In his scholarly masterpiece Ein Yaakov, Rabbi Jacob ibn Habib (1460-1516, Spain) quotes an aggadic tradition that debates which verse in the Torah is most significant and important. Ben Zoma says that we find an all-encompassing verse in the Torah: "Hear O Israel, the Lord Our God, the Lord is One." Ben Nannos states that there is an even more important verse: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Shimon ben Pazzi comes and says there is a verse that is even more significant, more meaningful and more inclusive than both of these two verses, "And the one lamb you shall offer in the morning."

The first two verses resonate easily with us, the former a declaration of absolute faith in God and the latter a commitment to live ethically in society. Each of these intuitively deserve the accolade of being unique and irreplaceable. But a verse about the daily Temple offering just seems rather blasé in comparison.

We live in a world that places undue emphasis on big events and grand achievements. Yet we recognise that spending 10 minutes of quality time with a spouse is much more important than an annual trip abroad. Shimon ben Pazzai is telling us we must try just a little bit harder.

True, it is useful to make the big declarations every once in a while but it is consistency and regularity that form the bedrock of a solid relationship. Bringing the same offering day in and day out may seem boring but it is the continued commitment of consistency in the service of God that really show faith and allegiance, and the same rule of consistency applies equally with the people we love.