God commanded, here Moses is saying that even where God has not commanded, one should give thought to doing what is good and right in God's eyes, for God loves the good and the right. Naḥmanides considered this is a great principle, for it was impossible for the Torah to mention all aspects of people's conduct with their neighbors and friends, and all their various transactions, and the ordinances of all societies and countries. But since God mentioned many of them, Moses here stated in a general way that, in all matters, one should do what is good and right, including even compromise and going beyond the requirements of the law. Thus, Naḥmanides taught, people should seek to refine their behavior in every form of activity, until they are worthy of being called "good and upright." Deuteronomy chapter 7 Baḥya ibn Paquda taught that whenever God singles out a person for special favor, that person is under an obligation of increased service as an expression of gratitude for that favor. Baḥya reasoned that because of this, when some good fortune happened to the righteous of ancient times, they were troubled for two reasons: First, that they should not fall short in the fulfillment of the service and gratitude that they owed for this good fortune and that it should not turn into misfortune for them, as Jacob said in , "I have diminished from all the mercies, and truth which You have shown to Your servant." And secondly, that this should not be God's reward for their service, at the expense of their reward in the World To Come, as the Sages explained , "And repays them that hate Him to their face (during this life) to destroy them (in the hereafter)." Similarly, Baḥya cited the words of , "And He repays those He hates to their face, to destroy them," to help explain why sometimes God sends good to the wicked because of previous good deed that they did, to pay them in this world. In modern interpretation The parashah is discussed in these modern sources: Deuteronomy chapter 4 The 18th-century German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn read the admonition of , "Therefore, know and take it to heart that the Lord alone is God, in heaven above and on the earth below, and there is none else," along with that of , "Hear, O Israel, the Eternal, our God,