And so we come back now to what we began with, the mitzvah of זָכוֹר אֵת כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ - You should remember the entire journey, 'ה אֱלֹקֶיךָ הֹלִיךָךָ - that Hashem led you. Rabbeinu Yonah considers these words of Hashem as a mitzvas asei, which means it’s a command just like tefillin, just like sitting in the sukkah and keeping Shabbos. Like any other duty of the Torah, you’re obligated to think back about your journey.
וְעַד מִצְוַת זִכּוֹר חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם – It’s an obligation upon each one of us to remember the kindness of Hashem. Listen to those words - he doesn’t say it’s a middas chassidus, an especial way of serving Hashem that tzadikim should take upon themselves. It’s a mitzvas asei, he says; we’re obligated to remember our own life journey. And the fact that you never heard of it before doesn’t decrease the obligation one whit.
And not only it’s a mitzvah asei d’Oraisah; it's a mitzvas asei of the highest degree. Of course, no mitzvah is small, but among all of the commandments of Hashem, this one is considered from the most important. וְזוֹכְרִים בָּהֶם חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם – To remember the kindnesses of Hashem in your own biography and to study them, הַמַּעֲלוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת – is one of the highest of ruchniyus achievements a person can accomplish in this world!
Have a Wonderful Shabbos
