The Six Idioms of the Shema

The Shema is the essential statement of Jewish faith, "Hear O' Israel, Havayah is our God, Havayah is One." (Devarim 6,4)

The first word of the Shema, "hear" (ש מַע, shema), has 3 letters. These three letters can be permuted into six different permutations each of which alludes to either a part of a verse or to a Rabbinical idiom, as follows:

• שמע – "Raise your eyes upwards" (שְ אוּ מְ רוֹם עֵּ ינֵיכֶם), a phrase from Isaiah 40:26
• שעמ – "A flame rising on its own" (שַ ל הֶבֶת ע וֹלָּה מְ אֵלֵיהַ ), a Rabbinic idiom from Shabbat 21a (see also Rashi to Exodus 27:20)
• מעש – "Who has ascended to the heavens?" (מִ י עָ לָּה שָ מַיִם), a phrase from Proverbs 30:4
• משע – "The Place of the World" (מְ קוֹמוֹ שֶ ל עוֹלָּם ), a Rabbinic connotation for the Creator
• עשמ – "Above all You have placed Your abode" (עֶ ל יוֹן שַ מ תָּ מְ עוֹנֶךָ), a phrase from Psalms 91:9
• עמש – "The yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven" (ע וֹל מַ ל כוּת שָ מַיִם), a Rabbinic idiom specifically related to the intent of the Shema, i.e., taking on the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven (see Berachos 13a)