MISHPATIM
אוזן ששמע - PAY ATTENTION
I was bothered a bit by the fact that we seem to reverse the order of נעשה ונשמע every day when we say Krias Shema - we first say שמע and after we are mekabel עול מצוות.
But a more bothersome question has been noted by everyone and that is why do we pierce the if we say אוזן ששמע… - Which means the EAR HEARD! The language of the this drasha suggests that the EAR DID do its job! It is the miind or heart of the Eved that missed the boat and did not take the message of עבדי הם or לא תגנובו to heart!
We are all familiar with two types of שמיעה- hearing and accepting or understanding. ( "herring and derherring") However, the eved certainly simply heard, and the "der-herring is a process of the mind and heart not his ear!
Based on a shmooze from the Mashgiach שליט''א, we can understand a whole new third approach to שמיעה as well.
In Parshas Bishalach it says והאזנת - Rashi explains תטה אזנים לדקדק - bend your ear to discern דק - finer meaning in the words you hear. This is not about the understanding. It is about how to initially listen. PAY ATTENTION. Give enough importance, appreciation and love to the words so that you LISTEN better, in order to discern deeper "eidele" meaning in them. The Targum on the word והאזנת is אצית - a focused listening with attention. (In other places like והיה אים שמוע תשמעו , the Targum is קבילו - accepting the information that is heard and taking it to heart.)
This actual type of LISTENING was lacking from the eved. If he would have paid full attention to עבדי הם - he would have discerned ולא עבדים לעבדים.
It is interesting to note that שמע ישראל actually does not have a translation in Targum. It just says שמע. Perhaps it is the first שמיעה - to listen attentively to what you are saying - as it follows with love. (Whereas נעשה ונשמע us the third step in the process accepting, understanding and taking to heart.) This is Kabolas Malchus Shamayim - being loyal and interested not only in what the simple words say, demand, or command, but to attentively listen with love to discern what our King wants.
Perhaps it means to simply hear the words that your mouth is saying as the gemara says l'chatchilah all agree Shema should be said audibly.
Perhaps it means to accept and take to heart.
Perhaps it means all 3 or perhaps a different meaning for different types of people…