Bat Abraham: Judaism and religion,
by Joann Betschart

This came from this week's bulletin from Congregation Beth Shalom. It is important to know that the Sh'ma is Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41. It begins: "Hear, O Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is one."

Courtesy of Doreen Goldman TRADITION: During a service at an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, when the Sh'ma prayer was said, half the congregants stood up and half remained sitting. The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up. The rabbi, learned as he was in the Law and commentaries, didn't know what to do. His congregation suggested that he consult a housebound 98-year-old man who was one of the original founders of their temple. The rabbi hoped the elderly man would be able to tell him what the actual temple tradition was, so he went to the nursing home with a representative of each faction of the congregation. The one whose followers stood during Sh'ma said to the old man, "Is the tradition to stand during this prayer?" The old man answered, (click here to find out) "No, that is not the tradition." The one whose followers sat said, "Then the tradition is to sit during Sh'ma!" The old man answered, "No, that is not the tradition." Then the rabbi said to the old man, "But the congregants fight all the time, yelling at each other about whether they should sit or stand." The old man interrupted, exclaiming, "THAT is the tradition!"

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