The Sin of Forgetfulness
But that’s not enough. Go back! There’s so much to thank for in your past. And that brings us to a very big subject now and the subject is, יƒכֲרָּב יוָלּמו¿ּ‚ לָּכ יƒח¿ּכ¿ׁ ̆ƒּ ̇ לַ‡¿ו 'ה ̇∆‡ יƒׁ ̆¿פַנ. Dovid is talking to himself, to his nefesh, and he says, “Thank Hashem! And don’t forget all the things that He bestowed upon you.”
And that’s the very great problem of forgetting the chasdei Hashem. Remember you once had in your eye a throbbing feeling that bothered you for a day. Your eye was pulsating. You were worried. Should you go to the eye specialist, you shouldn’t go? The next morning you got up, you forgot all about it.
You forgot all about it?! Some people don’t forget. For some people it continues chalilah and it gets worse. Eye operations are a very big tzara – bandages for weeks and weeks, chas v’shalom. And finally when the doctors take off the bandage, not always are they happy with the results. And baruch Hashem that throbbing in your eye passed away during the nighttime. Can you forget that?! יוָלּמו¿ּ‚ לָּכ יƒח¿ּכ¿ׁ ̆ƒּ ̇ לַ‡¿ו 'ה ̇∆‡ יƒׁ ̆¿פַנ יƒכֲרָּב. Don’t forget! You have to remember that all your life!
Forget Me Not
Remember when there was a man that wanted a din Torah against you. You were afraid. You couldn’t sleep. A whole week your stomach was boiling – a din Torah was pending against you. At the end, nothing came of it. The other party didn’t call you to a din Torah. So what did you do? You forgot all about it. Forgot all about it?!
Or maybe once your jaw was swollen and the swelling of your gum began to rise up here? You know sometimes, chas v’shalom, the infection goes to brain. Oh yes. I know an adam gadol who passed away. His gum became inflamed from a tooth abscess. It went up here into the brain and he passed away nebach.
But you were saved! יַּיַח ָּ ̇¿לַ‡ָּ‚ 'ה הָּ ַ̇‡¿ךּרוָּב – You redeemed my life! You should say to Hashem, “You redeemed me!” How are people so obtuse, so ungrateful?! They ask Hashem for favors and as soon as He gives it to them, יוָלּמו¿ּ‚ לָּכ יƒח¿ּכ¿ׁ ̆ƒּ ̇ – they forget it toch k’dei dibbur.
And therefore that’s a big function in our lives. יƒח¿ּכ¿ׁ ̆ƒּ ̇ לַ‡¿ו 'ה ̇∆‡ יƒׁ ̆¿פַנ יƒכֲרָּב – Don’t forget, יוָלּמו¿ּ‚ לָּכ – even one thing that He bestowed upon you. And so you have to prepare yourself. And when you come to the beis haknesses, at least in this place that’s set aside for thanking, you must exercise that obligation.
