Six Mitzvos

"I place Hashem before me always," King David would say.[1] We strive likewise to reach this ideal. One element we need to reach it is by keeping six special mitzvos that the Torah requires of us every waking moment of our lives.[2]

They are:

1. To believe that there is one G-d in the world who created all, who controls absolutely all that happens in the present, past and future, and who took us out of Egypt and give us the Torah.

2. To refuse to believe in any other power or god besides Hashem, and that even His own angels are powerless to do anything unless He so wishes it.

3. To consider Hashem as one and only one, that He has no partners, and to ascribe every element of creation to this unity. So the Torah instructs us to declare twice each day, "Shema Yisrael, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is ONE."[3]

4. To love Hashem with all our heart, life energy and resources; accomplishing this by learning and meditating on the Torah and its mitzvos, and refusing to equate any other source of pleasure to this love.

5. To display fear for Hashem by avoiding any sin that comes before us.

6. To turn away from the inclinations of our eyes and heart; "our eyes" hinting to lust for the sake of lust, not using sensual pleasure to come closer to Hashem; "our hearts" indicating any form of idolatry, ascribing influence and power to any other besides Hashem.