Shemaʿ (Heb., ‘hear’). Declaration of God's unity in the Jewish liturgy. The Shemaʿ consists of three Pentateuchal passages: Deuteronomy 6. 4–9, 11. 13–21, and Numbers 15. 37–41.

It is recited twice daily in the evening and the morning, and the practice dates back at least to the 2nd cent. CE.

Shema a Hebrew text consisting of three passages from the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 6:4, 11:13–21; Numbers 15:37–41) and beginning ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord’. It forms an important part of Jewish evening and morning prayer and is used as a Jewish confession of faith. The word is Hebrew, and means literally ‘hear’.