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.
Showing posts with label remembrance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label remembrance. Show all posts
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Remember, and Don't Forget
Parshat Eikev
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Our parsha features another installment of Moshe's Wilderness History 101 crash course for the second generation entitled, "Where your parents messed up at the Golden Calf." It includes Moshe's account of how he went up the mountain for three 40-day spans, and how God wanted to destroy the people but didn't on account of Moshe's prayer.
In the midst of all this, we are told one of the "Shesh Zekhirot," the six remembrances that appear at the end of Shacharit in many siddurim.
"Remember and never forget how you provoked God your Lord inthe desert. From the day you left Egypt until you came here, you have been rebelling against God." (Devarim 9:7)
The other remembrances are understandably important daily reminders.
Remembering the Exodus (1) reminds us of God's presence and His covenant to watch over the descendants of Avraham. Remembering Shabbos (2) is ostensibly one of the most distinguishing qualities of the Jewish people. God's presence at Mt. Sinai (3) is the source for our devotion and dedication to the Torah. What happened to Miriam (4) is an ever constant reminder that even the greatest amongst us are at the perils of lashon hara, and that it is a draw that we ought to fight from the deepest depths of our souls. The reminder to destroy Amalek (5) is a call to vigilance, for the Jewish people to never lose sight of the fact that there are enemies looking to harm them.
But a reminder about the Golden Calf (6) seems counterintuitive and counterproductive. Why should we be reminded of a major sin? Why be reminded of a time when our ancestors angered God? While it may be true that the generation that left Egypt rebelled against God over and over, does that mean their children were similarly rebelling? Furthermore, is this remembrance something that was meant to be applicable for all time, or was Moshe directing this memory-command at the people he addressed for only their time, and only their generation?
The obvious answer is that if we are reminded of how bad we were, the memory of the repercussions of such a sin might trigger an automatic forcefield against the inclination to sin.
The Torah Temimah (Baruch HaLevi Epstein) struggled over how to explain this "remembrance."
Firstly, the injunction to "Remember" is more than just feeling it in your heart. It is about repeating things over and over, saying things with your mouth. He mentions Ramban's struggle over whether to count this as a mitzvah – was it a one-time instruction or was it for all future generations?
"I don't know what are the qualities of this mitzvah…" Rabbi Epstein pondered. "What to remember, when to remember, because many of the parshas in the Torah talk about when Israel angered God. For example: desiring to return to Egypt, the collecting of the manna on Shabbos, the Golden Calf, the complainers, the spies, the Korach rebellion, and the Baal Pe'or debacle, etc."
He goes on to compare this instruction to the instructions for wiping out Amalek, which includes a similar double language of "Remember, and do not forget." Not to forget is an instruction to be reminded once a year. But to 'remember,' that is something that must take place on a regular basis. It requires an active regular effort.
It might not be a mitzvah – Maimonides, for example, did not codify it – but there is something about the instruction that should strike a resounding chord in our souls. Which would suggest that it was not only meant for the wandering Israelites, but for us as well.
Rabbi JJ Schacter shared a very interesting insight inhis Tisha B'Av webcast, on an unrelated subject, that I believe has relevance here. He quoted Rav Kasher who said that sometimes when you see a verse quoted, it is meant to remind us of the context in which the verse appears. In our case, the next few verses describe how at the moment we generally, and Moshe most specifically, were closest to God, we somehow managed to turn in the other direction – a complete 180 degree turn.
In essence, this reminder is doubled (Remember and don't forget) because the draw of sin is so powerful, so enticing, so exciting, we need to put up safeguards at every turn.
Ramban wrote a very instructive letter to his son, encouraging him to read it once a week in order to stay on the proper path and veer away from sin. (It can be found in some prayer books near the six remembrances.)
Maybe we can find a mussar talk that we can read or some inspiring recording that we can listen to as a podcast or on a cd in the car. If we can take the positive action step of giving ourselves such constant reminders, with God's help we will succeed in warding off the yetzer hara as we continue to grow spiritually in our continued quest to get closer to God.
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Our parsha features another installment of Moshe's Wilderness History 101 crash course for the second generation entitled, "Where your parents messed up at the Golden Calf." It includes Moshe's account of how he went up the mountain for three 40-day spans, and how God wanted to destroy the people but didn't on account of Moshe's prayer.
In the midst of all this, we are told one of the "Shesh Zekhirot," the six remembrances that appear at the end of Shacharit in many siddurim.
"Remember and never forget how you provoked God your Lord inthe desert. From the day you left Egypt until you came here, you have been rebelling against God." (Devarim 9:7)
The other remembrances are understandably important daily reminders.
Remembering the Exodus (1) reminds us of God's presence and His covenant to watch over the descendants of Avraham. Remembering Shabbos (2) is ostensibly one of the most distinguishing qualities of the Jewish people. God's presence at Mt. Sinai (3) is the source for our devotion and dedication to the Torah. What happened to Miriam (4) is an ever constant reminder that even the greatest amongst us are at the perils of lashon hara, and that it is a draw that we ought to fight from the deepest depths of our souls. The reminder to destroy Amalek (5) is a call to vigilance, for the Jewish people to never lose sight of the fact that there are enemies looking to harm them.
But a reminder about the Golden Calf (6) seems counterintuitive and counterproductive. Why should we be reminded of a major sin? Why be reminded of a time when our ancestors angered God? While it may be true that the generation that left Egypt rebelled against God over and over, does that mean their children were similarly rebelling? Furthermore, is this remembrance something that was meant to be applicable for all time, or was Moshe directing this memory-command at the people he addressed for only their time, and only their generation?
The obvious answer is that if we are reminded of how bad we were, the memory of the repercussions of such a sin might trigger an automatic forcefield against the inclination to sin.
The Torah Temimah (Baruch HaLevi Epstein) struggled over how to explain this "remembrance."
Firstly, the injunction to "Remember" is more than just feeling it in your heart. It is about repeating things over and over, saying things with your mouth. He mentions Ramban's struggle over whether to count this as a mitzvah – was it a one-time instruction or was it for all future generations?
"I don't know what are the qualities of this mitzvah…" Rabbi Epstein pondered. "What to remember, when to remember, because many of the parshas in the Torah talk about when Israel angered God. For example: desiring to return to Egypt, the collecting of the manna on Shabbos, the Golden Calf, the complainers, the spies, the Korach rebellion, and the Baal Pe'or debacle, etc."
He goes on to compare this instruction to the instructions for wiping out Amalek, which includes a similar double language of "Remember, and do not forget." Not to forget is an instruction to be reminded once a year. But to 'remember,' that is something that must take place on a regular basis. It requires an active regular effort.
It might not be a mitzvah – Maimonides, for example, did not codify it – but there is something about the instruction that should strike a resounding chord in our souls. Which would suggest that it was not only meant for the wandering Israelites, but for us as well.
Rabbi JJ Schacter shared a very interesting insight inhis Tisha B'Av webcast, on an unrelated subject, that I believe has relevance here. He quoted Rav Kasher who said that sometimes when you see a verse quoted, it is meant to remind us of the context in which the verse appears. In our case, the next few verses describe how at the moment we generally, and Moshe most specifically, were closest to God, we somehow managed to turn in the other direction – a complete 180 degree turn.
In essence, this reminder is doubled (Remember and don't forget) because the draw of sin is so powerful, so enticing, so exciting, we need to put up safeguards at every turn.
Ramban wrote a very instructive letter to his son, encouraging him to read it once a week in order to stay on the proper path and veer away from sin. (It can be found in some prayer books near the six remembrances.)
Maybe we can find a mussar talk that we can read or some inspiring recording that we can listen to as a podcast or on a cd in the car. If we can take the positive action step of giving ourselves such constant reminders, with God's help we will succeed in warding off the yetzer hara as we continue to grow spiritually in our continued quest to get closer to God.
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