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Observant Jews consider the Shema to be the most important part of theprayerservice in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation as amitzvah(religious commandment). It is traditional for Jews to say the Shema as theirlast words, and for parents to teach their children to say it before they go to sleep at night.
The term “Shema” is used by extension to refer to the whole part of the daily prayers that commence with Shema Israe land comprise Deuteronomy 6:4–9,11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37–41. These sections of the Torah are read in the weekly Torah portions Va’etchanan, Eikev, and Shlach, respectively.
