The Shema is recited in some form at least 2-4 times each and every day, and is the highlight of both the morning and evening service.
This week marks both a special Shabbat and Torah portion.
For starters, this Shabbat, the Shabbat that follows the Tisha B’av day of mourning, is known as “Shabbat Nachamu”, meaning “the Shabbat of consolation.”
This special name symbolizes the idea that we are transitioning from the past three weeks of mourning for Jerusalem to the belief that the Messiah and better days are ahead. The term “Nachamu” is taken from the first words of the haftarah, the weekly reading from the prophets (in this case, Isaiah chapter 40) that is read in the synagogue after the weekly Torah portion.
