Pensamento Judaico sobre Deuteronômio 6:1

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!