Zachor

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor, so named because of the maftir reading we append to the regular Torah reading. The muftir reading commands, "Remember what Amalek did to you..." (Deuteronomy 25).

Who was Amalek?  What did he do?  And why are we commanded to remember him?

When the Jewish people were exiting Egypt there were suddenly attacked by an army of people under the leadership of Amalek. Ruthlessly, they cut down the weakest and most vulnerable, the aged and infirmed.  Moses, with God's intervention, stopped the attack but not before many were slain by Amalek's terror.

This was the first time in Jewish history that an unprovoked attack upon our people was thrust on us.  We were bewildered. Why did he attack? What had we done to offend? What did we do to incur his wrath?

The answer is nothing. We had the audacity to breathe.  

The reason why we are commanded to remember this event and this man is because this was the first recorded act blatant anti-Semitism. The Torah therefore commands us to never forget because the scourge of Amalek arises from generation to generation.  It should come as no surprise this Shabbat Zachor always precedes the holiday of Purim. For what reason did Haman have to want to destroy our people?  

We are painfully aware of the anti-Semitism has raged at our people throughout the centuries. Today in the aftermath of Pittsburgh and the Anti-semetic tropes of certain members of our House of representatives we understand why the command to recall Amalek's attack on the Jews in the Sinai desert is so vital.

We hold a precious Torah, a survivor from an extinct Jewish community in Czechoslovakia, in a cabinet in our hallway, a reminder of Amalek.  Soon we will restore it to its original majesty and read from its sacred script once more.  

"The people of Israel live!" Am Yisrael Chai!