Shema

Duet 6:4 states:

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.

I take it this is where the Jewish Shema comes from. My question is, are the instructions Moses is speaking of:
1. The Teaching quoted several chapters back, which includes all the laws, teachings and precepts?
or:
2. The teaching one verse before it?
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.
or:
3. The ten commandments?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mary Vaught Kline on June 12, 2010 at 3:07pm

If you read the 5th & 6th chapter of Deut. it says you are to teach your children the testimonies, commands, ordinances & decrees. And although that is what I believe I still have a mezuzah at both entrance doors to my house, as well as the bedroom door. I like the reminder that HaShem is my G-d, and He is One. I do not believe in multiple G-d's. In the same way we remember our genealogy, my home reflects the path I have traveled over the years.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Web Hulon on June 12, 2010 at 7:43pm

Tamla,
I vote for choice #2. Verse 1 says this is Ha mitzvah, or THE commandment. It is singular, and then we are told YHWH is your Elohim, YHWH alone. This is THE command and the others are useless without it. This is the context of all commands.

In Hebrew it says "YHWH echad." Echad means "one or united," but it also means "first." The commandment is "YHWH is first."

YHWH must come first! YHWH is to be the first consideration in our actions, thoughts, attitudes, and loyalties. Before anything else that is mighty in our lives. Before your work, before your house, before your finances, before your family, before your security, before your logic and reasoning, YHWH is first. Give YHWH priority and you will posses the land, things will be well with you, you will increase very much.

Web