Deuteronomy 11:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, urging us to continually remember what has been ordained, the Lawgiver instructs: "Put these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign upon your hand, and let them be a bandage over your eyes; and teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up; and write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates, that as many days may be your days, and the days of your children, in that land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give, as many days as the heavens shall be over the earth" (Deut. 11:18-21). The phrase "I will bind me upon your hands" is clearly explained in the book of Numbers. It states, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Declare unto the children of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the edges of their garments in their generations, and in the tassels which are on the edges they shall put threads of blue wool; And they shall be in your tassels, that when ye look upon them, ye may remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them, and not walk after your heart and eyes, which draw you to whoredom: that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy before your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God" (Num. 15:37-41). Therefore, having wisely commanded at the outset that we should inscribe the law in our hearts, he, recognizing the deep anguish of the mind, instructs us to engrave these commandments on a tablet, at the doorways; additionally, he deems it important that the inscriptions bearing the law and the revelations be placed upon the right hand, and also thinks it beneficial that tassels and threads of the color jachon hang from the garments themselves. Palladius. But how can tassels and jachon-colored threads remind us of the Divine laws? Cyril. Do you not acknowledge that the law was proclaimed symbolically by ancient prophets, as if inscribed in shadows? Palladius. I acknowledge it. Cyril. The fact that the jachon threads were tied to the hands and arms signifies that we ought to think on and act according to heavenly matters, keeping the laws from above in our remembrance? In India, if I recall rightly, the stone known as jachon is described as having a body that seems to embody elements of light and darkness, and in its depths resembles water, appearing to tremble and flow. The law, therefore, has insightfully directed that the jachon threads should hang both on garments and hands, conveying the message: "Let the law serve as the garment of the mind and the attire of understanding, the heavenly checker, and the determiner of righteous actions! For the hand represents action; what we do is lawful, certainly free from reproach, and does not belong to the left side, which symbolizes wickedness." Consequently, the Pharisees expanded "their scrolls and enlarged their phylacteries" (Matthew 23:5), referring to the records attached to the right hand. However, Christ ridiculed them for this, pointing out their actions stemmed from servitude rather than from the intention to remember the law. It is indeed possible to appear to fulfill the law while engaging in lawlessness if one misuses it. I believe Solomon articulated this when he stated, "Do not make yourself too wise; why should you ruin yourself?" (Ecclesiastes 7:16). It is essential to engrave the Divine commandment upon the mind and heart, as demonstrated by the divine David, who said of every righteous person, "The law of his God is in his heart, and his feet shall not stumble" (Psalms 36:31). Thus, it is evident that one who harbors the Divine law within their mind will indeed be solidly established and steadfast in virtue. Palladius. Precisely so.