As always it is vitally important to analyse such a verse
in the context of its original pasage and the book as a whole rather than just trying to
guess at a meaning from the verse itself. If we have a look at the Book of Deuteronomy,
we can see that one of its principal themes is the way in which the people of Israel
have received God's laws and how they are supposed to live as a result. The verse you
have quoted actually comes from the Shema, which is Hebrew for
"hear" and has become the Jewish confession of faith, recited daily by fervent Jews. Let
us remember what verse 6 says:
These commandments that I give you today are to
be upon your hearts.
What
comes after this verse is a development of the process of ensuring that God's commands
are "upon the hearts" of his people. The verse you have cited is part of this process,
and involves making sure that the children of the Jews are brought up realising the
importance of these commandments and how they should follow them as well. These
commandments should be the topic of conversation in one's household with your family but
also as you travel to ensure that they are fully understood and their importance is
remembered.
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