Short Term Memory

This week we read פרשת בשלח and the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea. Rabbi Twerski finds it mind boggling that on several occasions the Jewish people complained and asked to go back to Egypt.

How quickly could they forget the horrible treatment they had there. Hashem said He would take them out from סבלות מצרים, the suffering in Egypt. And now, when faced with various challenges, they wanted to go back there?

Aside from the difficulty of getting the Galut out of the Jewish mindset, there is another human failing.

It is so common for people to have selective, short term memory. And it is equally common to have the “What have you done for me lately” attitude.

The last thing stuck in the mind of the Jews was all of the gold and silver they received. They erased the slavery and mistreatment.

Unfortunately, this crooked way of thinking still exists today. People have a tendency of being disloyal and having selective memory. There isn’t enough הכרת הטוב, recognizing the good, and too much of the “What have you done for me lately.”

We must remember that nobody owes us anything and when a kindness is done by man, we must show gratitude. How much more so when that kindness comes from G-d. This is the lesson from Egypt. It’s time we all learn that message.