Shema Israel: Hear, O Israel, Inspired by Deuteronomy 6 | Hebrew Meditation Music

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Shema Israel: Hear, O Israel is a contemplative Hebrew prayer piece of about ten minutes (9:55), built around the opening words of Deuteronomy 6. The Hebrew is sung in transliteration, and on screen each sung line appears with its English meaning, timed to the moment it is actually sung.

The words are inspired by Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might; these words shall be on your heart; you shall teach them to your children, speak of them at home and on the way, and write them on your doorposts and gates) and, near the end, by Leviticus 19:18 (You shall love your neighbor as yourself). This is a musical setting made for quiet listening. It is not the biblical text itself and it does not replace your own Bible or a scholarly translation.

What you will hear, honestly described: after a slow opening of light, the call "Hear, O Israel" is sung at about 1:22, followed by the call to love God (1:34), the words held on the heart (3:10), the teaching of children (3:33), speaking of them at home and on the way (3:58 and 4:27), and the lines about the doorposts and the sign on the hand (4:44 and 5:00). Several of these lines come back later in the music, and the line about loving your neighbor is sung at about 7:12 and again at 8:30. This recording does not sing the whole passage in order from start to finish, and some lines are repeated more than others. The lines on screen are only the ones actually sung.

The mood is unhurried, warm and reverent, with long spaces of calm between the sung lines. It may suit prayer, quiet Scripture reading, study, focused work, or winding down at the end of the day. You might read the English lines slowly and let one phrase stay with you, or keep the music low while you pray or journal.

The music and the voice in this video are AI-generated. The sung Hebrew may be pronounced differently from how a native speaker would say it, so please treat this as a devotional setting and not as a language lesson.

If this music was a help to you, you are welcome to subscribe to Hill Radiance and to share it with someone who may need a calm moment. May these words, sung slowly, be a gentle place to rest and listen.

Lyrics and translation

Sh'ma Yisra'el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one

V'ahavta et Adonai Elohecha, b'chol l'vavcha uvchol nafshecha uvchol me'odecha
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might

V'hayu hadevarim ha'eleh asher anochi metzavcha hayom al l'vavecha
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart

V'shinantam l'vanecha
You shall teach them diligently to your children

V'dibarta bam b'shivtecha b'veitecha
And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house

Uvlechtecha vaderech, uvshochbecha uvkumecha
and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise

Uchtavtam al mezuzot b'veitecha uvish'arecha
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

Ukshartam l'ot al yadecha, v'hayu l'totafot bein einecha
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes

V'dibarta bam b'shivtecha b'veitecha
And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house

Uchtavtam al mezuzot b'veitecha uvish'arecha
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

V'ahavta l're'acha kamocha, ani Adonai
You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord

Uchtavtam al mezuzot b'veitecha uvish'arecha
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

V'ahavta l're'acha kamocha, ani Adonai
You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord

Uchtavtam al mezuzot b'veitecha uvish'arecha
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates