In preparation for our Rosh Hashanah prayers, we are going through the 30 pesukim of Musaf.
Previously, we went through the ten pesukim of Hashem‘s Kingdom/Malchiyot.
Today, we begin the ten pesukim of Hashem’s remembrance, called Zichronot.
There are three principles of our faith. One is that God is King because he created the world (i.e.Malchuyot).
The second one is that God remembers (Zichronot); this is the principle of reward and punishment, and Hashgacha Pratit/ that God knows what is going on in our lives. He sees everything, and He is involved in our lives on a daily basis.
Having these mindsets and thoughts are what will bring us a good judgment, as God told us, say pesukim of Kingdom and make Me King; say pesukim of remembrances, so that I will remember you for the good.
Realizing that Hashem is watching and controlling us is another reason for us to be remembered for the good.
The first pasuk of Zichronot is:
וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹקים֙ אֶת־נֹ֔חַ וְאֵ֤ת כׇּל־הַֽחַיָּה֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָ֑ה וַיַּעֲבֵ֨ר אֱלֹקים ר֙וּחַ֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם
And Hashem remembered Noah, and all of the wild animals, and all of the domesticated animals that were with him in the ark. And God passed the spirit of mercy over the land, and the waters subsided.
Rashi says that
וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹקים֙
And Hashem remembered is written with the name Elokim, which is the term used for Middat HaDin/ justice, which commonly brings with it something negative. But Rashi says here that it was turned around to the trait of mercy through the prayers of the righteous. This means that Noah prayed on the Teva and that is what turned things around.
This is an important lesson for us: Hashem remembers us for the good, even in a time of justice like Rosh Hashanah, because of our prayers, and because of our connecting to Him and realizing that He is in charge.
The second lesson of this pasuk is that it says Hashem remembered the animals. Animals are not rewarded and punished. But the Chizkuni explains that Hashem remembered the kindness that Noah did for 12 months on the Teva, when he took care of the animals; when he fed them and went through sleepless nights for them.
This is another important lesson for us: that Hashem remembers us for the good, due to our acts of hesed, for, as we have mentioned previously, the way we act to others is the way that Hashem acts towards our us.
So these are two ways that Hashem will turn around in times of judgment, which is our goal on Rosh Hashanah, when we want Hashem to remember us for the good.
The first way is through our prayer, and the second way is through our kindness.
The second pasuk of Zichronot is:
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹקים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹקים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(when the Jewish people were suffering in Egypt. They cried out…)
and Hashem heard their groans, and God remembered the covenant of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov.
Hashem heard their cries. Why does Hashem hear us?
There are a few reasons:
Firstly, because we pray.
Secondly, because, aside from the merit of our prayer, we are groaning because somebody else is whipping and persecuting us. Somebody else is beating us.
Being the underdog causes Hashem to remember us.
This is some thing to think about. We have been underdogs a lot. It is not always about just being beaten. It can mean getting thrown off of a plane because your special- needs child isn’t wearing a mask, or for any of the other stories that have taken place over this year, where people have been berated, insulted and hated because they were Jewish.
Hashem sees that and remembers us.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם
And Hashem hears our groans, and then,
וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ
Hashem remembers our Covenant. Hashem made a deal with Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov. We call that Zechut Avot; The merit of our forefathers. Our forefathers were great people, and even though we might not merit, our forefathers do.
Furthermore, the rabbis say that even when we do have Zechut Avot, we need something to ignite it. We need to pray. We need to groan.
So, to recap, we learned four important lessons from these two Pesukim.
Lesson One is that Hashem remembers us for the good, and goes from Justice to Mercy through prayer.
Lesson Two is that Hashem remembers us for the good and goes from Justice to Mercy when we do kindness, even with animals.
Lesson Three is that Hashem hears us when we pray, and when we groan
Lesson Four is that we invoke the merit of our forefathers when we pray and groan.
These are all important principles, for Hashem to remember us, for the good, on Rosh Hashanah.
Have a wonderful day.