(Devarim 32:46) "And he said to them: Put your hearts, etc.": We are hereby taught that one's eyes and heart and ears must be attuned to words of Torah. And thus is it written (Ezekiel 44:5) "And the L-rd said to me: Son of man, set your heart and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I am saying to you about all the laws of the Temple … and set your heart to the entrance of the Temple and to all the exits of the sanctuary." Now does this not follow a fortiori? If re the Temple, which can be seen by the eyes and measured by the hand, one must "attune" his eyes and his heart and his ears — how much more so re words of Torah, which are like mountains hanging on a hair!
"which you shall command your children to keep and to do — all the words of the Torah": Moses said to them: I must acknowledge my indebtedness to you for fulfilling the Torah after me. You, too, must acknowledge indebtedness to your children for fulfilling the Torah after you. Once, Rabbeinu came from Ludkia, and R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah and R. Elazar b. Yehudah came and sat before him. He said to them: Come closer, I must acknowledge my indebtedness to you for fulfilling the Torah after me. You, too, must acknowledge your indebtedness to your children for fulfilling the Torah after you. Moses was (undeniably) great, but if others did not come after him, his Torah would be valueless — we, how much more so! Thus, "which you shall command, etc."
(דברים לב מו) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם לְכָל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מֵעִיד בָּכֶם הַיּוֹם, צָרִיךְ אָדָם לִהְיוֹת לִבּוֹ וְעֵינָיו וְאָזְנָיו מְכֻוָּנִים לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל מ ד): ״בֶּן אָדָם רְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ וּבְאָזְנֶיךָ שְׁמָע אֶל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי דֹּבֵר אֵלֶיךָ, וְשִׂים לִבְּךָ אֶל מְבוֹא הַבָּיִת״. קַל וָחֹמֶר, וּמַה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁנִּרְאֶה בְעֵינַיִם וְנִמְדַּד בְּיָד צָרִיךְ אָדָם שֶׁיְּהוּ לִבּוֹ וְעֵינָיו וְאָזְנָיו מְכֻוָּנִים, דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁהֵם כַּהֲרָרִים הַתְּלוּיִים בִּשְׂעָרָה עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
(Devarim 32:46) "And he said to them: Put your hearts, etc.": We are hereby taught that one's eyes and heart and ears must be attuned to words of Torah. And thus is it written (Ezekiel 44:5) "And the L-rd said to me: Son of man, set your heart and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I am saying to you about all the laws of the Temple … and set your heart to the entrance of the Temple and to all the exits of the sanctuary." Now does this not follow a fortiori? If re the Temple, which can be seen by the eyes and measured by the hand, one must "attune" his eyes and his heart and his ears — how much more so re words of Torah, which are like mountains hanging on a hair!
אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֻּם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם לִשְׁמֹר, אָמַר לָהֶם, צָרִיךְ אֲנִי לְהַחֲזִיק לָכֶם טוֹבָה שֶׁתְּקַיְּמוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אַחֲרַי, אַף אַתֶּם צְרִיכִים שֶׁתַּחֲזִיקוּ טוֹבָה לִבְנֵיכֶם שֶׁיְּקַיְּמוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אַחֲרֵיכֶם. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּא רַבֵּינוּ מִלָּדִיקְיָא וְנִכְנַס רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן יְהוּדָה וְיָשְׁבוּ לְפָנָיו. אָמַר לָהֶם: קִרְבוּ לָכֶם, אֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְהַחֲזִיק לָכֶם טוֹבָה שֶׁתְּקַיְּמוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אַחֲרַי, אַף אַתֶּם צְרִיכִים שֶׁתַּחֲזִיקוּ טוֹבָה לִבְנֵיכֶם שֶׁיְּקַיְּמוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אַחֲרֵיכֶם. אִלּוּ אֵין מֹשֶׁה גָּדוֹל וְאִלּוּלֵא אֲחֵרִים קִבְּלוּ תוֹרָה עַל יָדוֹ לֹא הָיְתָה שָׁוָה, [אָנוּ] עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֻּם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם.
"which you shall command your children to keep and to do — all the words of the Torah": Moses said to them: I must acknowledge my indebtedness to you for fulfilling the Torah after me. You, too, must acknowledge indebtedness to your children for fulfilling the Torah after you. Once, Rabbeinu came from Ludkia, and R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah and R. Elazar b. Yehudah came and sat before him. He said to them: Come closer, I must acknowledge my indebtedness to you for fulfilling the Torah after me. You, too, must acknowledge your indebtedness to your children for fulfilling the Torah after you. Moses was (undeniably) great, but if others did not come after him, his Torah would be valueless — we, how much more so! Thus, "which you shall command, etc."