Expanding Oneness The most important statement in Judaism is the declaration of the Shema, which we are commanded to recite every morning and evening, proclaiming Hashem Echad, G-d is one. But what exactly does that mean? And how did our understanding of this critical statement develop over time? On the most basic level, G-d is one, means that the creator of all existence is one, and not a partnership between two or more entities. Centuries later, Maimonides articulated the meaning of oneness to include, not only that there are no other G-ds, but that G-d’s existence is pure oneness (not a composite of many parts), not susceptible to limitation and change. In the words of Maimonides: This God is one. He is not two or more, but one, unified in a manner which [surpasses] any unity that is found in the world; i.e., He is not one in the manner of a general category which includes many individual entities, nor one in the way that the body is divided into different portions and dimensions. Rather, He is unified, and there exists no unity similar to His in this world. Hundreds of years after that, Chasidism reveals additional depth in the word one: not only is there only one G-d, not only is G-d himself one and not composed of two or more parts, but that there is only oneness. The multitude of spiritual worlds, galaxies and creations are included within, and an expression of, the oneness of G-d, for every creation is an expression of the Divine energy which brings it into existence. The Hebrew word Echad, one, is composed of three letters: Aleph, with the numerical value of one, represents the one G-d. Chet, with the numerical value of eight, represents the seven heavens and the earth. Daled, with the numerical value of four, represents the four directions. When we say Shema, we are tapping into and revealing the deeper reality of oneness, namely that all of existence, with its unfathomable detail, beauty and complexity, from the distant galaxies to the intricate veins of a leaf, from the vastness of the ocean to every heartbeat, every person and every experience, is included in the oneness. We expand the oneness by opening ourselves to the realization that all parts of creation share a deep connection. For we are all part of a greater oneness, all part of the Divine that shines through us. Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likutei Sichos vol. 11 p. 11
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