Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman explore a profound spiritual tradition tied to the Torah’s most famous declaration: Shema Yisrael.
According to rabbinic teaching, the patriarch Yaakov held a sacred insight into the Shema. As he gathered his sons before his passing, he feared that perhaps one of them had strayed from faith. When they responded in unison with Shema Yisrael, affirming God’s absolute Oneness, Yaakov understood that the divine unity would endure through Israel’s generations. His whispered response—Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto Le’olam Va’ed—became the quiet line we recite after the Shema, echoing a truth so exalted it is traditionally spoken softly.
Why close our eyes? The hosts explain that closing the eyes is an act of spiritual focus: it shuts out the physical world so the soul can “see” divine unity without distraction. In that moment, reciting the Shema becomes not merely a statement—but, as the podcast beautifully frames it, a kiss of the soul, an intimate bond between human consciousness and God’s Oneness.
The episode also offers striking insights into the Torah’s account of the embalming of Yosef and Yaakov in ancient Egypt, revealing layers of meaning about holiness, exile, and the preservation of identity—even within foreign cultures.
Thoughtful, uplifting, and deeply rooted in Torah wisdom, this week’s Jerusalem Lights elevates the Shema from daily recitation to transformative encounter—inviting listeners to close their eyes, open their hearts, and rediscover the power of divine unity.
