The Jews were commanded to write the divine name on the posts (mezuzoth') of their doors (De 6:9). The Jews, misunderstanding this injunction, adopted the custom of writing on a slip of parchment these verses (De 6:4-9,13-21), which they enclosed in a reed or cylinder and fixed on the right-hand door-post of every room in the house.
Hear, O Israel, the LORD thy God is one LORD only. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might. read more. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt whet them on thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the way; and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand. And they shall be papers of remembrance between thine eyes, and shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and upon thy gates.
and shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and upon thy gates.
But fear the LORD thy God and serve him, and swear by his name, and see that ye walk not after strange gods, of the gods of the nations which are about you - read more. For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you - lest the wrath of the LORD thy God wax hot upon thee and destroy thee from the earth. Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God as ye did at Massah. But see that ye keep the commandments of the LORD your God, his witnesses and his ordinances which he hath commanded thee, and see thou do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that thou mayest prosper and that thou mayest go and conquer that good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, and that the LORD may cast out all thine enemies before thee as he hath said. When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, 'What meaneth the witnesses, ordinances and laws which the LORD our God hath commanded you?' Then thou shalt say unto thy son, 'We were bondmen unto Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.