Chill out, or Wipe out Amalek; Remember, it’s Our Choice
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This week is parshas Zachor. In parsahas Zachor we review the mitzvah to remember Amalek and to wipe out Amalek. The reason we read it this week, the week leading into Purim is because Haman came from Amalek. Why is this practice of remembering and wiping out reserved for Amalek and no other nation?
The only time that we actually carry out the mitzvah of physically wiping out Amalek is when there is a King.
Since right now we cannot carry out the mitzvah to wipe him out, why today do we need to know who he is by remembering, and what are we accomplishing?
As we know, this all began on our way out of Mitzrayim. Amalek was the first to start up with the Jewish nation. All the other nations were too petrified to get in our way after hearing of all the miracles of our exodus and of Krias Yam Suf. Although we didn’t do anything to harm Amalek and Amalek was not at risk, Amalek was the only one to brazenly, and at great personal risk jump in just to slow our momentum, even if a little bit, just to cool us off. Rashi brings the example of a burning hot tub of water that no one would enter. One person jumped in, got burned but cooled off the tub and then made it cooler for others to enter. So too, the actions of Amalek led other nations to attack us as well.
In our lives Amalek represents an irrational motivation to cool us off and cover over our excitement and inspiration for G-dliness. This then has a pervasive effect on our ability and power to act, and creates new adversaries in revealing G-dliness in this world. In general, our good inclination wants to use our love and fear in the service of Hashem. Our bad inclination tries to trick us into subverting our love and fear into worldly and petty pursuits. When we fall and make mistakes, we have a voice that calms us down and tells us that we are ok, and that we are good Jews even if we do things that are wrong. We quietly compare ourselves to others, and take solace thinking; “I’m better than you”.
Other times we convince our selves that no one will know. It’s not true! The next day it shows up in our behavior in the way that we walk, talk and act. We can’t really cover up 100 percent. People pick it up in the nuances of our behavior. When it reaches a certain point, a person realizes and regrets, then he wants to do teshuva. It becomes an auspicious time to come closer to Hashem and make changes for the good.
Amalek had a very different mindset and therefore went about in a different way. He knew he couldn’t get away with it but he still tried. Any calculation or consideration was irrelevant to him. It says that Amalek knew his master and intended to rebel. The spiritual Amalek knows what to do, he learned and understands and just flat out refuses to comply. It’s just as it was on the way out of Mitzrayim.
This attitude can show up in many different ways. Someone can see a miracle; something where the hashgacha is so clear and overwhelming that saying that it’s just by chance is silly. Nevertheless he will through a wrench in, just because. If the miracle is in health, he’ll give the doctor credit. If it’s in business he’ll say it’s the accountant.
There is another who will not deny the miracle at all but will nevertheless infuse the event with coolness. It can be the exodus or the splitting of the sea or a person that was saved. He will say; “Who did it? Hashem! For Hashem that’s not a big deal, He is capable of doing anything”
The point is, is that no matter what, Amalek has no scruples! He doesn’t care what it is. That’s immaterial; what matters to him is only to cool down the situation and to minimize anything and everything.
Who is the most vulnerable to fall prey to this attitude? It’s the one who went through the system without internalizing what he learned; it was just information. The greatest way to prevent Amalek from entering comes from internalizing and living what we learn into the way that we do mitzvos daven and act. (See last weeks article).
We become amazed and inspired by stories of tzaddikim and the wonders that they bring about. These fellows say: Sure, that’s what tzaddikim are, why are you so excited. They have the same attitude for a hidur mitzvah or mivtzoyim or etc.
If we fall prey to regular desires there is room for discussion. We can convince ourselves as well as others to abandon them for something better. For Amalek, there’s no one to talk to and there’s nothing to talk about. Just remember. Remember that it’s there, and it needs to be irradiated, and that’s it. That’s the mitzvah of parshas Zachor for each person in his or her way.
The essential point here is that Amalek is against G-dliness. The Medresh says that if we remember Amalek and if we deal with it then we are from the children of Avraham Avinu. What is the connection between wiping out Amalek and being children of Avraham? Because wiping out Amalek requires humility. Avraham had humility, he said, “I am ashes and dust" To wipe out Amalek requires acknowledging miracles, not just in the past, but nowadays as well. It also requires admitting that I have this attitude within. When we remember and confront the Amalek within, we can then set out to do our job, the purpose for our being in this world, to do the work of Avraham Avinu to reveal G-dliness in everything. By eradicating the Haman/Amalek of 5774-2014, we will merit the immediate revelation of Moshiach Now!
