It is a Jewish custom during the month of Adar to read four special portions, in addition to the weekly Torah portion, that relate to the themes of the season: Shekalim, Zachor, Para, and Hahodesh. Each carries a unique message.
Particular care is taken with the reading of parashat Zachor, written at the end of parashat Ki Tetze and dealing with the commandment to remember the deed of Amalek. This reading takes place on the Shabbat preceding Purim, when we read the Book of Esther, which describes the destruction of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, a descendant of Amalek.
Throughout history, the Jewish nation has faced many enemies who sought to harm it, annihilate it, or impose harsh decrees on it. Amalek, however, represents a different kind of evil – one that made it the most dangerous enemy, to the extent that the Torah defines the struggle against it as an ongoing war. As the verse states:
“For a hand is on the throne of the Lord: the Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16).
Rashi comments on the obligation to wage war against Amalek:
“The hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, was raised to swear by His throne that He will have eternal war and enmity with Amalek. Why is ‘throne’ written incompletely, and the Divine Name divided? The Holy One, blessed be He, swore that His Name is not complete and His throne is not complete until the name of Amalek is entirely erased.”
These sharp words require reflection. Who is this Amalek, and what does remembering it mean for us today? To understand this, we must examine the unique method of action that Amalek introduced, as it is described:
“‘Who happened upon you on the way’ – an expression of cold and heat: he cooled you and made you lukewarm from your boiling fervor. All the nations feared to wage war against you, and this one came and began and showed others the way. It is like a boiling bath into which no creature can descend; a scoundrel came and jumped in.
Although he was scalded, he cooled it for others” (Rashi on Deuteronomy 25:18).
From here comes the well-known expression “to cool the bath.” The first person who dares to challenge conventions and break barriers of principles and values may pay a personal price, but he opens the door for others. When such undermining leads to heresy, loss of identity, and erosion of morality, the danger is especially profound.
But from where did Amalek draw such audacity? How did it dare attack a people that had just left Egypt amid manifest miracles?
The sages explain that Amalek’s strength does not stem from its own power but from an inner weakness within Israel:
“‘Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.’ Rephidim alludes to weakness of hands, for they slackened in their engagement with Torah and mitzvot; therefore, the enemy came upon them, for the enemy comes only because of sin” (Mechilta of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai).
Amalek exploits moments of spiritual weakness. Therefore, the way to overcome it is through spiritual action. The Mishna describes the struggle as follows:
“‘And it was that when Moses raised his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed’ (Exodus 17:11). Do Moses’ hands wage war or break war? Rather, to teach you that whenever Israel looked upward and subjugated their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed; and if not, they fell” (Rosh Hashanah 3:8).
Power of Haman did not arise in a vacuum
In the days of Mordechai and Esther as well, the power of Amalek – in the form of Haman – did not arise in a vacuum but was enabled by the conduct of the Jewish people itself. The participation of Jews in the feast of Ahasuerus and their enjoyment of mingling with the surrounding culture symbolized an internal weakening of identity and distinctiveness. When attachment to Torah and mitzvot weakens, and the desire to assimilate among the nations intensifies, a door opens to forces that seek to undermine the existence of the Jewish people.
Indeed, the moment the Jewish people strengthens itself, increasing prayer and once again accepting the Torah with love, reality is transformed: Haman’s power is nullified, and Mordechai and Esther rise to greatness.
In the era of the global village, the temptation to assimilate and to be “like all the nations” is stronger than ever. But a Jew does not have the privilege of forgetting who he is. History – including the Holocaust – has painfully proven that many Jews who sought to blend in discovered that the world did not relinquish their Jewish identity, even if they had.
The commandment to remember Amalek is not a call for revenge but a call for self-preservation, to close the breach that might present an opportunity to any “Amalek” to infiltrate. It is an eternal reminder of how much Judaism demands responsibility and steadfast commitment. One can and must be a light unto the nations, influence for good, and radiate kindness – yet always preserve and protect our values, our distinctiveness, and our identity.
The writer is the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.
PARASHAT ‘TETZAVEH’
RABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ