Memory or Baggage? The Sacred Duties of Remembering Amalek Shabbat Zachor 2016

8) Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9) So Moses said to Joshua, "Pick men for us, and go out and fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." 10) Joshua did as Moses had told him, to fight against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur ascended to the top of the hill. 11) It came to pass that when Moses would raise his hand, Israel would prevail, and when he would lay down his hand, Amalek would prevail. 12) Now Moses hands were heavy; so they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one from this side, and one from that side; so he was with his hands in faith until sunset. 13) Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14) The Lord said to Moses, "Inscribe this as a memorial in the book, and recite it into Joshua's ears, that I will surely obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens." 15) Then Moses built an altar, and he named it "The Lord is my miracle." 16) And he said, "For there is a hand on the throne of the Eternal, that there shall be a war for the Lord against Amalek from generation to generation."

17) You shall remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you went out of Egypt, 18) how he happened upon you on the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God.19) Therefore, it will be, when the Lord your God grants you respite from all your enemies around you in the land which the Lord, your God, gives to you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!

(1) "And the entire congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the desert of Sin … and they encamped in Refidim": (homiletically,) "rafu yadam" ("their hands weakened") in words of Torah. And because Israel grew lax in Torah, Amalek attacked them, for the foe comes only as the result of sin and transgression.

3) It is written (Ex. 20:8) "Remember (Zachor) the day of Sabbath to sanctify it." We might think, remember in your heart. But later the Torah writes, "Observe (Shamor) the Sabbath day to keep it holy" - observance in the heart is already stated. How, then, are we to understand Remember? That you repeat it with your mouth. Similarly, we read "Remember (Zachor) what Amalek did to you." I might think, remember in your heart. But verse 19 writes, "Do not forget," heart-forgetfulness is already stated. How, then, are we to understand Remember? That you repeat it with your mouth.