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Does the Shema Yisrael affirm the first two persons of the trinity, aka the Father and Son?
Shema Yisrael is a combination of Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41.
Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (NASB)
4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 11:13–21 (NASB)
13 “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, 14 that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. 15 He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. 16 Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. 17 Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you.
18 “You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 19 You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.
Numbers 15:37–41 (NASB)
37 The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. 39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, 40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God.”
Considering the passages below, it seems possible that “Adonai Eloheinu” who is “The Lord our God,” and plain “Adonai”, the Lord, could be referencing two separate persons/people/entities. Most Rabbis seem to take it that the two terms refer to the exact same person, a sort of rhetorical emphasis by repetition, but it may also be a statement of comparison leading to a conclusion of unity. This would be two separate noun phrases sharing a descriptor of unity. To illustrate the scene in Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses goes up to the congregation, gets their attention and puts a hand out to one side, “The Lord our God”, puts out another hand, “The Lord”, and claps his hands together, “are one.”
Joseph speaks about two different dreams, one with cows, one with grain, which were witnessed at different times by Pharaoh, making it seem they were separate or different. However, Joseph asserts these dreams were two variations of a single proclamation from God. Thus, A and B are the same.
Jesus alludes to the Shema in John 10:30, placing himself as the second Adonai and the Father as the first, Adonai Eloheinu. Now, some people claim this statement is meant to indicate that he has reached some form of cosmic enlightenment, something all people can share and become “one” with God. However, it seems more like Jesus has a special relationship with the Father.
Problem: Joseph says there were two dreams to make it clear the matter was certain and decided. Isn’t that the same as saying one was a repetition of the other for emphasis?
Problem: John 17:20-23 makes reference to the way the church should be unified and perfected, which may imply the cosmic enlightenment reading.
Deuteronomy 6:4: Listen, Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
Deuteronomy 6:4: `Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah;
Deuteronomy 6:4: άκουε Ισραήλ κύριος ο θεός ημών κύριος εις εστί
Deuteronomy 6:4: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
Genesis 41:25: Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Genesis 41:25: And Joseph saith unto Pharaoh, `The dream of Pharaoh is one: that which God is doing he hath declared to Pharaoh;
Genesis 41:25: και είπεν Ιωσήφ τω Φαραώ το ενύπνιον Φαραώ εν εστιν όσα ο θεός ποιεί έδειξε τω Φαραώ
Genesis 41:25: וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל־פַּרְעֹה חֲלוֹם פַּרְעֹה אֶחָד הוּא אֵת אֲשֶׁר הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׂה הִגִּיד לְפַרְעֹֽה׃
Genesis 41:26: The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning.
Genesis 41:26: the seven good kine are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one;
Genesis 41:26: αι επτά βόες αι καλαί επτά έτη εστί και οι επτά στάχυες οι καλοί επτά έτη εστί το ενύπνιον Φαραώ εν εστι
Genesis 41:26: שֶׁבַע פָּרֹת הַטֹּבֹת שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הֵנָּה וְשֶׁבַע הַֽשִּׁבֳּלִים הַטֹּבֹת שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הֵנָּה חֲלוֹם אֶחָד הֽוּא׃
John 10:30: The Father and I are one."
John 10:30: I and the Father are one.’
John 10:30: εγώ και ο πατήρ εν εσμεν
John 17:20: And not in regard to these alone do I ask, but also in regard to those who shall be believing, through their word, in me; John 17:21: that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in me, and I in Thee; that they also in us may be one, that the world may believe that Thou didst send me. John 17:22: And I, the glory that thou hast given to me, have given to them, that they may be one as we are one;
John 17:23: I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be perfected into one, and that the world may know that Thou didst send me, and didst love them as Thou didst love me.
–. 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles: Wheaton, IL.
–. 2017. NET Bible. Biblical Studies Foundation. > https://bible.org/
Young, Robert. 1898. Young’s Literal Translation. Baker Publishing.
–. 2019. Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. > https://hb.openscriptures.org/
–. Apostolic Bible Polyglot Greek Text. > https://www.apostolicbible.com/
Segal, Alan F. 2002-08-01. Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports About Christianity & Gnosticism. Brill. > 9780391041721
