(י) כִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו הַכְּתוּבָה בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה כִּי תָשׁוּב אֶל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ. (יא) כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לֹא נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא. (יב) לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה. (יג) וְלֹא מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲבָר לָנוּ אֶל עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה. (יד) כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ.
(10) if thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law; if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. (11) For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off. (12) It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say: ‘Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?’ (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say: ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?’ (14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Set apart fixed times for Torah study (i.e. make every effort and use every subterfuge to promote Torah) as R. Avdimi bar Chama observed on the text: "It is not in heaven...nor beyond the sea". "It is not in heaven"--if it would be heaven you would be obliged to go up after it. "It is not beyond the sea"--if it would be beyond the sea, you would be obliged to cross it in pursuit. (Eruvin 55a)
Above: "The mitzvah" is the commandment to study Torah
Below: "The mitzvah" is the commandment to make teshuvah
Though you are still scattered amongst the peoples, you will still be able to return to the Lord and do all that I have commanded you today: for the matter is not beyond you or too wonderful for you, but it is near to you to perform, at all times and in all places. This is the implication of the passage, "in that they should confess their iniquity and that of their forefathers with their mouths, and return in their hearts to the Lord and now accept the Torah for generations, as it is written: "Thou and thy children with all they heart and with all thy soul". Nachmanides