After repeating the 10 Commandments in Deuteronomy 5 , Moses starts to move into ‘ new ’ material in Deuteronomy 6 — stating things that you do not see previously in the Torah . Consider that Moses has had almost 40 years to meditate on the 10 Commandments and watch the reality of them play out in front of him many times over . So , when Moses gives the Sh ’ ma immediately after repeating the 10 Commandments , he is not ‘ adding ’ to them . The Sh ’ ma is not a ‘ better ’ commandment than the 10 Commandments as if Adonai missed something . The Sh ’ ma is a complete midrash , summary , and highest meaning of the 10 Commandments all wrapped into one .
In the first article in this series , I noted the five main elements the 10 Commandments talk about : identity , commitment , property and stewardship , keeping true witnesses of the truth , and generational responsibilities ( children to parents and parents to children ). The Sh ’ ma also includes all of the same five elements :
Identity ( Hear O Israel , the LORD our God , the LORD is One )
Commitment ( Love Adonai your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your strength )
Property and Stewardship ( Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates )
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