The command to remember

Shabbat Zachor (Sabbath of Remembrance) is the Shabbat that immediately precedes Purim. On this Shabbat, we conclude the weekly Torah reading with an additional reading, usually from a second Torah scroll from Deuteronomy 25:17-19, which describes the attack of Amalek shortly after the Israelites under the leadership of Moses left Egyptian slavery.[1] Moses commands the people to remember Amalek: “Remember what the Amalekites did to you on the way when you left Egypt weary and worn out from your journey. They attacked all lagging in the rear, without fear of God.”

Amalek’s act was abhorrent, disgusting, and inhuman, and the Torah instructs Jews to remember. And we do so always, especially on Shabbat Zachor. Why should we remember Amalek?

Zachor is used in different ways

The Hebrew verb zachor, “remember,” appears 169 times in the Torah. What action does it require of us?

Sometimes, Zachor may appear insignificant, such as when the Bible states in three verses in Genesis that God remembered Noah, Abraham and his nephew Lot, and the matriarch wife of Jacob, Rachel.

At other times, it seems significant, even exceptionally so, when it tells us to treat strangers as we want them to treat us because “we must remember that we were strangers in Egypt.” Also, when it states, “Remember the days of old,” “Remember what Amalek did,” and “Remember the seventh day to keep it holy.”

But with a bit of thought, we will come to realize that each instance of its appearance in the Bible is a religious obligation for Jews, and each is significant.

Once we recall Maimonides’s teaching in his Guide for the Perplexed, whenever the Torah states that God did something, we should understand that God was not the immediate cause. The act is attributed to God because God created the laws of nature, which was the direct cause. Thus, we should understand that when the Torah states that God remembered our ancestors, it is saying that when God created the laws of nature, He arranged that they would help people if they learned how to use them properly.

This is why we thank God for our food and the many other things God provided.

The difference between remembering and history

Memory is personal. It is something we keep in our minds. History is recollections we place in books. We put history books on our shelves, forgetting about them or referring to them when needed. Being required to remember compels us never to forget.

What is the Torah telling us to learn from the Amalek attack?

A friend once asked me, “Are we required to hate Amalek, the Nazis, Hamas, and all groups that threaten Jews?” I replied, “No. We should never hate. Hatred hurts the person it is directed at and the person who does the hating.”

The proper behavior in all instances is to treat others as you want them to treat you.

This is the message of Shabbat Zachor. Amalek attacked the weary Israelites because of hatred. Jews must remember that this hatred led to the loss of lives. We need to keep this lesson in mind always and never hate others.

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[1] No proof exists of when the practice of Shabbat Zachor started, but it is clear that it is not biblical. There is no requirement to use a second scroll. It is used when the congregation does not want to take the time to roll the Torah scroll from the weekly portion in Exodus to Deuteronomy.