One of the things we have to remember about those who would try to murder us is that they are open about it. They say that they want to murder us. It is up to us to believe them.
Shabbat Zachor — Remembering Amalek
This Shabbat is Shabbat Zachor — the Sabbath of remembrance.
Before Purim we read the Torah commandment to remember Amalek. The question is obvious:
Why does Judaism require us to remember evil?
Wouldn’t it be healthier to forget?
The Torah is teaching that memory is not about revenge — it is about understanding reality.
The Philosophy of Amalek
Amalek was not just another enemy nation.
Amalek represented an idea.
1) “Either me or the Torah”
Amalek’s worldview was simple:
The world cannot contain both the Torah and Amalek.
The Jewish people represent meaning, morality, and Divine purpose in history.
Amalek represents the denial of meaning.
So the war is not merely physical — it is philosophical.
2) They openly say what they intend
One striking pattern in Jewish history is that our worst enemies announce their intentions.
They don’t hide it.
People often refuse to believe them — but they tell us directly.
The mitzvah of remembering Amalek teaches:
When someone declares they want to destroy you — believe them.
Jewish history repeatedly confirms this tragic lesson.
3) Chance vs. Providence
Why did Haman cast lots (Pur — the origin of Purim)?
Because Amalek believes history is random.
Everything is coincidence.
Everything is chance.
The Torah teaches the opposite:
God runs the world — even when hidden.
The heroine of Purim is Esther — from Hester Panim, Divine hiddenness.
God is not absent; He is concealed.
Read the Megillah carefully: every “coincidence” happens at the perfect moment.
History is guided — quietly.
Why Remember?
We remember Amalek on two levels:
Intellectual
So we recognize ideologies that deny morality, meaning, and responsibility in the world.
Emotional
So we have the courage to stand up to them.
The Jewish Response
At a synagogue in Tzfat, above the chair used for a brit milah, there is a memorial to Jews murdered in Europe.
Why place them together?
Because that is the Jewish answer:
You tried to end the Jewish people —
instead, we bring new Jewish life into the world.
Amalek wanted not only to kill Jews physically, but to erase Judaism spiritually —
to allow Jews to exist, but not as Jews.
Our response is the opposite:
We continue living as Jews.
We continue mitzvot.
We continue the covenant.
The Message of Shabbat Zachor
Remembering Amalek is not about hatred.
It is about clarity:
- Evil exists
- Some ideologies reject moral meaning
- History is not random
- And Jewish survival is not accidental
Shabbat Zachor reminds us:
The Jewish people survive not merely by living —
but by living as Jews.
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