Shema Yisrael and the Art of Dying...
One common aspect of Shamanism is the Initiation. This is a near-death experience or a vision of experiencing death. The belief is that a Shaman is born and found by another Shaman who trains them, but the initiation must occur before the Shaman can function as a Shaman.
In Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's book, Derech Hashem, there is a discussion of the Shema Yisrael.
Deuteronomy 6:
ד שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵ: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
ה וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ
ו וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ
ז וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ
ח וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל-יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ
ט וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ
4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
This verse is read twice daily, along with a few others. In Derech Hashem, the Ramhal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) says that what's asked is not just to read it, but to believe it to the point that you are willing to die for G-d's oneness, to accept dying for it. Dying for G-d brings down his Light to the world. Accepting dying for him does, too. This is a daily acceptance and embracing of death.
This acceptance of death is akin to the Shamanistic initiation.
~Muninn's Kiss
In Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's book, Derech Hashem, there is a discussion of the Shema Yisrael.
Deuteronomy 6:
ד שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵ: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
ה וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ
ו וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ
ז וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ
ח וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל-יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ
ט וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ
4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
This verse is read twice daily, along with a few others. In Derech Hashem, the Ramhal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) says that what's asked is not just to read it, but to believe it to the point that you are willing to die for G-d's oneness, to accept dying for it. Dying for G-d brings down his Light to the world. Accepting dying for him does, too. This is a daily acceptance and embracing of death.
This acceptance of death is akin to the Shamanistic initiation.
~Muninn's Kiss