12 September, 2008

Shesh Zechronas Tidbits

In most sidurim after shachris there are the 'shesh zechronos'- six remembrances (some recite ten of them) that should be recited everyday. The six things we are to remember every day are 1. Shabbbos 2. the story of the eigal 3. the story of Amalek (this week's parsha) 4. The story of Miriam who spoke loshen horah about Moshe (also in this week's Parsha) 5. Matan Torah 6. Yitzias Mitzraim.
The Magen Avraham says the you should think about these six at the end of the tefilah of Ahavas Olam/Rabbah of shachris. The words 'uvanu vachartah' you have chosen us, represents Matan Torah. 'Vekairavtonu' brought us closer is the opposite of what Amalek wanted to do. 'Lehodos lecha' to thank you, to use our mouths for thanking Hashem and not forbidden speech. 'B'ahavah' with love, and not like we acted when we sinned with the eigal. The last two are in the last Parsha of shema. 'Uzchartem es kol mitzvos' remember all the mitzvos, by remembering Shabbos which is equal to all the mitzvos. 'Asher hotzaise eschem meretz mitzraim' that took us out of Mitzraim is quite obvious- remember yitzias Mitzraim.
There is talk amongst the reshonim which ones are a deoraisah. We all know that reading about Amalak is a mitzva deoraisah- we do it every year before Purim. the same is true of yitzias Mitzraim. The Even Ezrah says that we can fulfill the mitzva of remembering the Shabbos every day. When we say "today is yom rishon l'shabbos" when we say the shir shel yom, the counting towards Shabbos is the way to remember it. The Ramban holds that there is a mitzva- in fact he counts it as part of the 613 mitzvas, to remember in your heart and recite by mouth, what Hashem did to Miriam. The Rambam doesn't count this as a mitzva. The Minchas Chinuch stays undecided what the Ramban holds about remembering the sin of the eigal.
The question remaining is according to the Ramban how often do we hav to remember the story of Miriam? Is it like Amalak which we do once a year or like Shabbos which we could do everyday?

A special Mazel tov to B.E. and A.C.!

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