How does our past inform our present and future?
My sense is that people like the idea that we have conscious control of our actions, that we can act with intention. At the same time, it is clear to me that our past (including our families of origin), our experiences, and our DNA all influence our thoughts and behaviors in the present.
One central trauma the Israelites experience as they wander the desert is the nation of Amalek killing the slowest walkers in the back, including the elderly, the weak, and the sick. In the face of that tragedy, God instructs the Israelites to never forget the actions of Amalek.
It is a Jewish act to remember the past. I would argue it is equally our duty to do the opposite of Amalek: to care especially for the elderly, the weak, and the sick. In so doing, we can respond to the events of our past with kindness in the present.
Rabbi Avi Fine