Remember That You Were A Slave

Parshat Re'eh 

 by Rabbi Avi Billet

There are six remembrances that are included in the siddur at the end of Shacharis: Remembering the Exodus, Shabbos, God's presence at Mt. Sinai, what happened to Miriam, how you provoked God in the desert, and to destroy Amalek.

This list does not include all the times the word "Zachor" (to Remember) appears in the Torah. Nor does it include any of the 7 times we are told "V'zacharta" (and you shall remember) – all of which appear in the book of Devarim (5:15, 8:2, 8:18, 15:15, 16:12, 24:18,22).

Interestingly, the instruction to remember Sinai is really "not to forget" as the verse does not even have the root word "Zachor."

Why are the "V'zacharta"s not included in the daily remembrances? Five of them are repeats: "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt." One of the "V'Zacharta"s is a reminder of the 40 years journey. The remaining one reminds us to remember God, for He is the One Who gives us the strength to prevail.

Our original list of 6 does include a reminder of the 40 years, though instead of it being about how God tested US for 40 years to see if we'd nevertheless fulfill the mitzvos (as is the second of the "V'Zaharta"s in 8:2), it focuses on how we provoked God. Our daily pick of these two (the latter case) is more important for us because it reminds us not to repeat what we did wrong.

Perhaps remembering the Exodus, Shabbos and God's presence at Sinai would be enough to remind us on a daily basis to remember God Who gives us strength, the other non-"you-were-slaves" "V'Zacharta."

Which leaves us wondering why remembering that we were slaves in Egypt is not part of the Siddur-six. Perhaps it doesn't bear its own mention because it is subsumed in the "remembering the Exodus."

And yet, it is mentioned five times in Devarim, twice in our parsha. Even if it is not a remembrance of its own merit, the fact that it is repeated so much should suggest it is quite an important detail in the overall remembrance of the Exodus.

This assumption requires us to see how the instruction appears in each context.

The first one (5:15) appears in the context of the Ten Commandments, as a reminder for why we must keep Shabbos – because we were slaves in Egypt - and this was one of the first ingredients of freedom from Pharaoh. One day off per week.

The second one (15:15), the first of the two in our parsha, comes in the context of describing how to send off the Eved Ivri, the Hebrew servant, from his servitude. He must be treated well, and must be sent on his way with a full suitcase and an ample supply of food.

The third reminder of being a slave (16:12) comes in the context of instructions surrounding celebrating the holiday of Shavuos, which, at least on the calendar, coincides with the penultimate moment of the Exodus process – the receiving of the Torah. As the commentaries point out, the Exodus from slavery was designed to bring us to that moment: at Sinai, receiving the Torah. Remembering our most humble beginnings at that point helps us appreciate Shavuos even more.

The final two reminders of our slavery come in Devarim 24 – the former as part of the ethics of how to treat the stranger and the orphan in judgment, and the latter instruction is to leave some of your produce for them and the widow. Your having been a slave in Egypt helps you empathize with the plight of these people, and sensitizes you to treat the needy and society's weakest in a manner that helps preserve their dignity.

Remembering having been a slave leads to a number of different lessons, primarily focusing on identification, empathy, and appreciating the good we have in our lives. There are too many details attached to the single remembrance to warrant its own daily remembrance, while the reminder of the Exodus essentially covers it anyway.

But, truth be told, even if it is not a specific mitzvah to remember that we were slaves, it is a detail of our history that should not be overlooked. It helps put things in perspective and reminds us of most important priorities: caring for our fellow man, appreciating the freedoms we enjoy, and celebrating our special relationship with God.