75 words for 75 years of Israel – Zachor/Remember

In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!

Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible, these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

זÖøכוֹ×Ø

ZACHOR

ZAH-CHOR

REMEMBER

זכו×Ø ××Ŗ אש×Ø ×¢×©×” לך עמלק בד×Øך בצא×Ŗכם ממצ×Øים.

זכ×Ø ×œ××‘×Øהם ליצחק וליש×Øאל עבדיך אש×Ø × ×©×‘×¢×Ŗ להם בך ו×Ŗדב×Ø ××œ×”× א×Øבה א×Ŗ ז×Øעכם ככוכבי השמים וכל הא×Øׄ הזא×Ŗ אש×Ø ××ž×Ø×Ŗי א×Ŗן לז×Øעכם ונחלו לעלם.

God commonly uses the word zachor, Hebrew for ā€œremember,ā€ when instructing the children of Israel to remain aware of something of great importance. When God commands us to ā€œRemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holyā€ (Exodus 20:7), it means that the holiness of the Sabbath is meant to permeate our entire week as we anticipate and yearn for the opportunity to draw closer to God on His holy day of rest.

Moses commands us to ā€œRemember this day, when you came out from Egyptā€ (Exodus 13:3). By remembering the Exodus, we recall Godā€™s incredible love for the Israelites in freeing them from their bondage as well as our responsibility to care for the oppressed and downtrodden of the world. 

ā€œRemember what Amalek did to you on your journey…ā€ (Deuteronomy 25:17). This remembrance is accompanied by a commandment to destroy Amalek, as the prophet Samuel ordered Saul to do, but which Saul failed to do completely, allowing the seed of Amalek to continue.

In Jewish liturgy, we ask God to remember that we are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in order to invoke the merit of the patriarchs chosen by God to bring His word into the world. Moses asks God to remember this merit after God grew angry at His people and threatened to destroy them.

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is referred to as Yom Haā€™Zikaron, ā€œThe Day of Remembrance,ā€ for Adam, the first human being, was created on this day. Fittingly, we dedicate this day to remember Godā€™s purpose in creating us and how we are meant to live our lives. 

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