Davarim -
Deuteronomy ch 6
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens,
PhD.
This study is more of
a reflection on Davarim - Deuteronomy chapter 6, and you will be gaining all
that this blessed chapter has to teach us!
Although we will be looking
at the whole of this chapter, but let us first look at verse 4.
אֶחָֽד יְהֹוָ֥ה
אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ
יְהֹוָ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שְׁמַ֖ע
“Shema
Yisrael, YaHVaH (Adonai) Eloheynu,
YaHVaH (Adonai) ECHAD”.
“Hear, O
Israel: יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ (The LORD our
God), יְהוָה (the LORD) is ONE”.
Our beloved “Shema
Yisrael” is without a doubt the absolute heartbeat of our Faith!
The major summons
known simply as the “Shema” distils our entire confession of faith into a
single, soaring declaration of Divine unity and loving allegiance. Its
placement at the very center of the Torah underlines that relationship to אֱלֹהִים
(God) add is a *peripheral-on, but the foundational axis
around which law, ritual, and community revolves.
*What I meant with the words “peripheral-on” is that Israel’s relationship with ֹאֱלהִים (God) is not just some optional extra tacked on to the Law. Believe me, it is not just a side detail that you can choose to ignore!
Covenant
Renewal and Blessing:
Verses 1 to 3 frame
Deuteronomy chapter 6 as a covenantal renewal moment before entering the Land
promised. Moshe - Moses calls this “the commandment,” urging Yisrael to observe
all statutes so that life may be prolonged and their prosperity secured in “a
land flowing with milk and honey”. Here obedience isn’t mere legalism, it’s the
wellspring of blessing, anchoring national destiny to wholehearted fidelity.
Living Torah in Daily
Ritual:
The chapter
transforms abstract law into intimate practice by embedding it into the rhythms
of daily living. For we should be constantly doing the
following.
Teaching these words
to children at home and wherever you are.
Binding (Tehilim) as symbols on our (male) hands and foreheads.
Placing (Mezuzahs) on
doorframes and gates.
This integration
ensures the Torah is not confined to scrolls but it pulses through every
gesture and place.
Love, Memory, and
Identity:
The twin commands
“you shall love “יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ (the LORD your God)” and “remember all His statutes”
weave affect and intellect into a single tapestry. Love fuels memory, and
memory reinforces loyalty, each act of remembrance rekindles our covenant bond,
forging communal identity across the generations.
The Educational
Mandate:
Davarim - Deuteronomy
chapter 6 insists education be multi-sensory and continuous: discussion during
daily routine, physical symbols that catch the eye,
and written reminders in public and private spheres. This pedagogical design
models how our Sacred texts will become full of living
conversations in our lives, rather than distant artefacts’.
This chapter
resonates as a manifesto for faith that breathes in every moment. It’s power lies in turning theology into touch, speech, and
sight, really transforming our homes and into classrooms of our beloved
covenant.
Let
us now check what each Verse of this chapter really teaches us?:
Verse 1:
“And this is the Instruction the
laws and the rules, that יְהֹוָ֥ה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם (your God the
LORD) has commanded (me) to impart to you, to be observed in the land that you
are about to cross into and occupy”.
The very
opening of this remarkable chapter frames the entire chapter as a single,
cohesive mandate.
The
“Commandment” is not just a random decree, but a unified charge!
“Statutes
and rules” pairs legal norms (הַֽחֻקִּים֙ - Huqim)
with ethical prescriptions (mishpatim) “laws” or
“judgments”, underscoring both ritual and moral dimensions.
Context:
Moshe - Moses speaks on the cusp of entering Canaan, these instructions bridge
wilderness wanderings and a settled life.
Verse 2:
“That you may יְהֹוָ֥ה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם fear (the Lord your God), you and your son and your
son’s son, by keeping all His statutes and His commandments which I command
you, all the days of your life, that your days may be long.”
Key emphases:
Generational
reach (“you, your son, and your son’s son”) highlights covenantal continuity.
Fear (yirah) of אֱלֹהִים (God) brings active reverence that will be expressed through
obedience.
Promise
of longevity ties national welfare to familial fidelity.
Verse 3:
“Hear O Israel, and be careful
to do them, that it may go well with you and that you may multiply greatly, as
the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Observations:
The שְׁמַע
יִשְׂרָאֵל, serves as a liturgical call to attention, this
is not merely
covenant law but living in worship of אֱלֹהִים (God) our beloved Creator!
Obedience
becomes the conduit for promised blessing and demographic flourishing.
Verse 4:
“Hear, O Israel: יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ (the Lord our God), יְהוָה (the LORD) is ONE.”
The Shema’s declaration of divine unity:
Central
confession in Jewish prayer, affirms monotheism against the polytheistic milieu
of Canaan.
“Our
God” stresses communal belonging; “is one” asserts both uniqueness and singular
authority.
Verse 5:
“You
shall love יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ (the
LORD your God)
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
“Love” (אַהֲבָה -
Ahava) teaches us that it is the
motor of covenant:
“Heart”
(לֵב -
Lev) = intellect and will.
“Soul” (נֶפֶשׁ - Ne’fesh) = life-force, emotional
devotion.
“Might”
(מְאֹד – Me’od) = material means, resources.
Our total
devotion to our Heavenly
Father will integrate our inner disposition and outward action in faith.
Verse 6:
“And these words that I command
you today shall be on your heart.”
Internalization of our blessed Torah:
The
blessed Torah is not to remain an external inscription, but it is to dwell in
one’s moral imagination.
It sets
the stage for all our Mitzvoth to be obeyed.
Verse 7:
“You shall teach them diligently
to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when
you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Continuous, contextual education:
The teachings of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהִים
(the Lord God) should be integrated into the entirety of our daily lives and
passed on to our children through constant reading of His Word, teaching and frequent
conversations, and set a example, not just in dedicated moments but throughout
every part of our day, from waking unto going to sleep.
Verse 8:
“You
shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes.”
Visual and physical reminders:
This is
the source for laying Tefillin (Phylacteries) being a
regular practice for men.
We make
a sign on our hand (the Shem), however this action is guided by the Torah;
frontlets = thought shaped by its precepts.
Verse 9:
“You shall
write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Material inscription:
Source
for placing a Mezuzah on our doorposts containing a parchment with the relevant
Scripture!
This is
very much a public proclamation of our faith and in order that all our private
and communal spaces are sanctified!
Verses 10–12:
“When
יְהֹוָ֣ה
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ (the
Lord your God) brings you into the land that He swore to your fathers… when you
eat and are full, then take care lest you forget יְהֹוָ֣ה (the Lord)…who brought you out
of the land of Egypt.”
A warning against complacency:
Prosperity
can eclipse memory of divine deliverance. Ritual remembrance combats spiritual
amnesia!
Verses 13–19:
“You shall fear יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ (the Lord your God), serve Him, and swear by His Name…You shall not go after other gods…He is a jealous God…You shall not put יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ (the Lord your God) to the test…You shall diligently keep His Commandments…and you shall do what is right and good in His sight.”
Core covenantal stipulations:
Exclusive worship and fearless reverence. Prohibition
against testing אֱלֹהִים
(God).
Ethical
catch-all: “do what is right and good” extends beyond letter-of-the-law
compliance.
Verses 20–25:
“And when your son asks you in time to come, ‘What mean the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules…?’ you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out…’”
Narrative pedagogy:
Storytelling
becomes and is the perfect teaching device.
Personalizes
history:
Descendants
learn by hearing the family saga of redemption.
Deuteronomy
6 transforms theology into living practice: it binds the heart, mind, and body
to Torah and weaves covenant into every moment and space. It’s
power lies in prescribing how to remember, teach, and live the foundational
truth: יְהֹוָ֣ה the LORD alone is אֱלֹהִים (God), deserving our total devotion.
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In Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the
Conversation:
Which part of this Tanach guide or a line within it has touched
you the most? And how do you feel about spending more time on your Tanakh
study time? I pray that you are you doing well as a faithful Jew, and אֱלֹהִים - Elohim willing you are upholding as many of
our blessed Mitzvoth’s?
I am well aware that the modern world sadly contains far too many
deviations as well as problems that tends to
get in the way. More than that, sadly there are all sorts of enticements, which
is able to throw so many off track. Thus, if
there are various struggles that may be taking place in your life at this or
any time, I am well aware that it can have sad and cruel effects upon your
life? Remember this, pray for peace, and then work on keeping as calm
as possible and learn to improve your life in אֱלֹהִים. This site is also for those who need to return to our
wonderful faith, thus work on your faith and pray and always seek אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, blessed be He!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said
“Return unto Me, and I
will return unto you, saith יְהוָה
אֱלֹהִים - the LORD of
hosts”. Mal’a’chi 3:7. MEC).
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (the LORD your God);
walk in My statutes, and keep Mine
ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign
between Me and you, that ye may know that I am יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם”. Yechezkel
- Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
I pray that this study will have
given you a great deal, for it is certainly a very big part of our Hebraic
Faith!
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you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim -
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and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah (blessings)
before food and drinks, etc!
Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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