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The first paragraph of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) is composed of three parts. The first part is a fundamental of faith, as we explained above. The second part relates to the meaning of this faith in our lives. No value in the world can compare with the value of devotion to God. All other values have significance only within this context. Therefore, the first verse of the Shema is followed by “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” In the third part, the Torah directs us how to inculcate these fundamentals of faith in ourselves. For starters, we need to teach them to ourselves and our children: “These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children.” To ensure that faith has a daily presence in our lives, we are commanded to recite the Shema morning and evening: “Speak of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way, when you lie down and when you get up.” Additionally, we place these verses in the tefillin worn on the arm and the head: “Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be an emblem between your eyes.” Finally, we place them on our doorways: “Write them on the doorposts of your house and gates.” This way, every time we enter or exit our home, we see the mezuza and it reminds us of the fundamentals of our faith.
