Va'etchanan

[14] Because the Israelites saw no shape when God spoke to them out of the fire at Horeb, Moses warned them not to make for themselves a sculptured image in any likeness whatever—the form of a man, woman, beast, bird, creeping thing, or fish.

][19] Moses called heaven and earth to witness against the Israelites that should they make for themselves a sculptured image when they were in the land, then God would scatter them among the peoples, leaving only a scant few alive.

[27] In the third reading, Moses set aside three cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan to which a manslayer who unwittingly slew a person without having been hostile to him in the past could escape and live: Bezer among the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead among the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan among the Manassites.

[45] When the Israelites heard the voice out of the darkness and saw the mountain ablaze with fire, the tribal heads and elders asked Moses to hear all that God had to say and then tell the people, and they would willingly obey.

And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk, and when you lie down, and when thou rise up.

Deuteronomy 5:12–15 commands that one observe the Sabbath day, keep it holy, and not do any manner of work or cause anyone under one's control to work—so that one's subordinates might also rest—and remember that the Israelites were servants in the land of Egypt, and God brought them out with a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm.

Rabbi Tabyomi said that the altar was called "Lebanon" because all hearts (lebabot) rejoice there, as indicated by the words of Psalm 48:3: "Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth, even Mount Zion."

[101] Similarly, the Rabbis in a baraita interpreted Deuteronomy 4:32 to forbid inquiry into the work of creation in the presence of two people, reading the words "for ask now of the days past" to indicate that one may inquire, but not two.

[130] The Gemara reports that on the eve of the Sabbath before sunset, Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai and his son saw an old man running with two bundles of myrtle and asked him what they were for.

"[133] The Tanna Devei Eliyahu taught that if you live by the commandment establishing the Sabbath (in Exodus 20:8 and Deuteronomy 5:12), then (in the words of Isaiah 62:8) "The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength: ‘Surely I will no longer give your corn to be food for your enemies."

[145] Interpreting the consequences of murder (prohibited in Deuteronomy 5:17 and Exodus 20:13), the Mishnah taught that God created the first human (Adam) alone to teach that Scripture imputes guilt to one who destroys a single soul of Israel as though that person had destroyed a complete world, and Scripture ascribes merit to one who preserves a single soul of Israel as though that person had preserved a complete world.

Similarly, Rabbi Isaac concluded that all the Sages who arose in every generation thereafter received their wisdom from the Revelation at Sinai, for Deuteronomy 5:19 says, "These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly .

Moses noted that even though the Shechinah spoke with the Israelites on only one definite, appointed time (at Mount Sinai), God nonetheless instructed in Exodus 19:10, "Be ready against the third day: come not near a woman."

Rabbi Jacob ben Dostai said that it is about three miles from Lod to Ono, and once he rose up early in the morning and waded all that way up to his ankles in fig honey.

Rav Assi explained why Jews do not make this declaration aloud, comparing this to a man who took jewelry from the royal palace and gave it to his wife, telling her not to wear it in public, but only in the house.

[166] Rabbi Joḥanan considered twice daily recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9) to fulfill the commandment of Joshua 1:8 that "this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night."

Rabban Gamliel explained that one may recite the Shema until dawn, reading "when you lie down" to refer to the entire time that people typically sleep in their beds—the whole night.

The House of Hillel, however, taught that one recites the Shema as one is, and one may do so in whatever position is most comfortable, both day and night, as Deuteronomy 6:7 uses the words, "when you walk along the way," when one is neither standing nor reclining.

When they recite the words of Deuteronomy 6:4, "The Lord is One," the destroying demons are consumed; they whisper, "Blessed be His Name whose glorious kingdom is for ever and ever" (conceding God's sovereignty); and they flee.

[178] The heart speaks,[179] sees,[179] hears,[180] walks,[181] falls,[182] stands,[183] rejoices,[184] cries,[185] is comforted,[186] is troubled,[187] becomes hardened,[188] grows faint,[189] grieves,[190] fears,[191] can be broken,[192] becomes proud,[193] rebels,[194] invents,[195] cavils,[196] overflows,[197] devises,[198] desires,[199] goes astray,[200] lusts,[201] is refreshed,[202] can be stolen,[203] is humbled,[204] is enticed,[205] errs,[206] trembles,[207] is awakened,[208] hates,[209] envies,[210] is searched,[211] is rent,[212] meditates,[213] is like a fire,[214] is like a stone,[215] turns in repentance,[216] becomes hot,[217] dies,[218] melts,[219] is susceptible to fear,[220] gives thanks,[221] covets,[222] becomes hard,[223] makes merry,[224] acts deceitfully,[225] speaks from out of itself,[226] loves bribes,[227] writes words,[228] plans,[229] receives commandments,[230] acts with pride,[231] makes arrangements,[232] and aggrandizes itself.

"[246] In the exhortation of Deuteronomy 4:39, "know this day and consider within your heart, that the Lord is God in Heaven above and on the earth below," Baḥya ibn Paquda found a duty to investigate through rational inquiry the roots of the religion and the foundations of the Torah.

Naḥmanides considered this is a great principle, for it was impossible for the Torah to mention all aspects of people's conduct with their neighbors and friends, and all their various transactions, and the ordinances of all societies and countries.

Belief and doubt, assent and opposition, in Mendelssohn's view, are not determined by desire, wishes, longings, fear, or hope, but by knowledge of truth and untruth.

[266] Explaining the origins of the law that one can see in the Cities of Refuge, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote that early forms of legal procedure were grounded in vengeance.

The Court noted that some of the Commandments apply to arguably secular matters, such those at Exodus 20:12–17 and Deuteronomy 5:16–21 on honoring one's parents, murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and covetousness.

[269] In 1950, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of Conservative Judaism ruled: "Refraining from the use of a motor vehicle is an important aid in the maintenance of the Sabbath spirit of repose.

Driver taught that the second interpretation gives the higher and fuller meaning to the term, and forms also a more adequate basis for the practical duty inculcated in Deuteronomy 6:5, for a God, who was not unique might not necessarily be a worthy object of human love.

Driver taught that the truth is one which in its full significance was only gradually brought home to the Israelites and was hardly explicitly enunciated much before the age of Deuteronomy and Jeremiah.

[306] Reuven Hammer noted that Mishnah Tamid 5:1 recorded what was in effect the first siddur, as a part of which priests daily recited the Ten Commandments and Deuteronomy 6:4–9.

[316] The herald of good tidings should go to the mountain and announce to the cities of Judah that God will come as a Mighty One to rule, as a shepherd that feeds the flock, gathers the lambs, carries them, and gently leads them.