When R. Simeon came, he said: ‘Assuredly in the section of the Shema are hinted the Ten Commandments, as already stated elsewhere, in the words “and these words shall be”. There are also ten commandments here corresponding to the other ten. They are as follows: (1) “Thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children’,, (2) “And thou shalt speak of them”, (3) “When thou sittest in thy house”, (4) “And when thou goest by the way”, (5) “And when thou liest down”, (6) “And when thou risest up”, (7) “And thou shalt bind them for a sign on thy hand”, (8) “And they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes”, (9) “And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house”’ (10) “And upon thy gates”. Hence this section is a fundamental portion of the Law; blessed is he who recites it completely twice every day, since then the Holy Name is fitly sanctified in his mouth.’
R. Aha once rose after midnight with R. Eleazar to study the Torah. R. Eleazar cited the verse: “For it is thy life and the length of thy days” (Deut. 32, 47). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that above all the stipulations which God made with Israel when they entered the Holy Land was the stipulation that they should study the Torah. Why so? Because the Divine Presence finds a home in the land only through the Torah, and it finds a home above only through the Torah.
כַּד אָתָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר, הָא וַדַּאי פַּרְשְׁתָּא דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע רְמִיזָא בֵּיהּ י' אֲמִירָן כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי. וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, כְּלָלָא דְּעֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן אִינּוּן. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ י' פִּקּוּדִין אִית הָכָא, לָקֳבֵל י' פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ. וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם. בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ. וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶרֶךְ. וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ. וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפוֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ. וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ. הָא י', לָקֳבֵל י' אֲמִירָן. וְעַל דָּא פָּרְשִׁיָּין אִלֵּין כְּלַל רַב אִינּוּן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, מַאן דְּאַשְׁלִים לֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא תְּרֵי זִימְנֵי, דְּהָא אִתְקַדָּשׁ בְּפוּמֵיהּ שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת.
When R. Simeon came, he said: ‘Assuredly in the section of the Shema are hinted the Ten Commandments, as already stated elsewhere, in the words “and these words shall be”. There are also ten commandments here corresponding to the other ten. They are as follows: (1) “Thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children’,, (2) “And thou shalt speak of them”, (3) “When thou sittest in thy house”, (4) “And when thou goest by the way”, (5) “And when thou liest down”, (6) “And when thou risest up”, (7) “And thou shalt bind them for a sign on thy hand”, (8) “And they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes”, (9) “And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house”’ (10) “And upon thy gates”. Hence this section is a fundamental portion of the Law; blessed is he who recites it completely twice every day, since then the Holy Name is fitly sanctified in his mouth.’
רִבִּי אֲחָא, הֲוָה קָאִים עִמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לֵילְיָא חַד בָּתַר פַּלְגּוּת לֵילְיָא, וַהֲווּ מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, (נ"א רבי אחא) וְאָמַר, (דברים לב) כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאוֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזֵי, עַל כָּל תְּנָאִין (נ"א פקודין) דְּגָזַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד עָאלוּ לְאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, גְּזֵרָה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא הֲוָה. מַאי טַעֲמָא, בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא מִתְיַישְּׁבָא בְּאַרְעָא, אֶלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְלָא מִתְיַישְּׁבָא לְעֵילָּא, אֶלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
R. Aha once rose after midnight with R. Eleazar to study the Torah. R. Eleazar cited the verse: “For it is thy life and the length of thy days” (Deut. 32, 47). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that above all the stipulations which God made with Israel when they entered the Holy Land was the stipulation that they should study the Torah. Why so? Because the Divine Presence finds a home in the land only through the Torah, and it finds a home above only through the Torah.