Why is it the custom to place our hand over our eyes when we recite the Shema Yisrael? In Shemoneh Esrai it is sufficient to merely close our eyes. The words Shema Yisrael (Hear Yisrael) is addressed to whom? If it is to Am Yisrael what should they hear since they themselves are also required to recite the Shema Yisrael?

This parsha of Vayechi is "setumah" closed up being that the beginning of the parsha omits the length of a nine letter space between the end of Vayigash and the beginning of Vayechi. One of the two reasons given by Chazal is that before Yaakov died he desired to reveal to his children the קץ of אחרית הימים but the presence of the Shechinah abruptly went away from him thereby giving the message that shamayim was not agreeable with this revelation. What is the reason behind the heavenly refusal and what gain would have come about by divulging this secret to his children?

This week was the yartzeit of Rav Moshe Shapiro ztl. I would like to bring his explanation concisely to the best of my ability to serve as an Aliya for his neshamah. There are two sources for the mitzvah of reciting the Shema. One is in the parsha of Vaeschanan where the Shemah Yisrael is written and the other is based upon the Medrash Vayechi. The Medrash relates that after the Shechina's presence left, Yaakov was a little taken aback over the heavenly refusal. He addressed his children that maybe the cause of Hashem not giving me permission to execute his wish was due to the fact some of his children were not worthy of it and on the proper madraigah. The Shevatim responded with שמע ישראל our father Yisrael should hear that ה' אלקינו ה' אחד that by everyone of us we believe in the oneness of Hashem and serve no other deity. Upon hearing this one united response, Yaakov answered with the words ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. This response of Yaakov ברוך שם became part of the Shemah to be recited right after the passuk שמע ישראל.

Of the two versions of Shema, one in Parhas Vaeschanan and the second in the episode of Yaakov and the Shevatim which included Yaakov's ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו response, why was the version of the שמע ישראל with Yaakov's insertion chosen as the daily mitzvah to fulfill the Torah's requirement.

It must be that when we recite the Shema we must envision that we are standing next to the bed of Yaakov Avinu before he passes away and he wants to reveal to us what spiritual state will we be in order to bring about the final geulah. It will only come when Yisrael are full believers in the oneness of Hashem with every bone and fiber in their body. והשבות אל לבבך כי ה' הוא האלקים בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת אין עוד. This is the purpose of Yaakov's special gathering with his children before he leaves this world האספו ואגידה לכם מה יהיה באחרית הימים -. But before he could bring them all to this deveikus consciousness, the Shechinah disappeared. Yaakov's reaction was maybe we are not worthy of such a revelation of the geulah reality. However when they answered שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד Yaakov understood that they are truly capable of reaching such a ruchniyus level. So why then did the Shechina leave which seemed to demonstrate that such an actualized state would be unfavorable?

The answer is that Hashem was messaging to them that such a state of deep spirituality must emerge and grow in midst of a culture that is just the opposite, from a galus where there is hester panim, evil and darkness reigns and flourishes just like in the scenario of our founding father Avraham Avinu. When the Shechina disappears which sets the atmosphere and condition that challenges our commitment to Hashem, that is the precise time that we must attain to live the model of a nation that is willing to sacrifice their lives for their G-d. Then all the nations of the world will take their cue from us and join Am Yisrael in our pilgrimage to the Beis Hamikdash to worship the one and only exclusive Hashem who created and sustains the cosmos.

Yaakov realized that the Shechina's departure from his presence at this encounter was not for the purpose of concealing but rather to be revealing. It was not a rejection of his wish but rather a correction in his thought process of defining the final redemption. Geulah cannot come without the preceding darkness and the hester of the Shechina. Am Yisrael must toil, fight, and sacrifice themselves in order to bring the light of the geulah into the eyes of the world and only then can we lead humanity to the ultimate recognition of Hashem the King of Kings.

This is the insert of the Shema which Yaakov added to their response ברוך שם כבוד -מלכותו לעולם ועד which parallels the יהא שמיה רבה מברך לעולם ולעלמי עלמיא. We daven that the name of יהוה should be complete with all four letters. For as long as Amalek exsits in the world, Hashem's name is compromised and missing the revelation of the last two letters וה. As the passuk says כי יד על כס יה that presently only the first two letters of Hashem's name is in tack as it refers to the neshama כל הנשמה תהלל יה.

This is how the Machzor Vitri learns these words יהא שמיה that we daven that the name שמ יה should be רבה bigger and expanded with the added letters of וה thereby completing the name of Hashem to יהוה which Amalek is blocking. This conveys that the shelaimus of Hashem's name ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד must first undergo a period of ,ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו that we daven for the oneness of Hashem to be revealed because presently it is not unilateraly accepted but rather challenged by the world with the exception of Klal Yisrael. At this stage in history we as Am Yisrael must be the model through which we will change world opinion into believing the same emunah that we possess. It is we who are the ultimate model and character traits of what a Tzelem Elokim is supposed to be and act like. ויאמר כל אשר נשמה באפו ה' אלקי ישראל מלך ומלכותו בכל משלה and all nations will join us under our banner in praise and service to the One Hashem.

When we say the daily Shema we are not merely saying the parsha of Shema in Vaeschanan but rather the Shema that the Shevatim said to Yisrael their dying father surrounding his bed. We therefore must strive to have the clarity and resolve of dedication to Hashem to the highest degree as they had when they said. It is because the New World Order in the belief of Hashem will be based only upon us and our relationship with Hashem. If our commitment to Hashem and Torah is compromised, flimsy and fragile, how can such an emunah and lack of true devotion be transferred to the nations of the world to make this revolution when we are an imposter example for them.

With the above explanation we can explain the minhag to place our hand over our eyes when we recite the Shema. For it is upon us to realize that the real acceptance oif the Yoke of Shamayim is during the darkness of galus when the strength of our emunah and bitachon are being tested everyday many times over. Our hands represent actions and hard toil. Part of being Hashem's ambassadors in the world is to resist the galus temptations and seductions and nevertheless cleave and cling tightly to Hashem and His Torah without yielding. We must perfect ourselves and our middos to be exemplary and admired by the nations of the world as being the faithful subjects of Hashem because only then they will readily accept Hashem and His following as the genuine and accurate transmitter of Divine light in the universe.

In fact we might now be able to have a new interpretation of the passuk Shema Yisrael and aligning it with this mamar. שמע ישראל who are we speaking or sending a message to that we want them to hear our declaration. Could it be that we are speaking to Yaakov Avinu יעקב אבינו לא מת, repeating the same statement that the Shevatim said to their father conveying that by us there is also no compromise in our emunah and bitachon in Hashem and living as the model of the קץ era. Or maybe an even deeper insight which directs us to place a comma after saying the first word שמע, for we are addressing the goyim of the world, hear our proclamation and see our lives which is conducted with emes, chesed, tikkun hamiddos, mesiras nefesh as a vibrant testimony of gratitude to our Creator. As members of Klal Yisrael we are saying the next word ישראל which means by us Yidden, ה' אלקינו ה' אחד He is absolutely one אין עוד. We are calling to the world that we are the loyal model in this darkness with the mission to enlighten the world with the reality of Hashem as the sole Master.

This ideal and undertaking is alluded to in the next passuk after Shema Yisrael ואהבת את ה' אלקיך You should love Hashem. The Sifri interprets the word to be read as ve'eehavta you should cause others to love Hashem like Avraham did during his lifetime. He was the super model of models in a dark jungle of avodah zara. Our mission of שמע וברוך שם is to bring the world to love Hashem just as we do. The ending of the beracha אהבה רבה is הבוחר בעמו ישראל באהבה. Hashem chose us to be the beacon light house by the stormy ocean. He chose us to attain and live the reality of שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד and live presently as ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד. Every Shabbos when we say Lecha Dodi ה' אחד ושמו אחד which is stated in the present tense as if we are holding already at the קץ. That is because we receive a neshama yesairah. But what about every day of the week on days of חול x six which is the gematriah חרון. They are the days of the week when we become weak by not acting like the genuine representatives of Hashem and thereby anger Hashem in that He cannot bring the geulah to the world. The advice is that we must draw strength from the Shabbos and bring it into the days of חול as it says by Yaakov ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע followed by .וילך חרנה Yaakov left the seventh day Shabbos known as a באר a well and fountain. It also spells the acronym of בידו אפקיד רוחי. That even though one returns the neshama yesairah to Hashem after Shabbos, he is still in the אפקיד mode remembering and thinking about the neshama and how it brought him close to Hashem. This helps one in bringing Shabbos into the חול by arousing the acronym of חול of חזק ויאמץ לבך.