Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The Essential Creed and Duty of Israel, with enforcement of them. Known from its initial word as The Shĕma-(Hear), this section (along with Deuteronomy 11:13-21 and Numbers 15:37-41) -has been for many ages the first bit of the Bible which Jewish children have learned to say and to read, just as it has for many ages formed the confession of faith among all members of the brotherhood of Judaism" (C. G. Montefiore, The Bible for Home Reading, Pt i. 127). The later law required its recital by a Jew twice daily; for particulars see Schürer, Gesrh. des jüd. Volkes, § 27 and Appendix (3rd Germ. ed. ii. 459 f.; E.T. Div. ii. Vol. ii. pp. 77, 84). The LXX inserts before it a longish title 1 [125], which shows how late this editorial practice of inserting titles to important sections of Deut. continued, and explains some similar headings in the Heb. text.

[125] -And these are the statutes and the judgements which the Lord commanded to the children of Israel, when they were coming out of the land of Egypt."