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• Chapter Two - more specific problems related to the manner in which Shema may be recited are resolved, and regulations governing its recitation are discussed.
• Chapter Three - there is a discussion of special cases in which a person is exempt from reciting Shema and the Amida prayer.
In sum, chapters four and five deal with prayer in general, chapters six through eight, discuss appropriate conduct at a meal as well as the blessings recited before and after eating, and chapter nine deals with blessings recited in response to various phenomena. .
As can be seen from the tractate's prevalent themes, the focus of this tractate is the "ways in which a Jewish person expresses his faith throughout his life." Throughout the Barakhot tractate, there are many glimpses into the reverent ways in with the Jewish people regard going before God in prayer. The Shema and other corresponding prayers and blessings shed light on the Jewish heart and desire to please God. .
The Shema.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." This is the most well-known passage of the Hebrew Scriptures, known in Jewish tradition as the Shema. The prayer's title is based on the first word "hear" translated from the Hebrew word shema. There are three key passages that make up the Shema: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. Not only is the Shema a liturgical prayer, but it is incorporated into the daily routine of many Jewish people regardless of background. For the observant Jew, the Shema is recited in the morning when he rises and in the evening before bed. The majority of the Jewish laws (halakhah) concerning how to implement the Shema into Jewish life are found in the Berakhot tractate of the Talmud. Berakhot means "blessings" and the main theme of this tractate is faith as expressed through prayer.