodus symbolizes the spiritual journey of faith, as we strive to escape the metaphorical Egypt we live in, be reunited with our King, and find peace for our souls.
The apostles call for us to remember the Good News and the share the message in a variety of ways. The Jewish people have never forgotten their Sinai experience. There is one verse that sticks out to me though in reference to the gentiles part. We have been grafted in, and so, we are called to remember.
Ephesians 2:12 (ESV)
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Considering all of these aspects, we should easily see how the Shema (P10) applies to a life of faith in Jesus. Is it necessary to recite this teaching twice daily as suggested in the Jewish tradition? The topic of twice daily prayer will be explored further in future discussions, but it is important to note that the first recitation according to Jewish tradition is done early in the day, preferably before sunrise. This prompts us to consider what Jesus might have been doing during those early morning hours. Considering the culture, it is likely that the Shema was a part of His daily routine. Should you then consider imitating your Messiah?
Mark 1:35 (TLV)
Very early, while it was still night, Yeshua got up, left, and went away to a place in the wilderness; and there He was praying.
[1] Mishneh Torah, Positive Mitzvot 10
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.