Last year about this time I wrote about Purim and Shabbat Zachor. The lesson of this Shabbat is perhaps one of the most powerful lessons of our entire history — that Jews share a common fate, for better or worse, not to mention the end of world Jewry, quickly add those who seek the destruction of the State of Israel. Just as Esther mistakenly believed she could hide in the safety of the palace, we must not delude ourselves into thinking we can hide in the safety of our palace, the United States. Our enemies do not care WHERE we live — it is THAT we live. Israel, France, the United States – these to our enemies are all the same.
Paranoia? Maybe. Then again, why shouldn’t we be paranoid, given that they are all out to get us? Just listen to the actual rhetoric or visit their web sites. Vigilance — it is the price of freedom.
With an apology for repeating something I have mentioned before, let me once again explain Shabbat Zachor.
The Shabbat preceding Purim is always known as Shabbat Zachor. On this Shabbat an extra portion of the Torah is read that begins with the phrase, “Remember what Amalek did to you”. This portion is linked to Purim because the Haftorah is from 1 Samuel 15 and relates the meeting between Saul and Agag, the King of the Amalekites. Haman is described in the Book of Esther as an Agagite and thus a descendant of Amalek. Ergo the link between these two sections.
In that same portion, the 25th chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, we are commanded to remember what the Amalekites did to us on our way from Egypt to the Promised Land– how Amalek picked off the old, weak and disabled who had lagged behind the rest of Israel. At the same time we are also commanded to blot out the name of Amalek. This is precisely why we make all the noise when we hear Haman’s name mentioned during the Megillah reading.
The rabbis puzzled over this command, which appears to be contradictory, saying, “remember to forget”, and have commented that there are actually two commands here. Because Israel did not live up to its responsibility to protect ALL of the community, in a sense Israel allowed the Amalekites to kill off those in Israel who could not keep up with the rest. Israel chose to let members of the community lag behind and remain outside the community’s protection. For this Israel had to bear some responsibility for Amalek’s actions. This, then, is what we must remember, even as we strive to blot out Amalek’s name – that All Israel is Responsible For One Other.
And now back to Purim —
Even Esther’s initial response to Mordecai’s plea for help was to seek refuge under the protection of the king’s palace.
It was easier, it was safer, to NOT get involved, to NOT rise to the defense of other Jews. But Esther ultimately realized what Israel had failed to understand: that the fate of all Jews are intertwined, be they in Persia, Israel, France or right here in the state of Indiana.
B’Shalom
Rabbi Stanley Halpern