As the opening activity for the day, I had the zchut to randomly be paired with Rabbi Dr. Scott Goldberg, of the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University. . What the coordinators of the program may not have known is that I have had the benefit of Dr. Goldberg’s erudition, during my graduate studies at Azrieli. In fact, he was one of the three mentors I had chosen for my Doctoral dissertation. We were tasked to read and understand the pesukim of Parshat Zachor, to examine these passages in a way in which we could prompt students to discuss the seemingly unethical and antithetical commandment to completely obliterate the nation of Amalek. Without going into details, the purpose of this activity was more to open up to educators the notion that we need to have frank discussions with our students about G-d, our beliefs, and our acceptance of faith.
It has been almost a full year since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. The strain of this time has been felt in many ways, physically, emotionally and spiritually. For me one of the limitations was the ability to host and to visit family. Baruch Hashem, I have received the two vaccinations and while still being super cautious there is the sense that the redemption is approaching. I felt it in the huge hug I was able to give my sister in-law and brother who came to visit me on Thursday evening after a separation of over two years. We have missed being together at family gatherings for celebrations and memorials. Nevertheless, the family ties, the love and respect that bind us remains as strong, if not stronger.
So what do you talk about over a cup of coffee with your brother (who is smart, funny, brilliant and kind) whom you haven’t seen at your kitchen table in almost two years. We spoke about Amalek! We spoke about G-d. We spoke about the beauty of some of the new songs coming out of Israel composed by seemingly secular writers but embraced by the nation and sung by recognized frum artists. Permit me to share with you some of the divrei Torah my brother, Heshy Wengrow, shared with me.
Why is the reading of Zachor the only parsha that is considered to be a biblical commandment (D’Oraytah)? Why is it the only parsha that men, women and children are obligated to hear at least once a year? Wouldn’t you think that the parsha that contains the Aseret Hadibrot (The Ten Commandments) or the parsha that contains the one pasuk that every Jew knows by heart -Shma Yisrael Hashem Elokaynu, Hashem Echad, would be the parsha we are all commanded to hear, recite, listen to as a top priority, biblical commandment?
Additionally, isn’t the commandment to erase the memory of Amalek , self defeating? Do you remember the Girgashi? The Ammoni? Probably not unless you are in Navi class. But Amalek you have to forget- and therefore what happens - you remember!
Further food for thought- where in the Torah does the parsha of Amalek appear? It comes right after the commandments regarding being honest in business, having true weights and measures, not setting out to cheat or harm other people. Rashi expresses an interesting consequence for a person who consistently sets out to cheat.
אם שקרת במידות ובמשקלות הוי דואג מן גרוי האויב - If you cheat or lie with your weights and measures then you will need to worry about your enemy irritating you.
The question kind of jumps out at you - what does this all have to do with Amalek? Both the Kli Yakar and Rav Moshe Feinstein explain in a similar vein - with a parable - when a child is being carried on her father’s shoulders, she feels tall, capable, almost invincible but then asks - where is my father? She doesn’t see beneath her that it is her father who is carrying her. So the father sets her down on the ground to walk on her own two feet - and what happens? As soon as someone or something comes along which scares her - she runs back to “Tatti, Abba, Daddy”. This is exactly what happened with Bnai Yisrael at various times through their sojourn in the Midbar. Hakadosh Baruch Hu virtually carries the Jews on His shoulders - out of Mitzrayim, through the splitting of the sea, feeding them, bringing them water, shelter, comfort and yet they ask “Where is G-d ? “האם יש ה' בקרבנו. What happens next - along comes Amalek- and Bnai Yisrael run like children back to their Father to protect them.
What then is this whole parsha teaching us? The purpose of remembering Amalek is to remind us that Hashem is ALWAYS with us.
Let’s go back to the weights and measures. If a person cheats in business then in actuality that person is denying Hashem’s role in providing sustenance, economic support and protection. The consistent cheater (not the occasional person who is overwhelmed by the yetzer harah, evil inclinations, impulses) is denying G-d’s continuous presence. What is Hashem’s response to this? He sends Amalek to attack.
People tend to forget about G-d’s presence at two times - either when things are very bad or when life is very good. Let’s take a closer look then at the pesukim surrounding Zachor
(יז) זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם. (יח) אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחַרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹקִים. (יט) וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח.
The concept begins with “As you left Egypt, when you were tired and hungry” when you were at your weakest (spiritually and physically) Amalek attacked” The paragraph ends with And when you come to Israel, and you are safe and secure you must remember what Amalek has done.
Why remember at those points - because this whole mitzvah is not about remembering Amalek - it is about remembering Hashem, at all times, good, bad and in-between. .
Never forgetting the Amalek story is an active, not passive, obligation. In essence it is an active biblical commandment to ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT G-D IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT AND OMNIPRESENT - and as Jews that is the essential credo of our faith.
This “Greeting” may have been a little longer than usual - almost as long as the Galut - the exile we are in. May it be G-d’s will that we merit health, sanity and safety from our enemies, both our physical and spiritual challenges, as we remain strong in our emunah.
Have Shabbat Shalom!
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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