Berakhot 13

In today's text the concept of intention (which is very modern - we need to live our lives with intention) and the mandate to say the Shema in Hebrew are interconnected. If you do not understand the Hebrew words themselves and all their nuances, how can you say the Shema with intention?  The argument for saying the Shema in Hebrew is rooted in the meaning of the actual words that God commanded: “And these words, which I command you this day, will be upon your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). I would argue that the Hebrew version of the Shema is one of the first things we learn in Hebrew School and is imprinted on our Jewish consciousness in Hebrew. And I understand its essence through its rhythm and repetition even if I am not a Hebrew speaker. (Plus, the English is usually recited along with the Hebrew for the first two lines in synagogue.) And the argument is then extended to the intention of good deeds and the importance of what is in one's heart. Is someone who does really bad things but gives a lot of money to charity doing a mitzvah? Did Jeffrey Epstein do a mitzvah when he gave money to medical research? I also love the attention to the interruptions of life in today's text and the guidance on whether it is appropriate to greet someone between paragraphs when reciting the Shema. (And then, even further discussion on what constitutes a paragraph!) Does today's text apply to our modern consciousness and wandering minds? What are we thinking of when we say the Shema in synagogue? Are we fully present or thinking of all the details of our modern lives?