Parshas Zachor- REMEMBER

This Shabbos, we read Parshos Zachor in addition to the weekly Sedra. We have a Torah obligation to remember what Amalek did to us as we were leaving Mitzraim. Why is this incident so critical and important that we have a specific commandment never to forget the event? After all, this was not the last time that Klal Yisrael would be attacked by an enemy! So why such a stress of importance here by Amalek?

Rashi equates the act of Amalek's attack to someone who jumps into a bath of scorching hot water, cooling it off for everyone else. So this seems this answer the question of why we have a specific commandment by the nation of Amalek. But a question has been lingering in my mind about this, and today, with Hashem's help, I came across an answer. The question is as follows: True, Amalek cooled off the water for everyone else. But at the same time, didn't they get badly burned? We know that Bnei Yisrael defeated Amalek triumphantly in this war. While they may have cooled it off for others, Amalek themselves were burned by the boiling hot water. Generally, the Torah has mercy on even the most evil of people if they suffer. We do not recite Hallel throughout Pesach as a way of showing that we should not celebrate when our enemy was drowned in the sea as a result. When it comes to punishing someone who stole an animal, the different payment penalties that he is sentenced to is based upon what kind of an animal he stole. For an ox, he pays five times its value, but for a sheep he only pays four times its value. Why the discrepancy? Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said, "Come and see how much God cares about the dignity of human beings!" Because an ox moves by virtue of its own legs, a thief pays five times the original value. Whereas for a lamb, because the thief must carry it on his shoulders, the punishment is only four times the original value. So we see that the Torah has mercy on those who have to suffer, whether physically or mentally, not matter how evil they may be. Yet, we do not see this mercy on Amalek. Just the opposite, we condemn and scold them for "cooling off the boiling water."

Rav Schaefer, Shlita, founder of the famous "The Shmooze" provides us with a beautiful answer to this question. When Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, they were the "untouchables." Everyone was afraid of them, and no one would ever entertain the idea of laying a finger on them. And then along came big bad Amalek. Yes, they themselves got burned. But we have no mercy on them, as they did this because they were willing to "take a hit" for the bad guys. They knew that someone had to jump in head first, and they were willing to make this sacrifice to help other nations attack the Jews later on. I think we can compare this to the Japanese "Kamikaze" airpilots in World War II, who would load their fighter jets with explosives and deliberately suicide crash them into large enemy targets. Or how about the suicide bombers, both in our Homeland and in other countries, who have brought a terrifying new method of warfare into the world. We have no mercy for such people. Amalek, while they themselves got hurt, took away the "untouchable" aura that was upon Bnei Yisrael. It made the other nations think "well should I, or shouldn't I?" Amalek brought doubt, the possibility of maybe crossing the line, into the world. It is no coincedence then, that Amalek is the same gematria, numerical value, of the word Safek, doubt.

Doubt is the antithesis of Emunah, faith. As Jews, our whole lives are based upon unfaltering, unconditional faith in Hashem (ideally). Amalek is the exact opposite of what we want in our lives. We do not want doubt. We want our neshamos to remain untouchable. Once we entertain that possibility, that maybe, we begin to fall in the wrong mindset. That is the Amalek inside each and every one of us that we have a positive commandment to wipe out and eradicate. There are no Amelakites running around to destroy. Right now, the battle is within. An internal struggle. And if we give in to the media, the billboards, and the pop culture, then sadly, we are losing the battle. Looking at such things, even if we do not necessarily accosiate with them, brings that POSSIBILTITY, the doubt, into fruition. My dear friends, everytime we give in to our desires and bring that doubt to the surface, we are not just hurting ourselves. We are jumping into that pot of boiling hot water! And who are we cooling it off for? Our fellow Jews, Rachmana Ltzlan! May we all be zoche at this extremely holy time of year to recognize Amalek within us and erase it from our midst.