If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you; if I don't prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, "Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!" Psa 137:5-7
This is one of my favorite Hebrew songs based on this psalm, sung by one of my favorite Hebrew singers Ben Snof:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8aal-gveRY&list=FLSsqPp8sKGHvCgQt74j0YnA&index=51 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8aal-gveRY&list=FLSsqPp8sKGHvCgQt74j0YnA&index=51)
I wanted to share what comes to my mind as I meditate on the fact that God will not forget those who are his, even in the darkest of times. I will do this by examining some Hebrew words that share the root זך.
The marriage root זך conveys the action of something that is cleared from murkiness. It is used to describe the process by which olive oil for the temple Menorah was made זך. (See Exodus 27:20). The olives were crushed, and the resulting pulp was scooped into wicker baskets. The lightest oil would be collected from the runoff into stone vats. After a few days, the clear oil would separate and rise to the top of the other murky liquid.
(https://hardcoremesorah.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/olive-press-capernaum.jpg)
This clear oil was called 'pure' or זך. It is referring to the murkiness of the olive oil being separated so that the oil is free from it and thus clear.
This concrete action described what is known today as 'to remember'. 'Remember' in Hebrew is זכר. To remember is to have a thought that is not murky, but clear in the mind, and thus remembered. If one does not remember something, we sometimes refer to those thoughts as being 'foggy'. So, we could say that, to remember something is to have a mind that is not foggy. The 'pure' olive oil used in temple worship likewise could be said to be not foggy.
זכה is a word that expresses the idea of someone who is cleared of wrongdoing, or who is pure in character. They are not foggy.
He will remember, and like olive oil, even though the process must come through being crushed, so in our crushing we are not forgotten, and in the end, only what is pure will remain.
So beautiful Thank you Ronen !!! :HeartThrob: Such wonderful things to think upon :dsunny: