9 B'Av : Remember

(1) Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us; Behold, and see our reproach.

Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt;

"Remember, God, what happened to us..." (Lamentations 5:1) - Rabbi Yitzchak began: (Proverbs 30:31) "The greyhound or the male goat..." The way of the world is that when a person raises two greyhounds in his house, one big and one small, he puts the big one in front, [in case the big one is attacked,] a mercy on his expenses. Rabbi Berachia said: Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the World, doesn't it say in your Torah, (Deuteronomy 25:17) 'Remember what Amalek did to you...'? He did it to us, but not to You? Didn't he destroy Your Temple? The Rabbanan said: Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, we are Yours and the nations of the world are Yours, why don't You have mercy on Your nation? "And the king against whom there is no rising up" (Proverbs 30:31): Rabbi Yitzchak said: Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, "Forgetfulness is among us, but it is not among You, nor before You. Therefore, remember! (Psalms 137:7) "Remember, God, the people of Edom on the day of Jerusalem; who said, "Aru, Aru", even to the foundation thereof." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: ["Aru, Aru" means] "Destroy, Destroy". And Rabbi Levi said: ["Aru, Aru" means] "Raze, Raze". the one who says, "Destroy, Destroy" uses the verse (Jeremiah 51:58) "Babylon's thick walls will be "Ar'er tit'ar'er" - "totally demolished"". The one who said "Raze, Raze" uses the verse (Psalms 137:7) "even the foundations thereof", even to it's bottommost foundations. "Look, see our shame" (Lamentations 5:1) - Rabbi Yudan said: Looking is up close, seeing is from afar. "Looking is up close", as is written, (I Kings 19:6) "And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake cooked on hot coals..." "Seeing is from afar", as is written, (Genesis 22:4) "And he saw the place from afar." Rabbi Pinchas said: Looking is from afar, as is written, (Psalms 80:14), "Look from the heavens and see." Seeing is up close, as is written, (Genesis 32:26), "And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh."

(15) And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee; therefore I command thee this thing to-day.