(Devarim 6:6) "And these things that I command you this day shall be upon your heart": From "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart," I do not know how I come to love the Holy One Blessed be He; it is, therefore written "And these things that I command you this day shall be upon your heart." For in this way you come to recognize the Holy One Blessed be He and to cleave to His ways.
"that I command you this day": They should not be to you as an antiquated edict, which no one takes to heart, but like a new one, which all run to read.
"upon your heart": From here R. Yoshiyah was wont to adduce: A man should beswear his (evil) inclination (not to do what is forbidden.) For thus do we find with all the righteous ones, that they beswore their inclinations:
Abraham — (Bereshith 14:22-23) "I lift my hand (in oath) to the L-rd, G-d on high, Possessor of heaven and earth: Nothing (shall I take), from a thread until a sandal latchet, nor shall I take anything that is yours." Boaz (to Ruth) — (Ruth 3:13) (I swear) "As the L-rd lives, lie (here with me, unmolested) until the morning…" David — (I Samuel 26:10) "And David said (to Avishai, who wanted to kill Saul, David's enemy): (I swear) as the L-rd lives: The L-rd will strike him with plague, or his day will come and he will die, or he will go forth in battle and he will perish." Elisha — (II Kings 5:16) "(I swear) as the L-rd lives, before whom I have stood, I shall not take (any emolument, etc.") And just as the righteous beswear their (evil) inclination not to do (as it wishes), so, the wicked (beswear it to do) as it wishes, viz. (Ibid. 20) "As the L-rd lives, I (Gechazi, Elisha's servant) shall run after him and take something from him!"
(דברים ו ו) וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו ה): ״וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ״, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ: כֵּיצַד אוֹהֲבִים אֶת הַמָּקוֹם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ, תֵּן הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עַל לִבְּךָ, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ כָּךְ אַתָּה מַכִּיר אֶת מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם וּמִדַּבֵּק בִּדְרָכָיו!
(Devarim 6:6) "And these things that I command you this day shall be upon your heart": From "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart," I do not know how I come to love the Holy One Blessed be He; it is, therefore written "And these things that I command you this day shall be upon your heart." For in this way you come to recognize the Holy One Blessed be He and to cleave to His ways.
אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם – שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ בְעֵינֶיךָ כְּדִיוּטַגְמָא יְשָׁנָה, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם סוֹפְנָהּ, אֶלָּא כְּדִיוּטַגְמָא חֲדָשָׁה שֶׁהַכֹּל רָצִים לִקְרוֹתָהּ.
"that I command you this day": They should not be to you as an antiquated edict, which no one takes to heart, but like a new one, which all run to read.
עַל לְבָבֶךָ, מִכָּן הָיָה רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה אוֹמֵר: צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְהַשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁכֵּן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מַשְׁבִּיעִים אֶת יִצְרָם.
"upon your heart": From here R. Yoshiyah was wont to adduce: A man should beswear his (evil) inclination (not to do what is forbidden.) For thus do we find with all the righteous ones, that they beswore their inclinations:
בְּאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר (בראשית יד כב-כג): ״הֲרִימֹתִי יָדִי אֶל ה׳ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ אִם מִחוּט עַד שְׂרוֹךְ נַעַל וְאִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ״. בְּבֹעַז הוּא אוֹמֵר (רות ג יג): ״וּגְאַלְתִּיךְ אָנֹכִי חַי ה׳ שִׁכְבִי עַד הַבֹּקֶר״. בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמואל א כו י): ״וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד חַי ה׳ כִּי אִם ה׳ יִגָּפֶנּוּ אוֹ יוֹמוֹ יָבוֹא וָמֵת אוֹ בַמִּלְחָמָה יֵרֵד וְנִסְפָּה״. בֶּאֱלִישָׁע הוּא אוֹמֵר (מלכים ב ה טז): ״חַי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו אִם אֶקַּח״. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מַשְׁבִּיעִים אֶת יִצְרָם שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹת, כָּךְ הָרְשָׁעִים מַשְׁבִּיעִים אֶת יִצְרָם לַעֲשׂוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ה כ): ״חַי ה׳ כִּי אִם רַצְתִּי אַחֲרָיו וְלָקַחְתִּי מֵאִתּוֹ מְאוּמָה״.
Abraham — (Bereshith 14:22-23) "I lift my hand (in oath) to the L-rd, G-d on high, Possessor of heaven and earth: Nothing (shall I take), from a thread until a sandal latchet, nor shall I take anything that is yours." Boaz (to Ruth) — (Ruth 3:13) (I swear) "As the L-rd lives, lie (here with me, unmolested) until the morning…" David — (I Samuel 26:10) "And David said (to Avishai, who wanted to kill Saul, David's enemy): (I swear) as the L-rd lives: The L-rd will strike him with plague, or his day will come and he will die, or he will go forth in battle and he will perish." Elisha — (II Kings 5:16) "(I swear) as the L-rd lives, before whom I have stood, I shall not take (any emolument, etc.") And just as the righteous beswear their (evil) inclination not to do (as it wishes), so, the wicked (beswear it to do) as it wishes, viz. (Ibid. 20) "As the L-rd lives, I (Gechazi, Elisha's servant) shall run after him and take something from him!"