Movements have core phrases that define them.
Judaism's core phrase is "Shema Israel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ehad" – "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."
The Shema prayer is part of the morning and evening prayers, recited before we go to sleep each night. It is in the mezuzot at the entrances to our homes, and in the tefillin that we wear on our heads and bind to our arms. The prayer is supposed to be the last phrase on a Jew's lips. Sadly, it has been the last utterance of many Jewish martyrs killed simply for being Jewish.
The Shema is central to Judaism because it conveys the basic concepts of monotheism, as they appear in the first two commandments of the Ten Commandments: that God is one, and that there are no other gods.
God's unity also enables us to understand why evil exists in this world. In Judaism, each of God's names represents a divine attribute. "Adonai" signifies God's attributes of compassion and mercy, "Elohim" signifies His attribute of judgment. If we read the Shema with this understanding, the meaning of the Shema is, "Hear O Israel, our God who manifests Himself through the divine attributes of compassion and judgment, is one compassionate God."
Judaism wants us to internalize that whatever happens in this world comes from one compassionate creator, who wishes to bring good to His creations. Even if we cannot see the good in the bad, since everything comes from God, there is ultimately a good purpose in what may appear to be bad. God's unity and goodness are Judaism's central message.
Another key aspect of God's unity in Judaism is that we are His children and that we have a divine soul that emanates from God: "The second uniquely Jewish soul is truly a part of God above" (Tanya 2). We strive to reveal our divine soul to become one with God.
The word "shema" means "listen." Understanding God's unity begins by listening and being attentive. It requires knowing that concepts exist that we cannot visualize or fully comprehend, but that we can sense. God wants us to listen, to be aware of our surroundings, of world history, and through listening to these signals gain a glimpse of His unity. Only if we are willing to listen can we move beyond where we are today.
When we recite the Shema, we become the object of change. The Shema is a mantra meant to encourage self-reflection on the part of the Jewish individual and nation. The Jew does not shout the Shema at nonbelievers; instead, he shouts it together with his fellow Jews, as a self-directed wake-up call to remind us to act as the Godly nation was chosen to be.
Islam's core phrase, known as the Takbir, is "Allahu akbar," often translated as "God is great." A more accurate translation is "God is greater" or "God is the greawwww." This core Islamic prayer does not appear in the Quran. It was first used in war by the Prophet Muhammad in the Battle of Badr, the first battle in Islam. "Allahu akbar" is said by Muslims during their five daily prayers, on happy and sad occasions, is inscribed on the national flag of many Islamic countries and is used as a battle cry by Muslim soldiers. And it has also become popular with Muslim terrorists.
According to Islam, humanity was created only to worship God: "I have created the Jinn and humankind only for my worship" (Quran 51:56). The Takbir started as a battle cry and it continues to express the faithful Muslim's mission to bring the world and all of its inhabitants to submit to the greatest God.
How does the Takbir differ from the Shema in its expression of the greatness of God?
Islam, like Judaism, is a monotheistic religion; like the Jews, Muslims believe in one God and that good and bad emanate from Him.
However, Islam's emphasis is on God's greatness and the necessity of submission. Judaism's emphasis is on God's unity and goodness. More than we want to submit humanity to God, we want to uplift humanity toward the divine. Only if we can encourage the world to listen can we make that happen.
