Commentary for Horayot 17:5

מצות ה'

Why do we read these paragraphs every day? Rabbi Simon said because it is written on them going to sleep and waking up. And Rabbi Levi said because the Ten Commandments are included within them. [The following pairs, the first phrase is from the Ten Commandments, and the second is from the Shema.] [1] “I am the Lord your God” = “Hear Israel Ad-nai is our G-d”; [2] “You shall have no other Gods” = “Ad-nai is One”; [3] “Don’t take God’s Name in vain” = “You shall love” – one who loves the King won’t swear falsely in His Name; [4] “Remember the day of Shabbat” = “you will thus remember”; Rabbi says: this is the mitzvah of Shabbat that is equal in importance to all mitzvot of the Torah together, as it is written: "You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and You ordained for them laws, commandments and Teaching,[through Moses Your servant."](Neh. 9:14) - "to make known" that it is equal in importance to all other commandments of the Torah. [5] “Honor you father and mother” = “you and your children will long endure on the land”; [6] “Do not murder” = “you will rapidly vanish” – someone who murders will be murdered; [7] “Do not commit adultery” = “You will then not stray after your heart and eyes” - said Rabi Levi: the heart and the eyes are two middlemen of sin, as it is written: "my son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways" (Prov. 23:26) -

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