Parshat Zachor

Three prominent enemies of the Jewish people appear throughout the Torah but only one bears the title of eternal enemy of the Jewish people.

The מצרים enslaved us for hundreds of years. They drowned our babies and tormented our people. And yet, of them the Torah tells us לא תתעב מצרי כי גר היית בארצו and a third generation Egyptian convert may marry a girl of Jewish descent. The Egyptians fulfilled a role. אברהם was told כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם ועבדום וענו אותם. True, they went above and beyond the needed tormenting and they volunteered for a role they were not commanded to fulfill but they did what was needed. Notwithstanding the prophetic promise administered to אברהם אבינו the Jews logically posed a threat to the survival of the Egyptian people. And so, while apprehensible and punishable, the Egyptians are only our historical enemy.

The כנענים serve as a geographic antagonist. Their hatred and animosity towards the Jewish people is justified. They enjoyed living on a land that we are told is flowing with honey and milk. But geographical accidents aside, we were commanded to conquer the land of our forefathers. And so we did. The prior residents (who were actually prior residents) of the land are justified in their response. They feared for their way of life and feared the incoming invaders. But we did as God commanded and for that, while enemies, they too are but historical enemies of the Jewish people.

Amalak is fundamentally different. For no reason and without provocation they attacked.

אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָֽרְךָ֜ בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב בְּךָ֙ כׇּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣ים אַֽחֲרֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה עָיֵ֣ף וְיָגֵ֑עַ וְלֹ֥א יָרֵ֖א אֱלֹהִֽים

Amalak, our forefathers nephew and grandson, sees a tired nation. Recently freed from slavery, recently concerned about their lack of water and finally heading towards הר סיני, the moment Moshe has been fighting for since approaching Paroh with letting the Jewish people go. At this moment, Amalak chose to attack. Not only attack, they followed good strategic advice. They attacked the נחשלים אחריך, the weak walking behind.

The צרור המור writes that they did not only attack the נחשלים אחריך because they were attempting to attack the Jews at their weakest point, עמלך was not strong enough to attack the Jews head on. They had no choice but to attack the weakest.

And yet, they still attacked. There was no reason for them to attack. And they could not even succeed in a serious battle. עמלך is reprehensible because they chose to attack anyway. Their hate was blind. It made no logical sense to attack and yet they did. That is why they will forever be concerned an enemy of the Jewish people.

However we must also consider our role in this unprovoked attack. Amalak could not win in a frontal confrontation with the Jewish people but we allowed for there to be נחשלים אחריך, we allowed for the weak to be unprotected. It was a result of us not ensuring the protection of those that needed it most that Amalek was able to take advantage of us. However we learn our lesson. Soon after we will approach a mountain כאיש אחד בלב אחד, and a while later we are provided with clear guidelines of how to travel. Which שבט stands where and how we must move throughout the desert. Never again will we allow for the weak to be picked on by our enemies.

Perhaps this is the lesson of זכירת עמלק. It may even explain why we must continue a מצווה that has no practical ramifications. There is no עמלק anymore. The biblically commanded nation that we must destroy does not exist. However, the lesson from the battle remains.

That, too, is the lesson of the מצוות of Purim. Not only must we strengthen the bonds of friendship by sharing food with one another. We must also ensure the poor have what they need. Not simply the poor but the אביונים, the poorest among us. And while we are mandated to share two food items with one friend we are commanded to provide funds for at least two אביונים. The lesson of the battle of עמלק and the lesson of Purim are here to remind us that we must take care of all, especially those who are most vulnerable.