And it will be, if you hearken to My commandments that I command you this day to love the Lord, your God,

and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

(Devarim 11:18)

Va’etchanan contained the first paragraph of the Shema Yisrael prayer, while this week’s parasha, Eikev, includes the second. The theme of the first paragraph is “kabalat ol malchut shamayim,” “accepting upon oneself the yoke of Heaven,” aka, accepting Hashem as King.

The second paragraph focuses on “kabalat mitzvot,” accepting upon oneself to fulfill His commandments.

Why is it written “eem shamoah tishme’u,” “if you will listen to my commandments”?

Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to focus on “doing” the mitzvot rather than “hearing” them?

The Sefat Emet explains that if we fulfill the mitzvot with our “heart,” aka only because Hahsem commanded us to, then we will merit to connect to a particular channel through which Hashem reveals to us continually deeper meanings of the mitzvot.

The Torah has multiple levels of understanding. The more time we spend studying, the more we will merit increasingly profound knowledge since its language is Divine and, therefore, dynamic.

“That I command you HAYOM (this day),” meaning the present day.

Progressing to deeper levels of understanding requires two main conditions: constant study and passage of time, as it also must be a fit time in the stages of the world continuum to receive them.