AND OBSERVE TO DO IT. Behold. I command you to observe that it may be well with you.

A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY. This is connected to to possess it (v. I).¹ is connected to the end of the first verse. Now, it is far from it,² concludes the first verse even though it is some distance from it. or it is missing a bet,³ (a land) is to be read as if written be-eretz (in a land). In this case, the clause reads, in a land flowing with milk and honey, and is connected to that it may be well with thee, and that you may increase mightily. as in that was found in the house of the Lord (II Kings 12:11).⁴ is to be read as if written be-vet Adonai.

footnotes: ¹ A land flowing with milk and honey ² A land flowing with milk and honey ³ In other words, eretz ⁴ The verse literally reads, that was found house of the Lord. The latter is to be read as if written, that was found in the house of the Lord. In other words, bet Adonai

HEAR O ISRAEL: THE LORD (YHVH) OUR GOD, THE LORD (YHVH) IS ONE.] That which the ancients, of blessed memory, transmitted regarding the reading of the shema is true,⁵ (shema), O Israel, morning and evening. and there is no need for further investigation. Note that the glorious name (YHVH) is a noun.⁶ This being the case, why is it said a second time?⁷) our God is one. It should be noted that I.E. comments elsewhere that it is biblical style to repeat nouns in the same verse. See I.E. on Gen. 19:24, (Vol. 1, p. 208) and on Ps. 1:2. The answer is that Adam is a noun. Adam is also an adjective, and not a noun,⁸ even though⁹). he was called after the very earth. The same is true of the name YHVH.¹⁰ The fact that YHVH is connected to tzeva’ot (hosts)¹¹ (the Lord of hosts) (Is. 1:9). is proof.¹² is in the construct with tzeva’ot, whereas a proper name cannot come in the construct. See I.E. on Ex. 3:15 (Vol. 2, p. 65). On the other hand, the term Elohenu (our God) might be the object.¹³ is our God. The name YHVH was repeated in order to state YHVH echad (the Lord is one) the meaning of which is, only YHVH.¹⁴ is our God, it goes on to say that only YHVH is our God. There are many proofs that YHVH alone is God.¹⁵ The verse that states, In that day shall the Lord be One (echad)¹⁶ (Zech. 14:9), speaks of men’s thoughts.¹⁷ In my opinion, the word one¹⁸ is connected to the word king, for Scripture writes: And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; In that day shall the Lord alone be King and His name one (Zech. 14:9).¹⁹. I.E.’s interpretation eliminates the implication that today there are more gods than YHVH, for it speaks of all people recognizing one king, i.e., the Lord. The latter is similar in meaning to For then will I turn to the peoples, A pure language, That they may all call upon the name of the Lord (Zeph. 3:9}. Behold, all the nations will speak one language. The name of the Lord will therefore be one.

footnotes: ⁵ According to Rabbinic tradition there is a biblical command to recite Hear ⁶ A proper noun. ⁷ Why repeat the proper noun? Scripture should have read, Hear, O Israel, the Lord (YHVH ⁸ In other words, the name Adam is at times a proper name and at other times an adjective. ⁹ “Even though” seems out of place. Some suggest omitting it. In this case, our text reads: Adam is also an adjective and not a noun, [for] he was called after the very earth. In other words, Adam as an adjective means the one who was created out of the earth. See I.E. on Gen. 2:8 (Vol. 1, p. 53). Adam is derived from the word used for ground (adamah ¹⁰ It is employed both as a proper noun and as an adjective. See I.E. on Ex. 3:15 (Vol. 2, pp. 67,68). ¹¹ Adonai tzeva’ot ¹² For Adonai ¹³ In other words, the main purpose of the verse is to teach us that YHVH ¹⁴ After Scripture tells us that YHVH ¹⁵ The medieval Jewish philosophers proved that there can be only one God. ¹⁶ I.E. renders this, In that day shall the Lord alone be God. ¹⁷ Actually, the Lord alone is God today also. However, in contemporary times there are many people who worship other gods. ¹⁸ In Zech. 14:9. ¹⁹ Zech. 14:9 reads: And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; In that day shall the Lord be One, and His name one

AND THOU SHALT LOVE. Since we have no other god aside from the Lord, you are obligated to love Him, for we have no other god.²⁰

footnotes: ²⁰ I.E. repeats himself for purposes of emphasis. It is also possible that we have a conflation of two different manuscripts.

WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL. The heart refers to knowledge. It is another term for the spirit of intelligence,²¹ for the heart is its first residence.²² (lip) because it is seen to come from the lips. Similarly, man’s highest soul is called heart (lev)…because the heart is its first resting place.” The same applies to wise-hearted (Ex. 36:1) and to He that getteth a heart (Prov. 19:8).²³

footnotes: ²¹ The rational soul. ²² See I.E. on Gen. 1:1 (Vol. 1, p. 25): “Speech is called safah ²³ Translated literally.

THY SOUL.²⁴. The reference is to the spirit, which is in the body.²⁵), animal (ru’ach), and rational (neshamah). See Vol. 1, p. xiii; also The Secret of the Torah, p. 96. It is the spirit which lusts.²⁶. Its power is manifest in the liver.

footnotes: ²⁴ Hebrew, nafshekha ²⁵ I.E. believed that man has three souls; vegetative (nefesh ²⁶ The nefesh

THY MIGHT. The meaning of me’odekha (thy might) is very very much.²⁷ means much. Thus me’odekha (your might) literally means your much. Hence I.E.’s comment. It means that you should love Him to the utmost in any way that you are able. Your heart should be totally committed to the love of God.

footnotes: ²⁷ The word me’od

AND THESE WORDS…SHALL BE. Those who deny the Rabbinic tradition²⁸ say that the reference is to the Decalogue, and that it is in reference to the Decalogue that Scripture states, And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts (v. 9). However, the truth is that and these words…shall be refers to all of the commandments.

footnotes: ²⁸ The Karaites.

AND THOU SHALT TEACH THEM. Ve-shinantam (and thou shalt teach them) is related to the word shanun (sharp) in and a sharp arrow (Prov. 25:18). The method of sharpening an arrow is well known.²⁹ Observe. Our verse teaches that the main purpose of man is to serve God.³⁰ God’s service consists in recognizing God’s works.³¹, the reference is to the study of the Torah (see Weiser). However, it should be noted that in I.E., study of God’s works usually refers to the study of the sciences. Thus I.E. writes: “When one masters astronomy and the circuits of the [sun and. moon], he comes to know the works of God the glorious” (The Secret of the Torah, p. 21). Perhaps I.E. is alluding here to his belief that the Torah cannot be fully understood unless it is interpreted in light of the studies of science (see The Secret of the Torah, pp. 33,34). However, the transmitters of tradition taught that [our verse] refers to the time of reading the shema.³² means that we should read the shema at night, and when thou risest up refers to the reading of the shema in the morning. See chapter 1 of Mishnah Berakhot. We all rely on them.

footnotes: ²⁹ It is sharpened by consistent filing. Similarly, the words of the Torah must consistently be drilled into a child (Weiser). ³⁰ By studying the Torah at all times. See next note. ³¹ Prima facie ³² According to the sages when thou liest down

WHEN THOU SITTEST. This is connected to and shalt talk of them.³³

footnotes: ³³ That is, our verse should be read, And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, not And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them.

AND WHEN THOU LIEST DOWN. To sleep, for one is not obligated to observe the commandments when one sleeps.³⁴ can’t be taken to mean when you sleep. Behold, the meaning of our verse is, And thou shalt talk of them verbally and in your heart.

footnotes: ³⁴ Thus and when thou liest down

AND THOU SHALT BIND THEM FOR A SIGN UPON THY HAND. This has been explained.³⁵

footnotes: ³⁵ See I.E. on Ex. 13:9, (Vol. 2, pp. 261,262).

AND THEY SHALL BE FOR FRONTLETS. The word totafot (frontlets) is not found elsewhere in Scripture. Those who dispute the Rabbinic tradition³⁶ is related to the word ve-hatef (and preach). Actually this opinion was quoted by Rashi in the name of Menachem ben Saruk, who, far from being a heretic, was an accepted tenth-century grammarian and Bible commentator. See I.E. on Ex. 13:16 (Vol. 2, p. 266). say that totafot is related to the word ve-hatef (and preach) in and preach toward the South (Ezek. 21:2). This is impossible, for the root of hattef is nun, tet, peh. However, there are two tets ands no nun in totafot.

footnotes: ³⁶ The Karaites. However, in his commentary on Exodus, I.E. does not identify this opinion as being heretical. He merely notes that “others say” that totafot

AND THOU SHALT WRITE THEM. They³⁷ also said that its meaning³⁸. However, see I.E. on Ex. 13:9, (Vol. 2, pp. 261,262). is Bind them (Prov. 6:8).³⁹ (Prov. 6:8). The latter verse is symbolic. So too ours. Now since our fathers received the truth, we will forsake those who employ their heart to invent things.

footnotes: ³⁷ Those who dispute the Rabbinic tradition. ³⁸ The meaning of and thou shalt bind them ³⁹ That is, Bind them continually upon thy heart

ALL GOOD THINGS. The word tuv (good) is vocalized with a shuruk in place of a cholam,⁴⁰. for these vowels interchange and tuv is not in the construct.⁴¹ is the normal vocalization for the word in the construct.

footnotes: ⁴⁰ The usual word for good is tov ⁴¹ Tuv

OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. Where you did not possess cities and houses that are full.

THOU SHALT FEAR. You shall not violate any of the negative commandments.

SHALT THOU SERVE. By observing the positive commandments.

AND BY HIS NAME SHALT THOU SWEAR. And not by the name of another god when you affirm anything or make a covenant. Similarly, Every tongue shall swear⁴² (Is. 45:23). You shall swear only the truth. The meaning of our verse is, you shall have no other god to swear by his name. You shall only swear by the name of the Lord. Scripture therefore afterwards reads, Ye shall not go after other gods (v. 14), and ye shall not try the Lord your God (v. 16).

footnotes: ⁴² When affirming anything or making a covenant.

IN MASSAH. Massah is the name of a place mentioned earlier, And the name of the place was called Massah (Ex. 17:7). The bet which is prefixed to Massah is vocalized with a pattach⁴³ (in Massah). The usual way to say in Massah is be-massah. like the bet prefixed to karkor in Now Zebah and Zalmona were in Karkor⁴⁴. (Jud. 8:10), and the bet placed before Telaim in And numbered them in Telaim⁴⁵, ba-talaim. (I Sam. 15:4). I explained it⁴⁶ there. Massah was so called because Israel said, Is the Lord among us (Ex. 17:7).⁴⁷. The latter means to test. If He is, then we will serve Him. [Moses told Israel:] you have no need to test God. All you have to do is observe His commandments. If you do what is good in His sight, the Lord will do to you all that is good for you and will thrust out all of your enemies.

footnotes: ⁴³ Our verse reads ba-massah ⁴⁴ Hebrew, ba-karkor ⁴⁵ Hebrew ⁴⁶ The reason for the irregular vocalization. We do not know how I.E. explained the latter, for his commentary on Judges has been lost. ⁴⁷ Massah comes from the root nun, sin, heh

TO THRUST OUT. The heh in la-hadof (to thrust out) is a root letter, as the word hadofo (cast it upon him) (Num. 35:22) proves.

WHAT MEAN THE TESTIMONIES. It means, Why, out of all people, is this burden placed upon us?⁴⁸ [21.] THEN THOU SHALT SAY. For God redeemed us from the house of bondage. Now, God did us this good. We are obligated to fear His name⁴⁹ because we have recognized that He did good to us in the past. He will do good for us in the future to keep us alive, for His commandments are life unto those that find them (Prov. 4:22).

footnotes: ⁴⁸ That is, the import of our verse is, Why out of all people is the burden of observing these testimonies placed upon us? ⁴⁹ In the present.

AND IT SHALL BE RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO US. Some say that this verse hints at the reward in the world to come for the observance of the commandments.⁵⁰. However, according to the plain meaning of the text, our verse teaches that following God’s will is the righteous thing to do, for He is our Master. I believe that the correct meaning is, all the nations shall see that we are righteous when we keep God’s commandments and statutes, which Scripture clearly states are righteous.⁵¹

footnotes: ⁵⁰ See Targum Jonathan: And merit will be kept for us for the world to come ⁵¹ See Deut. 4:8.