Pemikiran Yahudi Bilangan 10:10: Akeidat Yitzchak & Kuzari

Man's activities are divided into three categories. 1) Natural, involuntary activities, not subject to teaching, training and memory. Examples are our heartbeat, digestion etc. All these activities are carried on whether man is awake or asleep, none require an act of memory to activate them. When David exclaims "I have forgotten to eat" (Psalms 102,5) this is, of course, merely an exaggeration, expressing the thought that the body no longer functions properly. 2) Activities which result from education, instructions and may be either in agreement with or in opposition to man's natural urges and tendencies. These activities are subject to memory. As we say in Avot chapter 4, there are four categories of students, "some learn easily but forget just as easily." 3) Activities based on man's character traits. Kindness, excitability, generosity etc. are examples of such activities. These latter activities are subject to memory in the early stages of their development, but eventually become ingrained, i.e. like second nature. Once such activities have been fully developed, they are no longer subject to prompting, but occur from force of habit. "If I forget you Jerusalem may I forget my right hand," is an example of such an activity. (Psalms 137,5) Properly attuned, we cannot forget Jerusalem any more than we can forget our right hand. Isaiah 49, 16, has G-d saying "I have inscribed you on My right hand,your walls are always present in My thoughts". Or, (Psalms 77, 10) "Has G-d forgotten to show pity?" Reversal of acquired habits and traits can therefore only be due to one of the following three reasons A) impotence. B) Amnesia C) Change of mind and will. Since categories A and B can obviously not be applied to G-d, David raises the question whether G-d’s change of mind will persist forever. (Psalms 77,9)

5) When G-d refers to "when I see it... I will remember," this is strange. Surely He does not require these memory joggers in all His perfection.

27. The Rabbi: This is true when action is impossible. Man is free in his endeavours and work. But he deserves blame who does not look for visible reward for visible work. For this reason it is written: 'Ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets, and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God (Numbers 10:9) . . . They shall be to you for a memorial (Numbers 10:10) . . . A memorial of blowing of trumpets' (Leviticus 23:24). God need not be reminded, but actions must be perfect to claim reward. Likewise must the ideas of the prayers be pronounced in the most perfect way to be considered as prayer and supplication. Now if thou bringest intention and action to perfection thou mayest expect reward. This is popularly expressed by reminding, and 'the Tōrāh speaks in the manner of human beings.' If the action is minus the intention, or the intention minus the action, the expectation [for reward] is lost, except in impossible things. It is, however, rather useful to show the good intention if the deed is impossible, as we express this in our prayer: 'On account of our sins have we been driven out of our land.' This sacred place serves to remind men and to stimulate them to love God, being a reward and promise, as it is written: 'Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and embrace the dust thereof' (Psalms 102:14 sq.). This means that Jerusalem can only be rebuilt when Israel yearns for it to such an extent that they embrace her stones and dust.