We continue with the pesukim of Musaf of Rosh Hashanah.
We are up to the seventh pasuk of the Zichronot unit, which is comprised of ten pesukim that talk about Hashem remembering us for the good.
This pasuk took place when God was talking to Yirmiyah HaNavi, right after he announced the impending Churban/
Destruction of the Bet HaMikdash. It was a terrible time; God was upset with the Jewish people, and He was warning them. However, at the same time, He said to tell them the following:
הלוך וקראת באזני ירושלים לאמר כה אמר ה׳ זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך אהבת כלולתיך לכתך אחרי במדבר בארץ לא זרועה
“Go and announce in the ears of Yerushalayim, “So says Hashem, ‘Even when you are in the worst situation, and in the worst of times, I remember the kindness of your youth; the love of Our betrothal and how we followed Hashem into the desert, in a land that wasn’t planted.’”
This shows our blind faith in Hashem. Hashem always remembers our faith and Emunah in Him, until this very day.
We read these pesukim to arouse Hashem’s mercy on us. It’s like a couple, lo alenu, that has some bumps in their marriage, so they look through their honeymoon pictures in order to remember the love that they had before the crisis set in.
We want to arouse that love on Rosh Hashanah. Regardless of what is going on, or how bad we are, we remind Hashem of this pasuk, that He remembers us, and that He remembers us for the good. There is no concept of time for Hashem, so those feelings of love that we showed as we followed Him into the desert will be there on Rosh Hashanah as well.
The eighth pasuk of Zichronot is:
וזכרתי אני את בריתי אותך בימי נעוריך והקימותי לך ברית עולם
I will remember the covenants of the days of your youth, and I will make a covenant that will last forever.
Our previous covenants were interrupted with Galut and challenges. But there will be an everlasting covenant of goodness in the future, and that comes from Hashem remembering the covenants that He made with us in our days of youth.
This is similar to the previous pasuk, in which Hashem remembers the Jewish people in the desert.
In the ninth pasuk of Zichronot, Hashem say,
הֲבֵן יַקִּיר לִי אֶפְרַיִם אִם יֶלֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים כִּי־מִדֵּי דַבְּרִי בּוֹ זָכֹר אֶזְכְּרֶנּוּ עוֹד עַל־כֵּן הָמוּ מֵעַי לוֹ רַחֵם אֲרַחֲמֶנּוּ נְאֻם ה׳
My dear son Ephraim
(Ephraim refers to the Jewish people) is like a little baby that I play with (like a cute little grandchild that you coo at). Even when I am not with him, I talk about him, and I remember him even more. My innards are moved, and I will surely have mercy on him
We quote this pasuk to Hashem to remind Him that we are His little baby. We might be a little mischievous, and we might have gotten into trouble, but He loves us so much.
The tenth pasuk of Zichronot does not immediately follow the other nine pesukim. It comes right before the beracha at the end of the unit - Baruch Atah Hashem, Zocher HaBrit- this is the blessing of the One that remembers the Covenant. Right before that, we say,
וְזָכַרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית רִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי־אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם לֵאלֹקים אֲנִי הי
I will remember the covenant that I made with the early ones; that I took them out of Egypt before the eyes of all the nations, in order to be a God for them, Ani Hashem.
Just like God took us out of Egypt when we were at the 49th level of tumah, and nobody thought we would ever get out, it will happen again. We will get out of this Galut. We have to realize that, remember that, and know that Hashem never forgets His deals. We have to believe in that deal.
He loves us like a father loves a son, He loves us like a husband loves a wife, and like any other mashal of love that exists. We have to arouse these feelings as we read these pesukim, because when we arouse our love for Hashem, that will arouse His love for us for us.
We are working on the pesukim, but is worthwhile to spend some time reading through the actual text each unit of Musaf. Each one has an introduction, and the beautiful words of the Zichronot introduction include the following-
If you want to be successful and fortunate in your judgment…
אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁכָּחֶךָּ, וּבֶן אָדָם יִתְאַמֶּץ בָּךְ, כִּי דוֹרְשֶׁיךָ, לְעוֹלָם לֹא יִכָּשֵׁלוּ, וְלֹא יִכָּלְמוּ לָנֶצַח כָּל הַחוֹסִים בָּךְ
Fortunate is the one that does not forget Hashem, and the person that keeps pushing; those that search out God will not stumble forever. And they won’t be embarrassed forever, those that seek refuge in Him
Each unit has its own special message which warrants review, so please -check your notes. Malchuyot is all about Hashem is King.
The Zichronot unit is about Hashem remembering His love for us, and us remembering our love for Him.
Remember, our whole year is depending on this!!
Please take notes, so that your emotions will be there as you say the pesukim.
We have just completed the unit of Zichronot, and Bezrat Hashem, tomorrow we will start Shofarot.
Have a wonderful day.