The Sh'ma is a traditional
Jewish prayer that in English is translated to, "Hear, O
Israel, the
Lord Our
God, the
Lord is One." It professes the central tenet of
Jewish faith: there is only one
god.
This belief is what differentiated the
Judaism from all of the other
polytheistic religions in the days of old. Furthermore, it continues to differentiate
Judaism from
Christianity by stressing that there is only one
god and as opposed to the
three-in-one idea held by many
Christian sects.
The Sh'ma is very widely used, and occasions upon which it is said include during
prayer and at
death.