97. Saying “Echad”

17:3 Before beginning, one should have the intention that he is about to fulfill the mitzvah of reciting Shema. When a person says the words “Shema Yisrael,” he should concentrate on the meaning, i.e., that we Jews should recognize that God is our Lord and that He is unique and unified in all creation. The letter ches in “echad” is prolonged as a sign of God’s sovereignty in Heaven and on Earth. (The letter ches is also the number eight, representing the seven levels of Heaven, plus Earth.) The letter daled should also be prolonged slightly so that one will think about how God rules all four directions of the world. (The letter daled is also the number four.) One should be careful that the extending of these letters does not cause him to mispronounce the word; if one cannot still pronounce it properly, it would be better not to prolong any letters. The practice is to say the verse of “Shema Yisrael” out loud, covering our eyes with the right hand, in order to help our concentration. After saying the word “echad,” we pause slightly, then recite the verse of “Baruch Shem…” This verse is recited silently, except on Yom Kippur. As with the verse of “Shema Yisrael,” we must concentrate on the meaning of the verse “Baruch Shem…”

17:4 After the verse of “Baruch Shem,” one pauses slightly and recites the paragraph that begins “V’ahavta.” This is the case before each new paragraph, i.e., that one pauses slightly before beginning the next section. When one recites the final paragraph, “Va’yomer Hashem,” he should have the intention to fulfill the mitzvah of remembering the exodus from Egypt.