The Origin Of The Shema

"Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Why is this said? Because it is said: "Speak to the children of Israel" (Exodus 25:2). "Speak to the children of Abraham," "Speak to the children of Isaac" is not written here; rather, "Speak to the children of Israel." Our father Jacob merited that speech should be addressed to his children! For our father Jacob was afraid all his days, saying: Woe to me, lest there come forth from me unfit offspring, as came forth from my fathers. From Abraham there came forth Ishmael; from Isaac there came forth Esau; but as for me, there shall not come forth from me unfit offspring, as came forth from my fathers. And so you find that when our father Jacob was departing from the world, he called his sons and rebuked each and every one of them by himself. After he had rebuked each and every one of them by himself, he called them all back together as one. He said to them: Perhaps there is in your hearts division concerning Him who spoke and the world came into being? They said to him: "Hear, O Israel," our father, just as there is no division in your heart, so there is no division in our hearts concerning Him who spoke and the world came into being; rather, "the LORD our God, the LORD is one"! Another interpretation: He said, "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Jacob, behold, you have desired all your days that your sons should rise early and stay up late reciting the Shema. "Hear, O Israel." From here they said: One who recites the Shema but did not let his ear hear it has not fulfilled his obligation. "The LORD our God," why is this said? Has it not already been said "the LORD is one"? What does "our God" teach? Upon us He has caused His name to rest in particular. Another interpretation: "The LORD our God" is over us; "the LORD is one" is over all who enter the world. "The LORD our God" is in this world; "the LORD is one" is in the World to Come. And so it says: "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth; on that day the LORD shall be one and His name one" (Zechariah 14:9).