Deuteronomy 6:4 h.ה׳ אלהינו ה' אחד means, The Lord who is now our God and not the God of the other peoples of the world, He will at some future time be the One (sole) ה׳, as it is said, (Zephaniah 3:9) “For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord", and it is further said, (Zechariah 14:9) “In that day shall the Lord be One (אחד) and His name One" (cf. Sifrei Devarim 31:10).
Deuteronomy 6:5 h.ואהבת AND THOU SHALT LOVE [THE LORD] — Fulfil His commands out of love, for one who acts out of love is not like him (is on a higher plane than one) who acts out of fear. He who serves his master out of fear, if he (the master) troubles him overmuch, leaves him and goes away (Sifrei Devarim 32:1).
h.בכל לבבך [THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD] WITH ALL THY HEART — The form of the noun with two ב instead of the usual form לבך suggests: Love Him with thy two inclinations (the יצר הטוב and the יצר הרע) (Sifrei Devarim 32:3; Berakhot 54a). Another explanation of בכל לבבך, with all thy heart, is that thy heart should not be at variance (i.e. divided, not whole) with the Omnipresent God (Sifrei Devarim 32:4).
h.ובכל נפשך AND WITH ALL THY SOUL — even though He take thy soul (even though you have to suffer martyrdom to show your love of God) (Sifrei Devarim 32:5; Berakhot 54a, Berakhot 61b).
h.ובכל מאדך AND WITH ALL THY MIGHT, i.e. with all thy property. You have people whose property is dearer to them than their bodies (life), and it is on this account that there is added, “and with all thy property" (Sifrei Devarim 32:6). — Another explanation of ובכל מאדך is: — Thou shalt love Him whatever measure (מדה) it may be that He metes out to thee, whether it be the measure of good or the measure of calamity. Thus also did David say, (Psalms 116:13 and 3) "If I lift up the cup of salvation, [I will call upon the name of the Lord]; If I find trouble and sorrow, [I will call upon the name of the Lord]”.
Deuteronomy 6:6 h.— What is the “love” that is here commanded? The next verse tells us: והיו הדברים האלה THESE WORDS [WHICH I COMMAND THEE] SHALL BE [UPON THINE HEART] — for thereby thou wilt arrive at a recognition of the Holy One, blessed be He, and wilt cleave to His ways (Sifrei Devarim 33:1).
h.אשר אנכי מצוך היום [THESE WORDS] WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY — this day— they should not be in thine eyes as an antiquated דיוטגמא which no one minds, but as one newly given which everyone gladly welcomes (Sifrei Devarim 33:2; cf. our first Note on p. 248 in the Silbermann edition of Exodus). — The word דיוטגמא in this Midrash signifies: a royal command committed to writing.
Deuteronomy 6:7 h.ושננתם AND THOU SHALT TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY — This word expresses the idea of being sharply impressed, the meaning being, that they should be impressed (familiar) in thy mouth, so that if a person asks you anything concerning them, you will not need to stammer (hesitate) about it, but tell him forthwith (Sifrei Devarim 34:1; Kiddushin 30a)
h.לבניך [AND THOU SHALT TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY] UNTO THY CHILDREN — These are the disciples. Everywhere do we find that disciples are termed בנים, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 14:1) “Ye are children (בנים) of the Lord your God”; and it says, (2 Kings 2:3), “The sons of (בני) the prophets who were in Bethel”. So. too, do we find in the case of Hezekiah that he taught Torah to all Israel and termed them בנים, as it is said, (II Chronicles 29:11), “My sons (בני) be not now negligent". And even as disciples are termed בנים, “children", so the teacher is termed אב, "father", as it is said, (2 Kings 2:12) that Elisha referred to his teacher Elijah by the words, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, etc." (Sifrei Devarim 34:4).
h.ודברת בם AND THOU SHALT SPEAK OF THEM — i.e. that your principal topic of conversation should be only about them: make them the principal, and do not make them of secondary importance (Sifrei Devarim 34:6).
h.ובשכבך AND WHEN THOU LIEST DOWN — One might think that this means: even if one lies down (retires to bed) in the middle of the day, and that ובקומך AND WHEN THOU RISEST UP means: even if you rise up in the middle of the night! It, however, states בשבתך בביתך ובלכתך בדרך WHEN THOU SITTEST IN THY HOUSE AND WHEN THOU WALKEST BY THE WAY: The Torah is thus speaking of the usual way of living, and this therefore means, the usual time of lying down and the usual time of rising up (cf. Sifrei Devarim 36:9).
Deuteronomy 6:8 h.וקשרתם AND THOU SHALT BIND THEM [ … UPON THY HAND] — These are the Tephillin that are placed on the arm,
h.לטטפות בין עיניך AND THEY SHALL BE FOR FRONTLETS BETWEEN THINE EYES — these are the Tephillin that are placed upon the head. It is in reference to the number of the Scriptural sections contained in them that they are termed טטפת, for טט denotes "two" in Katpi and פת in Afriki denotes "two" (Sanhedrin 4b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 13:16).
Deuteronomy 6:9 h.מזזות ביתך THE DOORPOSTS OF THY HOUSE — The word is written מזזת, to indicate that it is necessary to fix only one מזוזה to a door (cf. Menachot 34a).
h.ובשעריך AND UPON THY GATES — the plural is used to include also the gates of courts and the gates of provinces and the gates of cities [in the requirement of mezuzah] (Yoma 11a).
Deuteronomy 6:11 h.חצובים [CISTERNS] HEWN OUT — Because it (Palestine) was a country of stony ground and rocks, the term "hewn" is applicable here.
Deuteronomy 6:12 h.מבית עבדים — Understand this as the Targum does: from the house of slavery, i.e. a place where ye were slaves (not from the house that belonged to slaves; cf. Rashi on Exodus 20:2).
Deuteronomy 6:13 h.ובשמו תשבע AND THOU SHALT SWEAR BY HIS NAME — If thou hast all the characteristics mentioned here, i.e. that thou reverest His name and servest Him, then thou mayest take an oath by mention of His name, for just because thou reverest His name, thou wilt be cautious with thy oath; but if not, thou shalt not so swear.
Deuteronomy 6:14 h.מאלהי העמים אשר סביבותיכם OF THE GODS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AROUND YOU — The same prohibition applies respecting the gods of those peoples who are distant from you; but, just because you see those who are around you going astray after them, it felt the necessity specially to warn your about them.
Deuteronomy 6:16 h.במסה IN MASSAH, when they went forth from Egypt: that they put Him to the test in respect to water, as it is said, (Exodus 17:7) that they asked, “Is the Lord amongst us or not?".
Deuteronomy 6:18 h.הישר והטוב [AND THOU SHALT DO] THAT WHICH IS RIGHT AND GOOD [IN THE EYES OF THE LORD] — This refers to a compromise, acting beyond the strict demands of the law (cf. Rashi on Bava Metzia 108a).
Deuteronomy 6:19 h.כאשר דבר [TO THRUST OUT ALL THINE ENEMIES] AS [THE LORD] HATH SAID — And where did He promise this? When He said, (Exodus 23:27) “And I will confound all the peoples, etc." (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:25).
Deuteronomy 6:20 h.כי ישאלך בנך מחר WHEN THY SON ASKETH THEE — There is a usage of the word מחר that refers to a day that only comes after the lapse of some time (and this is so here, i.e. it here means “in time to come", not "to-morrow”) (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 13:14)