Parsha Ki Teitzei – Jewish Teachings: Remember Who You Are -Torah, Memory, Identity & The Jewish Soul

0:00 There's an elderly couple and they keep forgetting things and they're worried. So they go to the doctor and the doctor checks them out. But Rukh Hashemi says, everything's fine. He says, You're just getting older and you tend to forget things. You just need to write things down. They go home and that night they're watching television. The husband gets up and he says, I'm going to get some water. Do you want anything? And his wife thinks about it. She says, Yes, I'd like some ice cream. He says, Fine.

0:29 She says, And can you put some strawberries on top? Okay, he says. Oh, and some whipped cream as well. Fine, he says. Then she turns around to him and she says, Don't you think you better write it down? At that point he gets very cross. He says, I can remember three things. It's ice creams, it's strawberries, it's whipped cream, I know. Off he goes. Doesn't come back for 20 minutes. When he does come back, he comes back with a cheese omelette, and she is furious. And she turns round to him and she says, I told you to write it down, you forgot my toast.

1:06 So this week's pasha, we have some mitzvot of memory. We're told Zahor, remember what Hashem did to Miriam along the way, when she contracted Sarat because she spoke inadvertently Lashanhara about Moshe. And then right at the end of the pasha, we're told Zahor, remember what Amalek did to you along the way. And then right at the end of the pasha, the last two words of the pasha, Alotishkach, don't forget. This leads to a number of questions. The first question is, why do we need to remember what happened to Miriam?

1:48 Why is it so important? Why are we told to do that? Second question is the same about Amalek. Why are we told to remember what happened with Amalloch? Why is that so important? Then of course the question is why with Miriam are we told to remember? But with Amalek, we're told not only to remember, but also Lotishkach to not forget. And they're two separate mitzvot. And of course that leads to another question. What is the difference between remembering and not forgetting? Surely if I remember something, then I don't forget it.

2:25 So how can that be two separate mitzvot? So I want to look at these questions and also widen it out to some of the other remembrances we have in Judaism. And I think in so doing we can get some real insight, some real understanding, and hopefully some real chizuk for Elil as well. So in order to answer these questions, I think we need to understand how memory works. And uh some of you know I dis I studied behavioral psychology, and one of the things I love about behavioral psychology, I find the subject itself fascinating, but one of the things I love about it is I know it's Emmet.

3:08 I know it's truth. Why? Because nothing I've ever learned in behavioral psychology goes against Torah. In fact, it's the opposite, it chimes with Torah, it helps me understand Torah even better. And what's amazing about that is most of the things that I've learned in behavioral psychology and cognitive behavior are things that we've only learned in the last hundred years, sometimes less, the last 60 or 70 years. And yet, of course, Torah was given almost 3,400 years ago, and Torah's steeped in this knowledge.

3:42 Of course, it's another bit of evidence, not that we le need any more, that Torah is divinely given, that Torah already accounts for these things, it already knows these things. So the human brain is really programmed to forget. That's really its default position. Why? Because if you think about how much information you take in every single day, all the information that you your eyes see, your ears hear, your brain understands, right? All of that, if you were to take it all in and remember it all, it would literally fry your neural networks.

4:18 We wouldn't be able to cope. And so the mechanism of the brain is really to forget, and then the things that the brain remembers are things that we need for survival, that are very emotional, that are very shocking. And what's interesting is we think of it as memory, things from the past, but the brain doesn't remember it for the past. The brain actually remembers it for the present and the future. So let me give you an example. If you were to burn your hand on the stove, you wouldn't need to tell your brain to remember that.

4:51 Your brain would remember it. Why? Your brain would remember it so you don't do it again. But of course, that's for the present and the future. So you would recall it. Oh, do you remember the time a few years ago when I burnt my hand on the stove? You think of it as something that happened in the past as memory, which of course it is, but we're actually remembering it for the present and the future. So that's kind of the default position of the brain. But of course, then there's remembering, proactive remembering, which we can do.

5:26 So we can hear something and think to ourselves, I really want to remember that. And that might not quite be enough, but just by thinking that, the brain sort of reacts and says, okay, we need to store this, we need to remember this. And of course, the ultimate of that will be revising for exams. We can proactively sort of hack the brain in order to remember things that we need to remember in order to pass the test that we've got. This proactive remembering also happens on national levels, and that's how we build societies and history and culture.

6:02 So let me give you an example of what I mean. Most Americans probably wouldn't know if you asked them that American independence was declared on the 4th of July 1776. The reason why most Americans do know is because there is a date, the 4th of July in America, which is a national holiday. And of course, everybody has the day off work and they get together with families and friends, and there's barbecues and there's fireworks, etc. etc. And because of that, it becomes a memory because it is remembered proactively.

6:39 And of course, that's how societies build society and culture and shared history, because all Americans celebrate that that day as part of citizens of the US, and you build that whole culture and everything else. If we understand that, we then start to understand the construct of Zakho, remember, and Lotishkach, don't forget. Because Zakho is the proactive remembering. Do something to remember, build consciousness of this. Lotishkach, do not forget, is don't let it leave your consciousness, right?

7:21 Like the hand on the stove, because to do so would be dangerous. And so zaho is the building of consciousness, Lotishkach is not forgetting the consciousness that we already have. What's interesting about that, and this is based on psychology, is the Sifre, the midrash in the Sifre Devarim, turns round on these Pasukim and says exactly that. Because the Sifre turns round and says, On Zachor, remember with your mouth, and on Lotishkach, do not forget with your heart. It's unbelievable. So all of course is remember with your mouth, talk about it, verbalize it, create consciousness of it.

8:09 Lotishkach, do not forget in your heart. Don't lose consciousness, don't let it lose you. Unbelievable thing. And of course we create consciousness of this because that mitzvah of Zakor, of remember, we actually fill just before Purim, we have Shabbat Zakhor when we read these few Pasukim from Kiteitseh from this week's pasha. Alright, and we do it, of course, before Purim, because Haman, who wanted to destroy the Jewish people, was a descendant of a Malek. And of course, in so doing, we are building consciousness, fulfilling this mitzvah of Zakhur.

8:45 The Ramban comes along on these Pasukim and on that sifre and says, and it builds transmission to the children. Part of this Zakhur, this conscious remembering is transmitting it to your children, which of course, when we have a public reading of Zakhor just before Purim, and it's exciting, and we know we've got Purim coming up, that of course builds into the consciousness of our children who are in shul as well. And so we do, as the Ramban says, it's part of that is transmitting it to our children as well.

9:18 So we start to understand this construct of Zakhor, remember, consciously remember, build consciousness, and lotishkach, do not forget, do not let that consciousness leave you. Of course, what that doesn't answer is why do we need to remember it at all? What's so important about a malak that we should remember it, you know, for whatever reason. So in order to understand that, we need to go right back to creation. So Hashem is Allah, Hashem is one. There is nothing other than Hashem. But when Hashem creates the world, he creates the impression of two-ness in the world.

9:59 Why? Because now there's something other than Hashem. There's Hashem and there's the world, there's us, there's other things. So you've created this impression of two-ness in the world. And of course, that is shown in Torah because what is the very first letter of the Torah? So the first word we know is Barashit in the beginning. And the first letter, therefore, is Bet, and Bet is the number two, because creation itself brings this idea of two-ness into the world. But a foundational principle of Judaism is that we are made, as it says in Pashat Barashit, but Selem elokim, in the image of Hashem.

10:40 And one of the factors of that means we have free will. But in order to have free will, there has to be the appearance of two-ness in the world. Why? Because how can I choose good if there's no evil? How can I choose right if there's no wrong? How can I truth choose truth if there's no falsehood? How can I choose happiness if there's no sadness? And therefore there has to be this appearance of two-ness in order for us to be able to have free will. Klalisrael are called the Rashit among the nations, the first among the nations.

11:19 Why? Because we're the koanym of the world. We are the witnesses to Hashem's presence on this earth. And of course, we gave the world monotheism, the idea that there is Hashem. That is our job, the first among the nations. Except there is another nation that is called the first among the nations. In Pashak Balak, a malak is called the Rashit Among the Nations, the first among the nations. Now it also says its end will be eternal destruction. So it's something to bear in mind. But nevertheless, it's called the Rashit as well, the first.

11:54 Why? Because if we are the nation, the Jewish people, whose very tough kid, whose very mission, whose very purpose is to create godliness in the world, to make sure that there's an understanding that Hashem is in this world, then there has to be a nation, because of free will and choice, that does the opposite, that wants to create evil in the world, that wants to create a godless world. And of course, that's a malak. That's why they're called the other rat. And therefore, the zacho, the remembering, the conscious remembering is remember that there's evil in the world.

12:31 Remember there are people and nations that want to create a godless world. And why is that important? Because otherwise you might think, well, our mission is to bring Hashem into this world. And isn't that a nice thing to do? Yeah, it's nice. No, it's not just nice, it's necessary. Because if we don't do it, Haswashalam will be taken over by those forces that want to bring evil into the world, godlessness into the world. So, Zakhur, remember consciously. You must. It's really, really important that you do.

13:04 That is why we're told to Zachor to remember. And of course, today, biologically, we don't know who a Malek is. The Amalekites are. Biologically, they may not even properly exist. There may be some descendants of a Malek somewhere. We don't know who they are. We can't identify them. But nevertheless, Rav Shimshom Raphael Hirsch, Rav Solovajik, and many others want to explain that conceptually a Malek still exists. And an example of that, an easy example of that, will be the Nazis. The Nazis wanted to destroy the Jewish people.

13:39 That's what they wanted to do. Biologically, were the Nazis descendants of a Malek? Probably not. I couldn't say definitively not, but probably not. But conceptually, 100%. And so we still have forces in the world today that want a godless world, that evil, that want to destroy the Jewish people. And therefore, Zachor, remember. It's absolutely crucial that you remember because it's not just something nice, it's absolutely vital. What about the Lotish Kach? What about the do not forget? We understand the remember.

14:17 What about the do not forget? So the fact is that all of us have a little bit of a mullock in us. And it could develop if we're not careful. And what do I mean by that? Do I mean we're all evil? Of course not. That's not what I mean at all. So what are we talking about here? So let me explain. You go to work, you do a presentation to a new prospect, and it's a brilliant presentation, and you win the client, it's a very big client, important client, and you come back into the office and the border all slapping you on the back, fantastic, well done.

14:52 And you go back into your office and you sit there and you go, Wow, I did a really good job. I'm really brilliant. Just at that moment you've let a malak in. Because where's the acknowledgement of Hashem? Where's the acknowledgement that you couldn't possibly do anything without Hashem's help, without Hashem doing it with you, for you, helping you along the way. And so at that moment there's a little bit of a mallock. Another example, you need to speak to a friend, and you're walking down the street and you bump into them.

15:24 And you turn around and you say, Then what a coincidence. I needed to speak to you. So great, I've bumped into you. But there are no coincidences in the world. Hashem runs the world. The hand of Hashem is in everything. It's not a coincidence. It's arranged by Hashem. But by saying it's a coincidence, by putting it down to happenchance, just for a moment, temporarily, you've let a malak in. And then there's ingratitude.

15:54 So what do we mean by that? Well, thankfully, we have molde'a'ani that we say every single morning, which is thanking our Shem for restoring our souls and waking us up. So when we say Mode'ani, to an extent we get away from this. But you know, you get up in the morning, you get dressed, you put on your clothes, you go to work, you get there safely, you come home safely, you have some dinner, you've got a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on the table, and what do you think? It's just normal life.

16:24 This is normal. It's not normal. This is a bracha from Hashem. All of it's a bracha from Hashem. And to just think it's normal is ingratitude, and again it's letting a Moloch in. Now, of course, you can tear around to me and say, Well, you talk about letting a Mulak in. These are inadvertent. These are these are not deliberate. I'm not deliberately denying Hashem or saying the world's a godless world. In fact, the opposite, I believe in Hashem. These are momentary lapses. Exactly. That is what Lotishkach is.

16:55 Do not forget. Don't put your hand on the stove. Remember. Because if you forget that it's dangerous, you're gonna burn yourself, you're gonna hurt yourself. So don't forget. Don't turn around and say to somebody it's coincidence by accident. Don't just take the fact that you've got food on the table and clothes on your back, even for a moment, as just a given in the world. Because that's how you let Amalek in. Live with that consciousness. Don't forget that is Lotish Kach. It's to guard against the accidents.

17:26 Because it's so easy to let Amalek in if we're not careful. That's exactly what Lotish Kach is. So we understand the Zahor of Amalek and we understand the Lotish Kach of Amalek, do not forget. What about Miriam? Why are we told Zahor to remember Miriam?

17:48 So we were made Bad Selem elokim in the image of Hashem. And the most godly attribute that we have is actually speaking. In fact, in the Torah, when it says, and Hashem made us a Nefesh Haya, a living being, Unclus, who we often think of as the Pesha, the literal translation, he comes along and translates a living being as a speaking spirit. That's how important speaking is. It's the most godly of our attributes. And if you think about this, Hashem created the world with words. Hashem creates the world in ten statements.

18:28 And we as human beings have the ability to create with our mouths. So we can turn around to someone and say, I love you. And just by saying that, you create a whole new set of feelings in another person and you create a whole different dynamic to a relationship just by saying three words. And you can turn around to someone and say, I promise. And just by saying those two words, you've created an obligation on yourself and an expectation in someone else. And you can turn around to someone and say, I forgive you.

19:07 And it could be one of the most sublime things you ever do and deepen a relationship and change your relationship. And you can turn around to a boss and say, I quit. And just with those two words, you end a legal relationship. And of course, you can say, Harayat Mekudeshetli. You've become consecrated to me. And just in those few words, you've created a new halachic construct of marriage. And so we can create with our words, and therefore, of course, we can also destroy with our words. And so we're told, Zachor, remember what Hashem did to Miriam along the way, because Miriam is one of the greatest Jews that ever lived.

19:53 We can't get even close to the level of holiness and sanctity that she was on. And yet she made a mistake. She used speech in the wrong way by talking disparagingly against her brother Moshe. And therefore, how careful do we have to be? And why is it zacho? Because it's consciously remembering. This is about identity. Remember your godly. Remember the gift that you have, the most holy gift you have. The godliness that Hashem has given you because you've been made Butselem elokim. Use it wisely, use it sensibly.

20:30 And in a way, the Lotishkach is built into the actual pasuk because it's remember what happened to Miriam. And of course, what happened to Miriam was she was covered in sa'arat, right? The skin disease for speaking Lashon Hara. But it's his identity forming. Remember, that's what it is, because it's so important. It is the most godly of all our attributes. So we understand the difference between Zachor and Lotish Kach. We understand why we've been told to remember Amalek and remember Miriam. But I think we get a deeper understanding if we just widen it out.

21:09 So there are six main remembrances in Judaism. The Ari, the Arizal came up with four, the Magin Avraham from Midrash, and others wanted to extend it to six. And in his commentary on the Shulchan Arach, he calls it uh six. And in most sidarim today, when you look that lists the six remembrances, and of course, one's Amalek and one's Miriam, but we have another four. So we have Shabbat, and of course, Shabbat is a zachor. Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it. We're told when we're given the Yserat a Dibra.

21:44 And it's a pure Zakhor. Why is it a pure Zakhor? Consciously remember. Because the Jewish mission is to bring godliness into this world, to be witnesses to Hashem's presence in this world, and Shabbat is one of the Major ways we do it because we testify to the fact that Hashem created the world every single week. And please don't lose sight of the fact that the other religions have a Sabbath? Of course. But we are the only religion on planet Earth whose Shabbat, whose Sabbath is completely dedicated to being witnesses that Hashem created the world.

22:25 And so Zachor, remember, how do we remember? We light Shabbat's candles, we make Kiddish, we make Havdalah. And of course, we don't just remember on Shabbat itself. We even remember in the whole week. Because how do we count Jewish days? Right? In many, many cultures, the days have names: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Not in Judaism. We have Yom Rishon, Yom Shane, Yom Shlishi, the first day before Shabbat, the second day before Shabbat, the third day before Shabbat. We count the days in relation to Shabbat.

23:02 So our entire construct of time of our working week is built around the knowledge and the fact that Hashem created the world. This conscious remembering because it goes to the core of our identity as being witnesses to Hashem in this world, that every single week we testify to Hashem as creator of the world, that my life is not mine, that the world is not mine, that the business is not mine, because it all belongs to the creator, the master of the universe, Hashem himself, and we build that positive memory.

23:36 Zachho. The remembrance that mirrors a malak, and we'll see why, is actually Hata Agar. So we're told in Parsha Akhev, Zachho, remember and Al Tishkach, do not forget how you provoked Hashem, your God in the Midbah. So we have this construct of Zakho and Al Tishkach, remember and do not forget, exactly the same as Amalek. And how we provoked Hashem, the Mafashim tell us that is to do with Khaita Agel. And why do we need to both remember it and not forget? So it's a very similar idea to Amalek. We need to remember because we need to consciously remember how we as a society, the madness of crowds, created an idol.

24:24 And it's so easy to do because remember, the egel was not a replacement for Hashem. The egel was a replacement for Moshe. But the lesson is once you start treating an intermediary as a it's very, very quick to change that intermediary into a source. And that's what happens with Hata Eagle. We create a replacement for moshe, and by the next morning, we're already dancing around the eegel and having a feast for it. The intermediary becomes the source. That's the sin of Hayter Eegel. And we did it as a society, we did it nationally, the madness of crowds.

25:07 And so we need this positive zachod, this conscious remembering not to do that. And it's so easy to do, even on a national level. Let me give you an example. Often, when you read the Jewish newspapers, newspapers in Israel, Jewish newspapers around the world, and you hear Jews talking, they'll talk about who's going to be the next president of the United States of America, who's going to be sitting in the Oval Office. But they'll talk about it like Israel's very survival depends on it. And if you do that, you're very, very close to Heita Eegel.

25:44 You're very, very close to taking an intermediary, the President of the United States of America, and actually making them the source. You know, our survival depends on that person. Our survival depends on Hashem, not that person. Does that mean you can't be interested in it? Of course you can. Does it matter who the president is? Yes. Right? Can we be interested in the politics of it and the election? Of course we can. But when we start talking about it like the survival of Israel depends on it, then we're drifting into Eegel territory.

26:18 And it's so easy to do. And because of that, we have an Altishkah. Do not forget, in the same way as don't forget that you put your hand on the oven and it burnt you. Because it's so easy to do. You know, your boss at work asks you to do something unreasonable. And you think to yourself, well, after all, my panassah comes from then, I better do it. That is Eagle territory. Because they're an intermediary. Ultimately, your panassa comes from Hashem. That's where it comes from. And you think to yourself, I want to have some money in the bank.

26:51 A little bit of security, a nest egg for a rainy day, as it were. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you start to think, oh, I'm secure because I've got so much money in the bank, then you're in eagle territory because you're making an intermediary the source. Your security comes from Hashem. Does that mean you can't have money in the bank? Of course you can. Of course it's a sensible thing to do. But don't think your security depends on it, because that makes the intermediary the source. And with doctors as well, if we're not, well, husfashalam, should we go to a doctor?

27:26 100%. And can the expertise of a doctor help? Yes. But if you start to treat the doctor as the source of your well-being, as the source of you becoming healthy again, and not as an intermediary, then you're in Aegel territory. And of course it's so easy to do. Believing Jews, we believe in Hashem. We don't bow down to idols, we don't believe in idolatry. But can you drift into, look, I need to get some money in the bank because then I'll be secure? And you don't mean to cut out Hashem. But that is the whole point of an Al-Tishkach.

27:59 Do not forget. In the same ways, you don't mean to put your hand on the stove, except when you do, it can actually be very serious and very dangerous. It's exactly the same thing. Don't let it leave your consciousness. So that's the construct. The very last two remembrances are Yitzsiatz Mitzrian, our departure from Egypt, and Matant Torah, Hassinai, receiving the Torah, what happened at Hasinai. And the juxtaposition between those two is fascinating. Because what does it say about uh the Yitziaz Mitzraim?

28:36 So it uses the word Tizko, remember, which comes from uh Zachar, it comes from remember, the same word as Zakhor, right? And it says so that you will remember Tizko, the day of your departure from the land of Egypt, all the days of your life. It comes from Sedra uh Ra'ai. Right? So that's a pure Zahor. It's a pure remember. Remember when you left Egypt. And then we have Matantorah, and that's Pentish Kach. Lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld, unless you remove them from your heart all the days of your life.

29:15 We have the same phrase, kolyaumecha, as we have with Yetsiatz Mitzraim. So we have this interesting idea. Yetsiatz mitzraim is a pure Zahor. Consciously build memory. Matanturah is a pure Pentishkach, Lotishkach, do not forget. So we have that opposite. But both of them say kolyamehayekah, all the days of your life. Now, what's interesting is we know what we do for Yitziat Smithraim to Zakhur, to remember it all the days of our life. It might be one of the most famous Mishnah in the whole of Torah because we say it in the Haggadah every Pesach.

29:55 It comes from the Mishnah in Brachot. But what's kolyame Hayeka all the days of your life? So everybody knows from the Haggadah. Benzoma came along and said, days of your life means the days. Kol all the days of your life means the night too. And so we have to remember Yitzsiat Smithraim by day and by night. And of course, we do it in the third paragraph of the Shema, which we read every day and every night. And in that way, we remember Yitzsiat Smitshraim every day and every night, all the days of our life.

30:29 The question is, why don't we do that with Matantorah then? Where do we talk about Matanturah every morning and every evening? Because it also says in the Pasuk, Kolyume Hayekah. So what's going on? So the reason why Yitziah Smithraim is a pure zacho is because Judaism is unique amongst all the religions of the world. Every other religion tells you to believe. You have to take a leap of faith. Whether you're a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist or whatever, you have to take a leap of faith.

31:05 Judaism, we're not told to believe. We're told to remember. Zachor, remember. What is the first of the Asserat ad-Dibra? I am Hashem your God who has taken you out the land of Egypt, the house of slavery. It's not believing his Hashem. You know Hashem. You experienced it. You saw the Makot, the plagues. I took you out of Egypt. You experienced Qriat Yom Suf, the parting of the Red Sea. You experienced all of that. You know Hashem. Therefore, what you have to do is not believe in Hashem. Remember.

31:41 And it's so important to being a Jew. It's the first of the Aserat Adibra. You have to remember Kolya Mechayecha all the days of your life. Morning and evening. And of course, we do that in the Shema. In other words, build memory, build consciousness, and do it every single day, twice a day, morning and evening. It's a pure zakor because it goes to the identity of who we are. That is Yitziat Smith's Rai. So what about Matant Torah? Why is that a pure Pentishkach? Do not forget? Where's the remembering?

32:16 So we have a mitzvah of Talmud Torah, of learning Torah every single day, and we're supposed to do it day and night. We're told in the book of Yahushua, right? Don't let the Torah leave your mouth, meditate on it day and night. We have this mitzvah of Talmud Torah. And if we're living Talmud Torah, if we're studying Torah every day and every night, then of course we're remembering it by definition. But we don't demean Torah to just a mere remembrance. With Torah we're not supposed to remember it, we're supposed to live it.

32:54 There's no date for Shavuat, for Matan Torah in the Torah itself. We celebrate receiving the Torah on Shavuat, we know that. But there's no date in it for Torah. And one of the reasons given is because every day we're given Torah. Every day we receive Torah. We shouldn't demean it down to one date. And although we remember the anniversary of Matan Torah every year on Shavuot, the Torah itself doesn't explicitly say the date because it would demean Torah, the receiving of Torah, the giving of Torah to one day a year.

33:28 It's the same reason there's no Zachor. You don't remember Torah, you live it. That's what we're supposed to do. And think of it like this. Hasini was our marriage to Hashem. You don't make a marriage work by remembering your wedding day. You make a marriage work by living the marriage. We have to live Torah. Every day we study it, every night we study it, every time we do a mitzvah, every time we think about what Torah tells us to do. We're living Torah. We're remembering it, but it's not a remembrance.

34:04 We live it in the moment, all the time, every mitzvah, every action, every time we study it. That's why there's no Zachor. Not because we shouldn't remember, because we should do even more than remember we should live. But why Pentishkach? Why not do not forget? We understand with a Malik it's so easy to say, oh, I coincidentally I bumped into somebody and you're in a Malik territory. We understand with Heidza Egel, it's so easy to say I've got money in the bank, I'm secure, and start making the intermediary the source.

34:37 Where's the danger with Torah? Why is there a pentishkach? Do not forget? Why? Because it's so easy to look at the Torah and say, you know, that mitzvah's not so important. You know, I do all the big things, I keep Shabbas, I keep kashrut, I keep these things. I'm not sure Shaluachen sending away the mother bird. It's such an important mitzvah. I don't think it really matters. I'm doing all the big ones. And in that moment you've demeaned Torah. Or what about when you look at halaqah and you go, I'm not sure this halakhah is so important these days.

35:13 You know, I understand two, three thousand years ago why Hashem said that, but today I don't think in the modern world that halachah is so important. And when you say those kind of things or even think those kind of things, what you're doing is you are judging Torah. And really it's the other way round. You're meant to judge yourself by the standards of Torah, not be the judge of Torah. And it's so easy. Oh, that mitzvah's not so important. I don't think I should mind if I don't keep that. Oh, I think that halakhah is a little bit outdated.

35:49 And in the same way, it's inadvertent, we don't mean it. That's why it's a pentish kach. Because in the same way we inadvertently burn our hand on the stove, inadvertently we can say, oh, I think it's a bit out of date. I'm not going to do that. And suddenly you're becoming the judge of Torah. And so there's a pentish kach. Do not forget. Do not forget that every single mitzvah was given at Hasinai. Do not forget that every single mitzvah is an encounter with Hashem. That's what it is. And so we understand.

36:23 Zachor is there to build consciousness, build identity, so we know who we are as Jewish people. And Lotishkach, Altishkach, Pentishkach, however it's written, do not forget, is there so it doesn't slip out of our consciousness. So we don't accidentally start letting a malak in, or start coming drifting into idolatry territory, or start becoming the judge of Torah when it's really supposed to judge us. Why is this so important for El? Because in El we ask, what did I do wrong? Where did I fail? What a Veyrok did I commit?

37:04 How can I be better? And of course, they're all key, key questions for El. But comes along Kiteitse with our remembrance, Zahor o Miriam, Zahor o Malek. And it's telling us, before you worry about what you've done, remember who you are. Yet Siatz Mitrayim, do I live with a conscious awareness of Hashem every day? Matan Torah. Do I judge Torah? Or do I judge myself by Torah? A Malik? Where have randomness and self-reliance entered my worldview? Ager? Have I quietly turned a means into a source? Miriam?

37:49 Am I using the most godly of my gifts in the right way? And Shabbat? Does my life testify that this world belongs to Hashem?

38:03 El isn't just a time where we remember our mistakes. It's a time when we're supposed to remember ourselves. We can't know where we're going until we know who we are. And that's what this is about. Maybe why the Torah gives us these matters to remember and to not forget is not because Hashem is concerned that we forget Jewish history. It's that when we forget Jewish history, what we actually do is forget ourselves.