"Hashem Elokeichem Emet"

Why do we add on the word "emet" at the end of Kri'at Shema if it's really part of the next paragraph?
Does this in any way violate bal tosif?
~Tamar Novetsky~

According to Brachot 14a, we don't want a hefsek / break between the third paragraph (VaYomer) and the following paragraph (V'Yatziv v'nachon.) So we connect the first word of the last paragraph to the previous one, we connect "Emet" to "Hashem Elokeichem." The reason is because of the pasuk in Sefer Yirmiyahu, 10:10, where Yirmiyahu declares "Hashem Elokim Emet." Just as Yirmiyahu connected the two words, so must we and not have a pause between the two paragraphs.

It is not an issue of Bal Tosif. Based on the Sifrei (Re'eh 82), one violates Bal Tosif for words when completely new words are added to a pre-existing text. The example that the Sifrei gives is that it would be assur for one to add a bracha like the one Moshe gave Bn"y in the beginning of Sefer Devaim, "Hashem Elokei Elokeicheim yosef aleichem kachem elef pa'amim..." to Birchat Kohanim, a pre-existing text from BeMidbar 6:24-26 .

I hope this answers your question and helps you find even more meaning in your davening!

Ms. F