דברים ו׳

ה' אלהינו ה' אחד. ה' שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַתָּה, וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֻמּוֹת, הוּא עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת ה' אֶחָד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (צפניה ג') כִּי אָז אֶהְפֹּךְ אֶל עַמִּים שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לִקְרֹא כֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם ה', וְנֶאֱמַר (זכריה י"ד) בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד (ע' ספרי):

Adonoy is our God, Adonoy is one. Adonoy who is presently our God and not the God of the nations, will in the future be [recognized] as the One God, as is said, “For then I will turn over to the peoples a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of Adonoy.” And it is said, “On that day Adonoy will be One and His name One.”

ואהבת. עֲשֵׂה דְּבָרָיו מֵאַהֲבָה, אֵינוֹ דוֹמֶה הָעוֹשֶׂה מֵאַהֲבָה לָעוֹשֶׂה מִיִּרְאָה, הָעוֹשֶׂה אֵצֶל רַבּוֹ מִיִּרְאָה, כְּשֶׁהוּא מַטְרִיחַ עָלָיו מַנִּיחוֹ וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ (שם):

You are to love. You are to obey His words (commands) because of your love [for Him]. There is no comparison between one who obeys out of love and one who obeys out of fear. He who obeys (serves) his master out of fear, should the master over burden him, he will leave him and go away.

בכל לבבך. בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ (ספרי; ברכות נ"ד); דָּבָר אַחֵר בכל לבבך שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לִבְּךָ חָלוּק עַל הַמָּקוֹם (ספרי):

With all your heart. With your two inclinations. Another interpretation, “with all your heart” — your heart should not be fragmented with God.

ובכל נפשך. אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ (ספרי; ברכות נ"ד):

With all your soul. Even if He were to take your soul.

ובכל מאדך. בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ, יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁמָּמוֹנוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו מִגּוּפוֹ (בראשית נ"ז), לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. דָּ"אַ — ובכל מאדך בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁמּוֹדֵד לְךָ, בֵּין בְּמִדָּה טוֹבָה בֵּין בְּמִדַּת פֻּרְעָנוּת, וְכֵן דָּוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים קט"ז) כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא צָרָה וְיָגוֹן אֶמְצָא וְגוֹ' (ע' ספרי):

And with all your possesions. With all your wealth. There are men whose wealth is dearer to them than their bodies. It is therefore said, “With all your possessions.” Another interpretation, “With what ever measure” — with what ever measure He apportions you, whether it is a measure of goodness or a measure of punishment (you must love Him). Similarly did Dovid say: “the cup of deliverance I will raise [and upon the Name, Adonoy, I will call]. “Trouble and sorrow I encounter, [and upon the Name, Adonoy, I call].”

והיו הדברים האלה. וּמַהוּ הָאַהֲבָה? והיו הדברים האלה, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ כָּךְ אַתָּה מַכִּיר בְּהַקָּבָּ"ה וּמְדַּבֵּק בִּדְרָכָיו (ספרי):

And these words. What is the form of love [you are commanded]? “These words [that I command you today, etc.]” For in this manner you be aware of the Holy One blessed is He, and You will cling to His ways.

אשר אנכי מצוך היום. לֹא יִהְיוּ בְּעֵינֶיךָ כִדְיוּטְגְּמָא יְשָׁנָה שֶׁאֵין אָדָם סוֹפְנָהּ, אֶלָּא כַּחֲדָשָׁה שֶׁהַכֹּל רָצִין לִקְרָאתָהּ; דְּיוּטְגְּמָא – מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ הַבָּאָה בְּמִכְתָּב (ספרי):

That I command you today. [These words] shall not be in your eyes like an outdated decree which no one takes seriously, but rather like a newly given one, which is read eagerly by all. [The word] דְיוֹטַגְמָא [implies] a royal command in written form.

ושננתם. לְשׁוֹן חִדּוּד הוּא, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְחֻדָּדִים בְּפִיךָ, שֶׁאִם יִשְׁאָלְךָ אָדָם דָּבָר לֹא תְהֵא צָרִיךְ לְגַמְגֵּם בּוֹ אֶלָּא אֱמֹר לוֹ מִיָּד (ספרי; קידושין ל'):

And you shall teach them. The word שִׁנַנְתָּם is an expression of sharpness, implying that they (words of Torah) should be sharp in your mouth, so that if a person asks you anything about them, you will not need to stammer (hesitate) about it, but tell him (the answer) immediately.

לבניך. אֵלּוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים, מָצִינוּ בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַתַּלְמִידִים קְרוּייִם בָּנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים י"ד) בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְאוֹמֵר (מלכים ב ב') בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר בֵּית אֵל, וְכֵן בְּחִזְקִיָּהוּ, שֶׁלִּמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּקְרָאָם בָּנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב' כ"ט) בָּנַי עַתָּה אַל תִּשָּׁלוּ. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהַתַּלְמִידִים קְרוּיִים בָּנִים (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם) כָּךְ הָרַב קָרוּי אָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ב') אָבִי אָבִי רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ' (ספרי):

To your children. [In this instance בָנֶיךָ ] refers to the disciples (students). We find everywhere that disciples are referred to as children, as it is said, “You are children of Adonoy, your God,” and it says, “the children (disciples) of the prophets who were in Beis Eil.” Similarly in reference to King Chizkiyahu who taught the Torah to all of Yisroel, and he called them children, as it is said, “My children, now, do not be carelessely forgetful.” And even as disciples are called children as it is said, “You are children of Adonoy, your God, so too is the Rav (teacher) called father, as it is said, “My father, my father, the chariot of Yisroel, etc.”

ודברת בם. שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא עִקַּר דִּבּוּרְךָ אֶלָּא בָּם – עֲשֵׂם עִקָּר וְאַל תַּעֲשֵׂם טָפֵל (שם):

And you are to discuss them. Your main discussions should be only about them. Make them (words of Torah) primary and do not make them of secondary importance.

ובשכבך. יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ שָׁכַב בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם, תַּ"ל ובקומך, יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ עָמַד בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה, תַּ"ל בשבתך בביתך ובלכתך בדרך – דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה, זְמַן שְׁכִיבָה וּזְמַן קִימָה (שם):

When you go to sleep. I might conclude that this means even if you go to sleep in midday, it is therefore stated, “When you arise.” I might then conclude that this means even if you arise in midnight, it is therefore stated, “When you sit at home and when you walk on the road”; thus the Torah speaks of the usual way of life, [indicating that בְּשָׁכְבְךָ means] the usual time of sleeping [and בְקוּמֶךָ means] the usual time of rising.

וקשרתם לאות על ידך. אֵלּוּ תְּפִלִּין שֶׁבַּזְּרוֹעַ:

And you are to tie them as a sign upon your arm. These are the tefillin that are placed on the arm.

והיו לטטפת בין עיניך. אֵלּוּ תְּפִלִּין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ, וְעַל שֵׁם מִנְיַן פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֵיהֶם נִקְרְאוּ טֹטָפוֹת, טט בְּכַתְפִּי שְׁתַּיִם פת בְּאַפְרִיקֵי שְׁתַּיִם (סנהדרין ד'):

And they are to be totafos between your eyes. These are the tefillin that are placed on the head. It is due to the number of Scriptural sections [contained in them] that they are called totafos, for טֹט in Coptic language means two, and פֹת in the African language means two.

מזזות ביתך. מזזת כְּתִיב, שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ אֶלָּא אַחַת:

The doorposts of your house. The word מְזֻזוֹת is written defectively to indicate that only one is necessary [for each door.]

ובשעריך. לְרַבּוֹת שַׁעֲרֵי חֲצֵרוֹת וְשַׁעֲרֵי מְדִינוֹת וְשַׁעֲרֵי עֲיָרוֹת (יומא י"א):

And on your gateposts. [The plural is used] to include the gates of courtyards, the gates of provinces and the gates of cities.

חצובים. לְפִי שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹם טְרָשִׁין וּסְלָעִים נוֹפֵל בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן חֲצִיבָה:

Hewn cisterns. since it [Eretz Yisroel] is a place of stones and cliffs, the word חַצִיבָה, hewn, is an appropriate term here.

מבית עבדים. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ מִבֵּית עַבְדוּתָא – מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁהֱיִיתֶם שָׁם עֲבָדִים:

From the house of slavery. As the Targum explains: “From the house of slavery,” from the place where you were slaves.

ובשמו תשבע. אִם יֵשׁ בְּךָ כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁאַתָּה יָרֵא אֶת שְׁמוֹ וְעוֹבֵד אוֹתוֹ, אָז בִּשְׁמוֹ תִּשָּׁבֵעַ, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁאַתָּה יָרֵא אֶת שְׁמוֹ תְּהֵא זָהִיר בִּשְׁבוּעָתְךָ, וְאִם לָאו — לֹא תִשָּׁבֵעַ:

And swear by His Name. If you possess all these qualities: You fear His Name and you serve Him, then you may swear by His Name; for since you fear His Name you will be prudent with your oath, otherwise you should not swear.

מאלהי העמים אשר סביבותיכם. הוּא הַדִּין לָרְחוֹקִים, אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה אֶת סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ תּוֹעִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם, הֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְהִיר עֲלֵיהֶם בְּיוֹתֵר:

From the gods of the peoples around you. This laws also applies to those that are far away, but since you observe how those around you go astray after them, the need to warn you against them was of greater necessity.

במסה. כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם שֶׁנִּסּוּהוּ בַמַּיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הֲיֵשׁ ה' בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ (שמות י"ז):

At Massoh. When they went out of Egypt, it was there that they tested Him regarding water, as it is said, “Is Adonoy among us (or not).”

הישר והטוב. זוֹ פְשָׁרָה לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין:

The upright and the good. This refers to compromises beyond what is outlined by the law.

כאשר דבר. וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר? "וְהַמֹּתִי אֶת כָּל הָעָם וְגוֹ'" (שמות כ"ג):

As (Adonoy) declared. And where did He so declare? “And I will bring panic to all the people, etc.”

כי ישאלך בנך מחר. יֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא אַחַר זְמַן:

When your son asks you tomorrow. The word מָחָר (tomorrow) is used sometimes in reference to a distant future.