Parshat Va'etchanan

The second portion of Deuteronomy, Va-et’chanan, is an unusual Torah portion in many respects. Not only does it contain both the Ten Commandments and Sh’ma passages, let alone a number of other elements that have entered into our liturgy, but it is also read after Tishah B’Av (the ninth day of Av), launching the seven Shabbatot of consolation leading up to Rosh HaShanah. As it is recited, Jews throughout the world evoke the Revelation at Sinai and reassert the continuity of the covenant following their commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and the loss of Jewish sovereignty in Palestine nearly two thousand years ago.
Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Cohen, Dean, HUC-JIR Cincinnati Campus

דברים ה׳:ב׳-ג׳

(ב) יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת עִמָּ֛נוּ בְּרִ֖ית בְּחֹרֵֽב׃ (ג) לֹ֣א אֶת־אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֣י אִתָּ֗נוּ אֲנַ֨חְנוּ אֵ֥לֶּה פֹ֛ה הַיּ֖וֹם כֻּלָּ֥נוּ חַיִּֽים׃

Deuteronomy 5:2-3

(2) The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. (3) It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, the living, every one of us who is here today.

רש"י על דברים ה׳:ג׳:א׳

(א) לא את אבתינו בִּלְבַד כרת ה' וגו'. כי אתנו וגו':

Rashi on Deuteronomy 5:3:1

(1) לא את אבתינו NOT WITH OUR FATHERS — i.e. not with them alone, כרת ה׳ וגו׳ DID THE LORD MAKE [THIS COVENANT], כי אתנו BUT WITH US etc.

דברים ה׳:י״ב

(יב) שָׁמ֣֛וֹר אֶת־י֥וֹם֩ הַשַׁבָּ֖֨ת לְקַדְּשׁ֑֜וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖֣ ׀ יְהוָ֥֣ה אֱלֹהֶֽ֗יךָ

Deuteronomy 5:12

(12) Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.

שמות כ׳:ח׳

(ח) זָכ֛וֹר֩ אֶת־י֥֨וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֽׁ֗וֹ

Exodus 20:8

(8) Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.

סידור אשכנז, שבת, קבלת שבת, לכה דודי ב׳

(ב) שָמור וְזָכור בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד. הִשמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְיֻחָד.
ה' אֶחָד וּשמו אֶחָד. לְשם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה.

Siddur Ashkenaz, Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat, Lekha Dodi 2

(2) "Guard" and "Remember" as one saying. They were heard together. Adonai is one and God's name is one. To the Name splendor and praise.

דברים ו׳:ה׳

(ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 6:5

(5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

רש"י על דברים ו׳:ה׳:ב׳

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

Rashi on Deuteronomy 6:5:2

(2) בכל לבבך [THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD] WITH ALL THY HEART — The form of the noun with two ב instead of the usual form לבך suggests: Love Him with thy two inclinations (the יצר הטוב and the יצר הרע) (Sifrei Devarim 32:3; Berakhot 54a). Another explanation of בכל לבבך, with all thy heart, is that thy heart should not be at variance (i.e. divided, not whole) with the Omnipresent God (Sifrei Devarim 32:4).

רשב"ם על דברים ו׳:ה׳:א׳

ובכל נפשך - לפי פשוטו: אפילו נוטלין את נפשך, שהרי כבר אמר: בכל לבבך.

Rashbam on Deuteronomy 6:5:1

ובכל נפשך, according to the plain meaning of the text “even if it will cost your life.” It must mean this: seeing that the Torah had already covered all the other bases when it wrote בכל ללבך, “with all your heart,” the meaning is that while alive you are to love God with all your heart, if your faith and love for God is put to the test and you must choose that or your very survival, you must choose the former.

רש"י על דברים ו׳:ה׳:ד׳

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

Rashi on Deuteronomy 6:5:4

(4) ובכל מאדך AND WITH ALL THY MIGHT, i.e. with all thy property. You have people whose property is dearer to them than their bodies (life), and it is on this account that there is added, “and with all thy property" (Sifrei Devarim 32:6). — Another explanation of ובכל מאדך is: — Thou shalt love Him whatever measure (מדה) it may be that He metes out to thee, whether it be the measure of good or the measure of calamity. Thus also did David say, (Psalms 116:13 and 3) "If I lift up the cup of salvation, [I will call upon the name of the Lord]; If I find trouble and sorrow, [I will call upon the name of the Lord]”.

דברים ו׳:ו׳

(ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 6:6

(6) Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.

רש"י על דברים ו׳:ו׳:ב׳

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

Rashi on Deuteronomy 6:6:2

(2) אשר אנכי מצוך היום [THESE WORDS] WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY — this day— they should not be in thine eyes as an antiquated דיוטגמא which no one minds, but as one newly given which everyone gladly welcomes (Sifrei Devarim 33:2; cf. our first Note on p. 248 in the Silbermann edition of Exodus). — The word דיוטגמא in this Midrash signifies: a royal command committed to writing.

Every generation must think that the Torah was given directly to them.
- Gersonides

On your heart...Namely that these should rule your heart, that you control your heart, and not have your heart control you.
R. Menahem Mendl Alter of Kalish

דברים ו׳:ז׳

(ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 6:7

(7) Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.

דברים ד׳:ט׳

(ט) רַ֡ק הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֩ וּשְׁמֹ֨ר נַפְשְׁךָ֜ מְאֹ֗ד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וּפֶן־יָס֙וּרוּ֙ מִלְּבָ֣בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֥ם לְבָנֶ֖יךָ וְלִבְנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיךָ׃

Deuteronomy 4:9

(9) But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. And make them known to your children and to your children’s children:

משנה תורה, הלכות תלמוד תורה א׳:ב׳

(ב) כְּשֵׁם שֶׁחַיָּב אָדָם לְלַמֵּד אֶת בְּנוֹ כָּךְ הוּא חַיָּב לְלַמֵּד אֶת בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד ט) "וְהוֹדַעְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְלִבְנֵי בָנֶיךָ". וְלֹא בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בְּנוֹ בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא מִצְוָה עַל כָּל חָכָם וְחָכָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לְלַמֵּד אֶת כָּל הַתַּלְמִידִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָן בָּנָיו. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו ז) "וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ" מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ בָּנֶיךָ אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֶיךָ שֶׁהַתַּלְמִידִים קְרוּיִין בָּנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ב ג) "וַיֵּצְאוּ בְנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים". אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נִצְטַוָּה עַל בְּנוֹ וְעַל בֶּן בְּנוֹ. לְהַקְדִּים בְּנוֹ לְבֶן בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בְּנוֹ לְבֶן חֲבֵרוֹ:

Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 1:2

(2) As well as man is in duty bound to teach his son, so ought he to teach his son’s son; for Scripture says: But teach them, thy sons, and thy sons’ son, (Deut. 4. 9). And not only his son and grandson, but it is imperative upon every wise man in Israel, to assist by his instruction all those that are anxious to learn, though they are not his children; for Scripture says: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, (Ibid. 6. 7), upon which tradition remarks, “thy children” signifies “thy pupils;” for pupils are also called children, as it is said: And the sons [disciples] of the prophets came forth, (2 Kings 2. 3). Why then does Scripture specify the command of teaching the son and the grandson? To show that precedence is due to his son before his grandson; again, to his grandson before the son of his fellow man.