וְזֹ֣את הַמִּצְוָ֗ה הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם לְלַמֵּ֣ד אֶתְכֶ֑ם לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת בָּאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
Inilah perintah itu, yaitu ketetapan-ketetapan dan peraturan-peraturan yang diperintahkan Yang Mahakekal, Allahmu, untuk diajarkan kepadamu, supaya kamu melakukannya di negeri yang akan kamu masuki dengan menyeberang untuk kamu miliki.
Derashot HaRan
We are herein apprised of three homilies delivered by R. Elazar b. Azaryah. The first is that cited above. The second: "He expounded further (Deuteronomy 26:17): 'You have exalted the L-rd today' and (Ibid 18): 'And the L-rd has exalted you today' — the Holy One Blessed be He said to Israel: "You made Me a distinct entity in this world. Therefore, I will make you, too, a distinct entity in this world. You made me a distinct entity in this world, as it is written (Ibid 6:1): "Hear, O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One." I, too, will make you a distinct entity in this world, as it is written (I Chronicles 17:21): "And who is as Your people, Israel, a single nation on the earth."'" Now there is cause for wonder in "You made Me a distinct entity in this world"; for "Hear, O Israel" is not a declamation of Israel in praise of the Blessed One, but a mitzvah commanded to us by the Blessed One to believe in His oneness. And if our subscribing to this principle renders Him a distinct entity, then it would have to be maintained that our subscribing to "I am the L-rd your G-d," the mitzvah to believe in His existence, renders Him yet another entity — so that if we continued in this manner we would find Him to constitute several entities!