A Thought from the Rabbi
This Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor because of the special Torah reading that will be added after the weekly portion (VaYikra – And He Called). On the Shabbat before Purim we read the story of Amalek, the nefarious nation that attacked the Jewish people after their miraculous exodus from Egypt. The reason we read this portion on the Shabbat before Purim is because the arch villain of the Purim story, Haman, was a descendent of that accursed nation.
We learn that Amalek represents the precise opposite of the Jewish nation. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, explains why this is so. As Jews, we are commanded to approach our divine service with warmth, energy, and joy. Amalek, the eternal enemy of our people, had a very different approach to G-dliness. To understand and have context we must study the history.
The Jewish people had finally, after more than 200 years of dwelling in Egypt – ultimately becoming intensely oppressed slaves – were redeemed from servitude through a series of miracles. The Creator basically turned the laws of nature on their head so as to clearly demonstrate His Presence even in the environs of the lowly Egypt. G-d showed how He not only created the world, but He continues to be involved in the world, on a moment-by-moment basis. If G-d decrees that water should turn into blood or that hailstones should contain fire, they will.
The series of wonders led directly to the emancipation of the Children of Israel as well as the destruction of the idol worshipping religious system of the heretofore prevailing customs of the Egyptians. Not only were the oppressors judged so were their gods. The whole world witnessed or heard about this systematic destruction of Egyptian evil and came to understand that indeed the Jewish people were the ‘chosen people’ who were given a special mission to accomplish in the created universe. The world shook in terror at the awesome power demonstrated in behalf of the Jews.
And along came Amalek… The Amalakites were not fools (at least not in the way that foolishness is typically understood). They knew that the power of the Almighty was truly overpowering. However, they wanted to demonstrate the human frailty of the Jewish people – meaning they wanted to show that despite the chosen-ess of the Jews they were still (only) human and were therefore vulnerable to attack. Imagine that; they sacrificed themselves in order to show the ‘weakness’ of G-d’s chosen nation – and by association of G-d Himself!
Where does this Chutzpah come from? How can anyone be so brazen?! The Rebbe explains it comes from a deep and inner coldness. Amalek was unimpressed with G-dliness. Complacency and indifference are our enemies. Perhaps that is the most ‘chilling’ aspect of Amalek; we have an inner Amalek. And that, my friends, is our big challenge in life – to utterly vanquish that inner Amalek. How is that done? That is done by embracing Torah and Mitzvah with vim and vigor, with love and with energy! We infuse our service with passion and joy. And this divinely-mandated mission is helped along by the joyousness of Purim, when we were again saved by the Almighty from our enemies who sought to destroy us and instead were destroyed themselves.
May the joyousness of Purim influence our daily lives and prepare us for the ultimate redemption with Moshiach now!