This Shabbat has a name - "Shabbat Zachor" (Remembrance Shabbat). Synagogues will be especially full this Shabbat morning, as it is a mitzvah to come and hear this annual Torah reading: "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you came out of Egypt." Here are some thoughts about Amalek for the year 5784:
* First of all, this is an annual reminder of the existence of absolute evil. I think most Israelis and Jews have long been disillusioned, but it's important to remember and remind ourselves and the world: there is good and there is evil, there is truth and there is falsehood, we cannot contain contradicting narratives, and there aren't always "two sides." When there is terror, murder, and violence - they must be destroyed. "Blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven, do not forget."
* And who is Amalek? We read these verses every year on the Shabbat before Purim, the holiday when Haman, who was a descendant of Amalek, tried to destroy us. Because Amalek does not belong to history. Absolute evil has still not disappeared. Once it was Amalek, then Haman, then Hitler, now Sinwar.
* The verses warn us that especially after we settle in the land and feel secure and tranquil, we are liable to forget this message. The quarrels between us are juicier, more available, but the Torah asks us to remember who the real enemy is that needs to be destroyed. No matter who your ideological opponent is, they are not Amalek. Distinguish between what's essential and what's secondary, between disputes between brothers and a murderous devil. Invest your energy and focus on the real enemy.
* When does Amalek show up? The Torah describes the timing when the enemy attacks: when the people are "tired and weary and do not fear God." When we are burnt out and despairing, without reverence, without identity and direction. In this sense, every active deed of joy, building, and faith is part of the victory over absolute evil.
Shabbat Shalom.
