Formative Thought: Moral and Religious Development Through Mitzvot to Remember

(1) The Exodus

(2) ...in order that you remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

(1) Look upon our affliction, and defend our cause: and redeem us speedily for the sake of Your Name; because You are a Mighty Redeemer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Redeemer of Israel.

(1) Heal us, Adonoy, and we will be healed, deliver us and we will be delivered; for You are our praise. Grant a complete healing to all our affliction

(2) If you wish to pray for the recovery of a sick person, you may do so here.

(3) May it be Your will, Adonoy, our God, and the God of our fathers, that You send, quickly, a complete recovery from the heavens, healing for the soul, and healing for the body, for the ailing (name) son/daughter of (mother’s name) among the ailing of Israel.

(4) because You are the Almighty, King, Who is a faithful and merciful Healer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Healer of the sick of His people Israel.

(3) The Revelation at Mount Sinai

(4) Only beware, and guard you soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen; lest they be removed from your heart all the days of your life; and make them known to your children and to your children’s children. [That what you witnessed] the day you stood before Adonoy your God at Chorev.

(9) But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. And make them known to your children and to your children’s children: (10) The day you stood before your God יקוק at Horeb, when יקוק said to me, “Gather the people to Me that I may let them hear My words, in order that they may learn to revere Me as long as they live on earth, and may so teach their children.”

(10) And Moses instructed them as follows: Every seventh year, the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths, (11) when all Israel comes to appear before your God יקוק in the place that [God] will choose, you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel. (12) Gather the people—men, women, children, and the strangers in your communities—that they may hear and so learn to revere your God יקוק and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching. (13) Their children, too, who have not had the experience, shall hear and learn to revere your God יקוק as long as they live in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.

(1) It is mandatory to love and fear this Glorified and Awe-inspiring God, for it is said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. 6,5); and as it is said: "The Lord thy God thou shalt fear." (Ibid. 6, 13).

(2) But how may one discover the way to love and fear Him? When man will reflect concerning His works, and His great and wonderful creatures, and will behold through them His wonderful, matchless and infinite wisdom, he will spontaneously be filled with love, praise and exaltation and become possessed of a great longing to know the Great Name, even as David said: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God," (Ps. 42,2); and when he will think of all these matters, he will be taken aback in a moment and stricken with awe, and realize that he is an infinitesimal creature, humble and dark, standing with an insignificant and slight knowledge in the presence of the All Wise, as David said: "For when I see Thy heavens, the wonderful works of Thy fingers, of what use is man that Thou mayest remember him?" (Ibid. 8,4). And, in harmony with these matters, I elucidate great, general principles of the works of the Lord of the universe, so that they might serve as an opening for one who understands by which to love the Name, as some sages said on the subject of love: "Out of it thou wilt recognize the One who spoke, and the universe was called into existence."

But with the human species, we believe that His providence, blessed be He, is upon each and every one individually, and He is 'the One who understands about all of their deeds.' And so [too,] have we received from all of our great ones; and there are also many verses that instruct that the matter is so. And therefore, the Torah warned us that when this bad illness - and that is tsaraat - reach a man, he should not take it [as being] by way of happenstance. Rather, he should immediately think that his iniquities caused [it]. And he should distance himself from the company of people, like a man who is distanced due to the evil of his deeds. And he should associate with the one who can atone - the one who can heal the fracture of the sin - and show his ailment to him. And through his counsel and through his words, and through the examination of his deeds, the ailment will be removed from him - since God, blessed be He, who constantly watches him, will see the act of his repentance and heal him. And this matter is the matter of the quarantines, as we said.

(5) The Attack of Amalek

(6) Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, as you came out of Egypt! How he encountered you on the way, and he cut off all the weak ones [who were straggling] behind you, when you were weary and exhausted; and he did not fear God. When Adonoy, Your God, will relieve you from all your enemies around you, in the land which Adonoy, your God, gives you as a possession to inherit; you shall eradicate the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens. Do not forget.

There were these hooligans in Rabbi Meir’s neighborhood who caused him a great deal of anguish. Rabbi Meir prayed for God to have mercy on them, that they should die. Rabbi Meir’s wife, Berurya, said to him: What is your thinking? On what basis do you pray for the death of these hooligans? Do you base yourself on the verse, as it is written: “Let sins cease from the land” (Psalms 104:35), which you interpret to mean that the world would be better if the wicked were destroyed? But is it written, let sinners cease?” Let sins cease, is written. One should pray for an end to their transgressions, not for the demise of the transgressors themselves. Moreover, go to the end of the verse, where it says: “And the wicked will be no more.” If, as you suggest, transgressions shall cease refers to the demise of the evildoers, how is it possible that the wicked will be no more, i.e., that they will no longer be evil? Rather, pray for God to have mercy on them, that they should repent, as if they repent, then the wicked will be no more, as they will have repented. Rabbi Meir saw that Berurya was correct and he prayed for God to have mercy on them, and they repented.

However, with one of the Seven Nations or with Amalek who do not make peace, we leave no soul alive, as it says, “so you shall do with everyone…only of the cities of the nations…do not leave alive any soul” (Deut. 20:15-16), and regarding Amalek it says, “erase the memory of Amalek” (Deut. 25:19). How do we know that this is referring to those who do not make peace with us? For it says, “there was no city which came to peace with the Children of Israel except the Chivites, dwellers of Givon. Everything, they took in the war. For from G-d their hearts were strengthened to the call of war with Israel, so that they may be destroyed.” (Joshua 11:19-20). They were offered peace, and refused.

Let there be no hope for informers and may all wickedness instantly perish; may all the enemies of Your people be swiftly cut off, and may You quickly uproot, crush, rout and subdue the insolent, speedily in our days. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Crusher of enemies. and Subduer of the insolent.

(7) The Sin of the Golden Calf

(8) Remember, do not forget, how you provoked Adonoy, Your God, in the desert.

They also learned from the verse: Remember how you angered יקוק your God in the wilderness. You might think you can just remember it silently... (Sifra, Bechukotai, section 1) I don't know if it is a command for the people who angered God themselves, meaning, the men of the wilderness generation. In any case, it is a command for generations to know the kindness of God towards us, and that he guarded the covenant of our forefathers, and to give thanks to God's name and to bless God for everything. As the prophet told them, "My nation, remember what Balak king of Moav advised and what Bilam son of Beor answered him in order to know the righteous actions of יקוק. If so, it is appropriate to count it as a command among the commandments.

(10) [God] said: I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will work such wonders as have not been wrought on all the earth or in any nation; and all the people who are with you shall see how awesome are יהוה’s deeds which I will perform for you.

(7) Remember, never forget, how you provoked your God יקוק to anger in the wilderness: from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have continued defiant toward יקוק.

(1) Pardon us, our Father, for we have sinned, forgive us, our King, for we have transgressed; for You forgive and pardon. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Gracious One, Who pardons abundantly.

Don't despair, God forbid, saying: "Your sins are with you, and in them you will rot, God forbid, and it is impossible for you to turn away from your failures because your sins have built up to the point that God forbid your hope is lost. Woe is to you and your few numbered days that you have left in this world. Don't say things like this, God forbid, because they are worse than the first. These thoughts, ideas, confusions, are difficult and harmful, and anger your Creator more than all the sins, iniquities, and rebellions that you have done your entire life until now. For I still have hope at all times, every hour, every moment. The kindness of God does not end. God's mercy persists forever. It is hidden from you and you do not know the great might of God's great mercy and kindness upon all who desire to truly repent, even though they have not yet repented...

(13) Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem.

(9) What Happened to Miriam

(10) Remember what Adonoy, your God, did to Miriam on the way, when you came out of Egypt.

We are commanded to verbally recall and to internalize what God did to Miriam when she spoke about her brother (and that God punished her) despite the fact that she was a prophetess, in order to distance ourselves from lashon hara... Is this not true a fortiori? If Miriam was punished though she only spoke in the presence of Moshe, for Moshe's benefit, to praise Moshe, and to build the world (to encourage Moshe to have more children,) all the more so will the one who degrades his friend publicly be punished. We learn in Sifra, "'Remember what יקוק your God did to Miriam.' You would think that it could be remembering silently. However, when it says (in the preceding verse,) 'Be very diligent about Tzaraat afflictions,' that already commands silent adherence. 'Remember' must then teach verbal recitation.

(1) May Your mercy be aroused, Adonoy our God, upon the righteous, upon the pious, upon the elders of Your people, Israel, upon the remnant of their scholars, upon the true proselytes and upon us. Grant bountiful reward to all who trust in Your Name in truth; and place our lot among them, and may we never be put to shame, for we have put our trust in You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Support and Trust of the righteous.

(11) The Sabbath

(12) Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.

(20) You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. (21) Aaron and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over [the Ark of] the Pact, [to burn] from evening to morning before יקוק. It shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the generations.

(40) And for Aaron’s sons also you shall make tunics, and make sashes for them, and make turbans for them, for dignity and adornment. (41) Put these on your brother Aaron and on his sons as well; anoint them, and ordain them and consecrate them to serve Me as priests. (42) You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs. (43) They shall be worn by Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to officiate in the sanctuary, so that they do not incur punishment and die. It shall be a law for all time for him and for his offspring to come.

(9) and wind turbans upon them. And gird both Aaron and his sons with sashes. And so they shall have priesthood as their right for all time. You shall then ordain Aaron and his sons.

(27) You shall consecrate the breast that was offered as an elevation offering and the thigh that was offered as a gift offering from the ram of ordination—from that which was Aaron’s and from that which was his sons’— (28) and those parts shall be a due for all time from the Israelites to Aaron and his sons. For they are a gift; and so shall they be a gift from the Israelites, their gift to יקוק out of their sacrifices of well-being.

(42) a regular burnt offering throughout the generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before יקוק. For there I will meet with you, and there I will speak with you,

(7) On it Aaron shall burn aromatic incense: he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps, (8) and Aaron shall burn it at twilight when he lights the lamps—a regular incense offering before יקוק throughout the generations.

(20) When they enter the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they approach the altar to serve, to turn into smoke an offering by fire to יקוק, (21) they shall wash their hands and feet, that they may not die. It shall be a law for all time for them—for him and his offspring—throughout the generations.

(12) And יקוק said to Moses: (13) Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the generations, that you may know that I יקוק have consecrated you. (14) You shall keep the sabbath, for it is holy for you. One who profanes it shall be put to death: whoever does work on it, that person shall be cut off from among kin. (15) Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of complete rest, holy to יקוק; whoever does work on the sabbath day shall be put to death. (16) The Israelite people shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout the generations as a covenant for all time: (17) it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel. For in six days יקוק made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day [God] ceased from work and was refreshed.