(ח) הִשָּׁ֧מֶר בְּנֶֽגַע־הַצָּרַ֛עַת לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹ֖ד וְלַעֲשׂ֑וֹת כְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־יוֹר֨וּ אֶתְכֶ֜ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים הַלְוִיִּ֛ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִ֖ם תִּשְׁמְר֥וּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (ט) זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֛ה ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ לְמִרְיָ֑ם בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ {ס}
(8) In cases of a skin affection be most careful to do exactly as the levitical priests instruct you. Take care to do as I have commanded them. (9) Remember what your God ה׳ did to Miriam on the journey after you left Egypt.
(יז) לֹ֣א תַטֶּ֔ה מִשְׁפַּ֖ט גֵּ֣ר יָת֑וֹם וְלֹ֣א תַחֲבֹ֔ל בֶּ֖גֶד אַלְמָנָֽה׃ (יח) וְזָכַרְתָּ֗ כִּ֣י עֶ֤בֶד הָיִ֙יתָ֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ֛ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ מִשָּׁ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃ {ס}
(17) You shall not subvert the rights of the stranger or the fatherless; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pawn. (18) Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that your God ה׳ redeemed you from there; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment.
(יז) זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ עֲמָלֵ֑ק בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (יח) אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָֽרְךָ֜ בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב בְּךָ֙ כׇּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣ים אַֽחֲרֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה עָיֵ֣ף וְיָגֵ֑עַ וְלֹ֥א יָרֵ֖א אֱלֹקִֽים׃
(17) Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt— (18) how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear.
These are three of the Shisha Zechirot, the Six Remembrances. The full list:
(א)זכירת יציאת מצרים(ב)לְמַֽעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְ֒ךָ מֵאֶֽרֶץ מִצְרַֽיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּֽיךָ: (ג)זכירת מעמד הר סיני(ד)רַק הִשָּֽׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁ֒ךָ מְאֹד פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת הַדְּ֒בָרִים אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶֽיךָ וּפֶן יָסֽוּרוּ מִלְּ֒בָבְ֒ךָ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּֽיךָ, וְהוֹדַעְתָּם לְבָנֶֽיךָ וְלִבְנֵי בָנֶֽיךָ: יוֹם אֲשֶׁר עָמַֽדְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֺקֶֽיךָ בְּחֹרֵב: (ה)זכירת מחיית עמלק(ו)זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק, בַּדֶּֽרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְ֒כֶם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם: אֲשֶׁר קָרְ֒ךָ בַּדֶּֽרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ, וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵֽעַ, וְלֺא יָרֵא אֱלֺקִים: וְהָיָה בְּהָנִֽיחַ ה׳ אֱלֺקֶֽיךָ לְךָ, מִכָּל אֹיְ֒בֶֽיךָ מִסָּבִיב, בָּאָֽרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֺקֶֽיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ, תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵֽכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם, לֺא תִּשְׁכָּח: (ז)זכירת מעשה העגל(ח)זְכֹר אַל תִּשְׁכַּח אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִקְצַֽפְתָּ אֶת ה׳ אֱלֺקֶֽיךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר: (ט)זכירת מעשה מרים(י)זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ אֱלֺקֶֽיךָ לְמִרְיָם, בַּדֶּֽרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְ֒כֶם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם: (יא)זכירת השבת(יב)זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּ֒שׁוֹ:
(1)The Exodus (2) ...in order that you remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. (3)The Revelation at Mount Sinai (4) Only beware, and guard you soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen; lest they be removed from your heart all the days of your life; and make them known to your children and to your children’s children. [That what you witnessed] the day you stood before Adonai your God at Horeb. (5)The Attack of Amalek (6) Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, as you came out of Egypt! How he encountered you on the way, and he cut off all the weak ones [who were straggling] behind you, when you were weary and exhausted; and he did not fear God. When Adonai, Your God, will relieve you from all your enemies around you, in the land which Adonai, your God, gives you as a possession to inherit; you shall eradicate the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens. Do not forget. (7)The Sin of the Golden Calf (8) Remember, do not forget, how you provoked Adonoy, Your God, in the desert. (9)What Happened to Miriam (10) Remember what Adonoy, your God, did to Miriam on the way, when you came out of Egypt. (11)The Sabbath (12) Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.
What theme might connect the three in this parsha?
Yehoshua Kanarek, "The Zechirot of Ki Teitzei"I heard from Rabbi Daniel Fridman that each Zechirah enables us to internalize, and ultimately, practice, a critical lesson. In Megillat Esther, the key reason given for attempting to eradicate the Jews was the fact that they were “Mefuzar UMeforad” (Esther 3:8). They were a scattered and dispersed nation. The turning point in the whole story is when Ester gathers the nation together to fast, Leich Kenos Et Kol HaYehudim. From that point on, things only get better, as we well know. The very same thing applies to Amalek’s attack of the Jews in the desert. The reason they were able to attack us was because even then we were, to some extent, “Mefuzar U’Meforad.” Had we been united, there would have been no stragglers to attack. We left the weakest amongst us vulnerable to the attacks of a brutal and cynical adversary.
(ח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָמָן֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ יֶשְׁנ֣וֹ עַם־אֶחָ֗ד מְפֻזָּ֤ר וּמְפֹרָד֙ בֵּ֣ין הָֽעַמִּ֔ים בְּכֹ֖ל מְדִינ֣וֹת מַלְכוּתֶ֑ךָ וְדָתֵיהֶ֞ם שֹׁנ֣וֹת מִכׇּל־עָ֗ם וְאֶת־דָּתֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֵינָ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים וְלַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֵין־שֹׁוֶ֖ה לְהַנִּיחָֽם׃
(8) Haman then said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people, scattered and dispersed among the other peoples in all the provinces of your realm, whose laws are different from those of any other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; and it is not in Your Majesty’s interest to tolerate them.
Kanarek views these remembrances as instructions towards making sure we never leave the marginalized behind, especially the most vulnerable of the Jewish community. Are there other ways to interpret this too?
Kanarek (ibid.)As members of the nation that were once Geirim, who have been attacked so many times, we must, above all, try and emulate Hashem’s nature by protecting those most likely to be marginalized. As he clothes the naked, and visits the sick, and comforts the mourners, so must we (Sotah 14a). And, as the triad of Zechirot in Ki Teitzei illustrate, this is a lesson surely worth remembering.