Nostalgia Takes Us Back - and Propels Us Forward

Towards the end of the Parshat Ki Teitzei, there are a few Mitzvot in succession that instruct us to consider the plight of the Ger Yatom and Almanah: the stranger, orphan and widow. First the Torah tells us to be careful to treat these people with extra sensitivity when dealing with them in a court of law. Then the Torah instructs us that whatever gleanings are forgotten in the field, they should be given to the ger yatom and almanah:  people who were faced with challenges above and beyond what others had to surmount. In both cases the torah gives the same reason for these two mitzvot (and utilizes the same language:

Vezacharta kee eved hayita b’eretz Mitzrayim; al kein Anochi metzavecha laasot et hadavar hazeh.

Many commentators explain that since we were slaves in Egypt we know how it feels. And even though we are now free men and perhaps are even successful businessmen with slaves/ servants of our own, we must never forget where we come from and have empathy- for we know what it’s like to be in trying circumstances.

But if that is the case, why must the Torah specify a command to remember. Why not just say: “Treat these underprivileged people, for you too were underprivileged at one time” Why a specific command of Vezacharta to remember? Furthermore, the first time that this reason is suggested, the Torah adds another element: Vayifdecha Hashem Elokecha Misham.- We must remember not only that we were slaves, but that G-d redeemed us from Egypt. How does this aspect fit in to the lesson of empathy?

I believe that in addition to empathy the Torah is teaching us the positive power of nostalgia. Life can get hectic. Over time consistency can turn into rote which can turn into a humdrum existence. We begin to lose sight of what our passions and goals were, why we went into this profession or how smitten we were with our spouse when we were dating, or the pure joy and love we felt when we held our children for the first time as newborns. We forget what it’s all about. So the Torah gives us a suggestion: Remember from where you came; the joy and love that you felt when G-d redeemed you from Egypt. This nostalgia will help propel you to do the right thing as it relates to those less fortunate. And it will also make you a happier and more contented individual.

As we travel through the last month of the Hebrew calendar and prepare for the New Year let us remember the benefits of nostalgia. Let us tap into those memories of the past that can be comforting, heartwarming and inspire us to greater heights in the future.