In an ancient text of the Hebrew Bible there is musical notation known as Teamim. This version of the Shema, is perhaps as close as we can get to the actual melody that was preserved in the Masoretic text. Shema means “listen! and implies “obey!” and comes from Deuteronomy 6 v 4 -9 where it says: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart. You are to teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
