Parshas Zachor

This week we read a special maftir that inspires us to remember what Amalek did to us, hate them, and accept upon ourselves the mitzvah of destroying the nation’s evil seed and everything it represents. Seemingly, Amalek’s unparalleled hatred for the Jewish People is so significant in Hashem’s eyes that it was deemed fitting and even necessary that such a menace be eliminated. However, according to this line of reasoning, we should have a mitzvah to kill and take vengeance on every anti-Semitic person and all his offspring. In the Torah we see many other instances of anti-Semitism, exhibited by the Egyptians, Bilaam, and nearly every other non-Jewish figure mentioned. Why do we only have a mitzvah to exterminate Amalek? What about all the other anti-Semites?
One way to answer this question, is to say that Hashem takes issue with Amalek in particular because “asher karcha ba’derech,” literally, “they happened to you on the way.” However, Rashi comments that “asher karcha ba’derech” doesn’t only mean that the Amalekites “happened” upon the Jews. “Karcha” can also mean that the Amalekites “cooled” the Jews down. Midrash Tanchuma in parshas Ci Tetzei tells the parable of a hot bath that no one dares to jump into for fear of scalding themselves. However, one man is brazen enough to jump in and, though burning himself terribly, he causes others to think that jumping into the bath may not be such a big deal after all. After yetzias Mitrayim, nobody had the slightest notion that the Jewish People were vulnerable to attack. It may be true that there were plenty of nations that hated the Jews, but G-d’s Providence was so evident that it was understood that fighting the Jewish People would be a suicide mission. Only after Amalek attacked did the other nations begin to reevaluate their positions with regards to the Jewish People. Thus, Amalek reintroduced anti-Semitism into the world. Furthermore, this was not just an anti-Semitism that the non-Jewish nations would harbor in their hearts throughout posterity. Rather, as we have seen over the last few thousand years, this was an anti-Semitism that has been activated innumerable times. The Megilla itself almost concludes with the genocide of the Jewish People due to the efforts of a descendant of Amalek. This is what makes Amalek so deserving of G-d’s vengeance until the end of time. As the cause of all the unrelenting anti-Semitism in the world, they are deserving of that very same hatred. They are responsible for every attempted genocide that has afflicted the Jewish People throughout the course of history, so we have a mitzvah to annihilate them in return.

Rav Chaim Friedlander gives a different answer . He claims that the threat of Amalek isn’t just physical. It is spiritual as well. Amalek represents the atheistic viewpoint that everything that happens in our lives is random happenstance. In Amalek’s eyes, there is no such thing as hashgacha pratis. Things just happen. Amalek “happened upon us” on our way out of Egypt. Our previous successes were like nothing in their eyes. They were just happenstance. Amalek’s attack demonstrated their opinion that everything is happenstance. This was their sincere belief and they worked desperately to spread this disgusting idea to the rest of the world. After yetzias Mitzrayim, the entire world saw the mighty hand G-d displayed in saving the Jewish People. G-d’s power was in the consciousness of every human being at that time. When Amalek attacked suddenly, they reintroduced the concept that some things are beyond Hashem’s control, has v’shalom. Such a hillul Hashem demanded severe consequences. According to Rav Friedlander, all apikorsus today stems from this attack of Amalek. This was the worse sin of Amalek above all others.

The gemara in Megilla 30a says that if Purim falls on erev Shabbos, we read parshas Zachor the preceding week. Rav, an amora, explains that the reason parshas Zachor must be read before the Megilla is because “remembrance” should take place before “doing.” The simple understanding of the gemara is that we must remember our obligation to wipe out Amalek by reading parshas Zachor before we actually annihilate Amalek through the reading of the Megilla. How does our Megilla reading wipe out Amalek? If one appreciates the hashgach pratis inherent in the Megilla he is eradicating everything Amalek stands for. Amalek sees a world without G-d. When we read the Megilla, we see a world with G-d. G-d is in control of everything in our lives and always places the remedy before the illness. Today, we are unable to identify any descendant of Amalek. Therefore, the Megilla is the most powerful tool we have for actualize this mitzvah.

May we all be zoche to completely erase Amalek and his memory in our days!!!