The Greatest Commandment
โNow this isย the commandmentโthe statutes and the rulesโthat theย Lordย your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,ย 2ย thatย you may fear theย Lordย your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, andย that your days may be long.ย 3ย Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly,ย as theย Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
- Israel’s prosperity dependent on their obedience to God (long life and blessing in the Promised Land)
4ย โHear, O Israel:ย Theย Lordย our God, theย Lordย is one. 5ย Youย shall love theย Lordย your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.ย 6ย Andย these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.ย 7ย You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.ย 8ย You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.ย 9ย You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
- They are to teach these laws to their children and obey so it will go well with them.
- The Shema is one of the most central passages in the entire Old Testament and in Jewish faith and tradition. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and is recited daily by observant Jews.
- Shema (โHearโ or โListen and obey.โ):
- ืฉึฐืืึทืข ืึดืฉึฐืืจึธืึตื ืึฐืืึธื ืึฑืึนืึตืื ืึผ ืึฐืืึธื ืึถืึธืื
ืึฐืึธืึทืึฐืชึธึผ ืึตืช ืึฐืืึธื ืึฑืึนืึถืืึธ ืึฐึผืึธืึพืึฐืึธืึฐืึธ ืึผืึฐืึธืึพื ึทืคึฐืฉึฐืืึธ ืึผืึฐืึธืึพืึฐืึนืึถืึธื - Shema Yisrael, YHWH Eloheinu, YHWH echad. Ve’ahavta et YHWH Elohekha, bekhol-levavkha uvekhol-nafshekha uvekhol-me’odekha.
- “might” actually more closely translates to “muchness”” me’od means much/very
- Jesus quotes the Shema in Matthew 22:37
- Some practices including tefillin and mezuzot apply this verse:
Tefillin are small black leather boxes with straps, worn during weekday morning prayers. One box is strapped to the arm (pointed toward the heart), and one is placed on the forehead (above the eyes). Each box contains scrolls of parchment with four Torah passages, including the Shema (Deut 6:4-9 and 11:13-21) and Exodus 13:1-16.
Mezuzah is a small case fixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes (and often every room). Inside is a rolled parchment scroll with the Shema passages (Deut 6:4-9 and 11:13-21). When entering or leaving, many touch or kiss the mezuzah as a reminder of Godโs commands and presence. The case often has the Hebrew letter ืฉ (Shin) on it, standing for Shaddai (โAlmightyโ).
10ย โAnd when theย Lordย your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give youโwith great and good citiesย that you did not build,ย 11ย and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plantโand when you eat and are full,ย 12ย then take care lest you forget theย Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.ย 13ย It isย theย Lordย your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve andย by his name you shall swear.ย
- Jesus quotes this against Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:10)
14ย You shall notย go after other gods,ย the gods of the peoples who are around youโย 15ย forย theย Lordย your God in your midstย is a jealous Godโlest the anger of theย Lordย your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
- When Israel enters the land with abundant cities, houses, wells, and vineyards they didnโt build or plant, they must not forget the Lord.
16ย โYou shall not put theย Lordย your God to the test,ย as you tested him at Massah.ย 17ย You shallย diligently keep the commandments of theย Lordย your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you.ย 18ย And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of theย Lord, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that theย Lordย swore to give to your fathersย 19ย by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as theย Lordย has promised.
- Israel is warned not to test God as they did at Massah/ Meribah (see Exodus 17)
- Jesus quotes 6:16 against Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:10)
20ย โWhen your son asks you in time to come, โWhat is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that theย Lordย our God has commanded you?โย 21ย then you shall say to your son,ย โWe were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And theย Lordย brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.ย 22ย Andย theย Lordย showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes.ย 23ย And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers.ย 24ย And theย Lordย commanded us to do all these statutes,ย to fear theย Lordย our God,ย for our good always, thatย he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.ย 25ย Andย it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before theย Lordย our God, as he has commanded us.โ
- It is mentioned numerous times to teach their children these commands: Continually talk about them at home, on the road, when lying down and rising up. Bind them as signs on their hands and foreheads, and write them on the doorframes and gates.
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