Everywhere we turn, it feels like people are talking past each other. Opinions fly, voices rise, yet true listening is absent. This inability to hear one another has created deep fractures in our society, leaving us more divided than ever. We desperately yearn for connection, for peace, for healing. But how do we get there?
The answer lies in one of the most fundamental prayers in Jewish life: Shema Yisrael. “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One.” Which we encountered in last week’s portion and continues in this week’s Torah portion Eikev. The word Shema does not mean “say” or “proclaim.” It means “listen.” Before we declare our faith, before we speak, the Torah commands us to listen.
Listening, in Judaism, is not passive. To listen is to open our hearts, to be present, to connect. When we truly listen, we recognize that we are not isolated individuals but part of something greater. G-d begins by asking us to listen to Him, because listening is the foundation of all relationships—between us and G-d, and between us and each other.
Our world is fractured because we have lost the ability to listen. Instead of hearing the pain, the hope, and the humanity of others, we drown it out with our own noise. The Torah teaches us that healing begins with listening. Just as we are commanded to listen to G-d’s voice, we must also train ourselves to listen to the voices of those around us.
When we achieve that inner unity, something remarkable happens: we become unshakable. History has shown that when the Jewish people are united within, no external danger, no threat, and no persecution can break us. Our strength has never come from numbers or power but from the deep bond we share with one another and with G-d. Division weakens us, but unity fortifies us; when we listen, connect, and stand as one, we can withstand anything that comes from the outside.
When we learn to listen, we discover connection. And when connection flourishes, division shrinks. This is why the Shema has carried our people through exile and persecution, why it is whispered on our lips in moments of both triumph and tragedy. It is a reminder that listening fosters unity, and unity brings peace.
If we want to heal the brokenness of our society, we must start by listening—with patience, with humility, and with love. By listening to G-d, by listening to each other, we create the harmony we so desperately seek. And when we do, the words of the Shema will no longer be just a prayer we recite, but a reality we live: Oneness, peace, and unity for all.