מחית עמלק דברים כה: יז-יט

(17) Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt; (18) how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that were enfeebled in thy rear, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. (19) Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget.

The Gemara raises a question: But from where do we know that this remembrance that is stated with regard to Amalek and to the Megilla involves reading it out loud from a book? Perhaps it requires merely looking into the book, reading it silently. The Gemara answers: It should not enter your mind to say this, as it was taught in a baraita: The verse states: “Remember what Amalek did to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). One might have thought that it suffices for one to remember this silently, in his heart. But this cannot be, since when it says subsequently: “You shall not forget” (Deuteronomy 25:19), it is already referring to forgetting from the heart. How, then, do I uphold the meaning of “remember”? What does this command to remember add to the command to not forget? Therefore, it means that the remembrance must be expressed out loud, with the mouth.

...זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק ... לא תשכח. I have found that the Torah divides this commandment into two halves. When the Jewish people are politically independent and strong, the part of the commandment we are obligated to fulfill is "to wipe out the memory of Amalek." When we are politically impotent we must still fulfil the part of the commandment which bids us "not to forget." One performs this part by cursing the name of Amalek and what that nation stands for.

(1) To remember what Amalek did to us: That we were commanded to remember what Amalek did to Israel - that he began to harass them when they left Egypt, before any other nation or kingdom raised their hand against them; and as the matter is stated, (Numbers 24:2) "Amalek is the first of nations." Its [Aramaic] translation (Onkelos Numbers 24:2) is "The first battle of Israel was Amalek" - because everyone was afraid of them when they heard of God's great hand that He used for them in Egypt. But the Amalekites, due to their evil hearts and evil disposition, did not turn their hearts to all of this, and harassed them [by waging war]. And as a result of this, Amalek was able to remove the great fear from the hearts of the other nations. And it is like the matter that our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, analogized it (Pesikta Rabbati 12, Midrash Tanchuma on Devarim 25:17) to the analogy to a large boiling pot that no person could enter and [then] one [individual] comes and jumps and enters it. Even though he is burnt, he cools it for others. And about the memory of their matter is it stated (Deuteronomy 25:17), "Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt."

(2) About the roots of this commandment are to put into our hearts that anyone who distresses Israel is despised in front of God, blessed be He; and that according to his evil and his great deceptive damage, will be his downfall and bad [occurrences], as you find with Amalek: That due to [the fact that] he committed a great evil to Israel - that he began to harm them - blessed be He, commanded us to 'destroy his memory from the earth' and root it out after him, until its end (see Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam, Mitzvot Ase 189)

(3) From the laws of the commandment are that which our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 18a) that the obligation of this remembrance is with the heart and with the mouth (see Sefer HaChinukh 330). As so is it in Sifrei, Parshat Bechukotai (at the beginning), "'Remember what Amalek did' - could it be with the heart? When it says 'do not forget' - behold, [this refers to] the forgetting of the heart. Behold, what is [the purpose of] 'Remember?' That it should be recited in your mouth." To here is [what is written] in Sifrei. [It is] in order to not forget the thing, lest the enmity be weakened and be removed from the hearts over the length of time.

(4) We do not know an established time in the year or the day for this remembrance with the heart and the mouth, such as we are commanded to remember the exodus from Egypt every day and every night. And the reason [for the latter] is that that remembrance is a fundamental principle of religion, and as we have spoken about this in detail in many other places in this book. But the reason for remembering what Amalek did, is only that the hatred in our hearts not be forgotten. And for this, it is enough to remember the matter once a year, or in two years, or in three years. And behold, in all the places of Israel, they read the Book of the Torah over a year, or two or three - at the very least. And behold, they fulfill this commandment with that. And perhaps we should say that the custom of Israel to read Parashat Zachor on a specific Shabbat each and every year is [as a law from the] Torah. And it is due to this commandment that they fixed it like that. And it is always the Shabbat before Purim. And the law should be to read it on Purim day, because it is from the matter of the day, since Haman the wicked was from the seed [of Amalek]; but in order to make known that before the miracle [of Purim], we were commanded in this remembrance, they fixed the [reading] before Purim. However they made it adjacent to Purim, in the way that they, may their memory be blessed, say (Berakhot 21b) in [certain] places, "they placed the matter adjacent to it."

(5) This commandment is practiced in every place and at all times, by males, because it is upon them to wage war to avenge the enemies, and not upon women. And one who transgresses this, and did not remember and recite with his mouth what Amalek did to Israel ever, has negated this positive commandment, and also transgressed the negative commandment that comes upon this - which is "do not forget,' as we will write in the negative commandments (Sefer HaChinukh 604) with God's help.

The 189th mitzvah is that we are commanded to constantly remember what Amalek did to us, i.e. to be the first to attack us [after we were redeemed from Egypt]; and to speak of it constantly; to arouse people to wage war against them and hate them, in order that it not be forgotten or the hatred towards them lessened with the passage of time.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "Remember what Amalek did to you. [Do not forget.]"

The Sifri says, "The phrase, 'Remember what Amalek did to you,' refers to doing so verbally. The phrase, 'Do not forget,' means in one's heart." This means that one should say verbally words that cause people to keep this hatred in their hearts. The Sifra says, "From the verse, 'Remember what Amalek did to you,' you might think it means in your heart. But when it says, 'Do not forget,' that means in your heart! How do we explain the commandment to 'remember?' It means to speak about it verbally." You can see how the Prophet Shmuel went about fulfilling this commandment: first he remembered them [verbally] and then commanded that they be killed. This was done when he said, "I remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people when they came up from Egypt."

(1) Not to forget what he did to us: That we have been prevented from forgetting that which Amalek did with us - meaning to say, his starting to harm us [before anyone else]. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 25:19), "do not forget." And is written in Sifrei [that] "Remember" is with the mouth [and] "do not forget" is with the heart, meaning to say do not cast down hatred of him and do not remove it from you soul, in the manner that you will forget it.

(2) About the roots of this commandment and all of its matter is written in its positive commandment in this Order (Sefer HaChinukh 603); and take if form them and quench your thirst.

(1) To blot out his seed from the world: That we were commanded to blot out the seed of Amalek and to destroy his memory from the world - male and female, old and young. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 25:19), "you shall blot out the memory (zekher) of Amalek" - as all are included in "the memory." And a great man of the generation (gadol hador) already erred in the vocalization of this word - and that was Yoav ben Tsuriah - and he left over the females from them. As many were those that did not pay careful attention when they learned this verse and Yoav jumbled [it] and read "male" (zakhar) instead of "memory" (zekher), as it comes [down] in Bava Batra 21b in the chapter [entitled] Lo Yachpor.

(2) About the roots of the commandment is the matter that we wrote in the commandment that precedes it.

(3) The laws of the commandment are short and they are elucidated in the eighth chapter of Sotah.

(4) And this is from the commandments that are incumbent upon the entire community; and like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 20b), "Three commandments were commanded to Israel at the time of their entrance to the land: to appoint themselves a king; and to build themselves the Chosen House (the Temple); and to cut off the seed of Amalek." And in truth is it that the obligation to kill them and destroy them from the world is also incumbent upon every male individual from Israel - if they have the power in their hands - in every place and at all times, if he finds one from all of their seed. And one who transgresses this, and one from the seed of Amalek [chances upon] him - and he has the wherewithal in his hand to kill him - and he does not kill him, has transgressed this positive commandment.

(1) Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over His people Israel. Therefore, listen to the LORD’s command! (2) “Thus said the LORD of Hosts: I am exacting the penalty for what Amalek did to Israel, for the assault he made upon them on the road, on their way up from Egypt. (3) Now go, attack Amalek, and proscribe all that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses!” (4) Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 men of Judah. (5) Then Saul advanced as far as the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the wadi. (6) Saul said to the Kenites, “Come, withdraw at once from among the Amalekites, that I may not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they left Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites. (7) Saul destroyed Amalek from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is close to Egypt, (8) and he captured King Agag of Amalek alive. He proscribed all the people, putting them to the sword; (9) but Saul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the second-born, the lambs, and all else that was of value. They would not proscribe them; they proscribed only what was cheap and worthless. (10) The word of the LORD then came to Samuel: (11) “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was distressed and he entreated the LORD all night long. (12) Early in the morning Samuel went to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where he erected a monument for himself; then he left and went on down to Gilgal.” (13) When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have fulfilled the LORD’s command.” (14) “Then what,” demanded Samuel, “is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?” (15) Saul answered, “They were brought from the Amalekites, for the troops spared the choicest of the sheep and oxen for sacrificing to the LORD your God. And we proscribed the rest.” (16) Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night!” “Speak,” he replied. (17) And Samuel said, “You may look small to yourself, but you are the head of the tribes of Israel. The LORD anointed you king over Israel, (18) and the LORD sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and proscribe the sinful Amalekites; make war on them until you have exterminated them.’ (19) Why did you disobey the LORD and swoop down on the spoil in defiance of the LORD’s will?” (20) Saul said to Samuel, “But I did obey the LORD! I performed the mission on which the LORD sent me: I captured King Agag of Amalek, and I proscribed Amalek, (21) and the troops took from the spoil some sheep and oxen—the best of what had been proscribed—to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” (22) But Samuel said: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As much as in obedience to the LORD’s command? Surely, obedience is better than sacrifice, Compliance than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is like the sin of divination, Defiance, like the iniquity of teraphim. Because you rejected the LORD’s command, He has rejected you as king.” (24) Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong to transgress the LORD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them. (25) Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to the LORD.” (26) But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you; for you have rejected the LORD’s command, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel.” (27) As Samuel turned to leave, Saul seized the corner of his robe, and it tore. (28) And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has this day torn the kingship over Israel away from you and has given it to another who is worthier than you. (29) Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not deceive or change His mind, for He is not human that He should change His mind.” (30) But [Saul] pleaded, “I did wrong. Please, honor me in the presence of the elders of my people and in the presence of Israel, and come back with me until I have bowed low to the LORD your God.” (31) So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul bowed low to the LORD. (32) Samuel said, “Bring forward to me King Agag of Amalek.” Agag approached him with faltering steps; and Agag said, “Ah, bitter death is at hand!” (33) Samuel said: “As your sword has bereaved women, So shall your mother be bereaved among women.” And Samuel cut Agag down before the LORD at Gilgal. (34) Samuel then departed for Ramah, and Saul went up to his home at Gibeah of Saul. (35) Samuel never saw Saul again to the day of his death. But Samuel grieved over Saul, because the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.