Shabbat Zachor - national remembrance day
and a study day of the roots of anti-Semitism and its consequences
Parshah and its realization - Parshat Vayikra - Zachor - and the war of the 'Iron Swords' 5784
Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald
Dedicated to the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.
Antisemitism and the hatred towards Israel are a unique phenomenon. It has no equal in the relationship between other nations. It is not like "xenophobia". This is a fundamental attack against the Jewish people just because of who they are: their existence as a special people in the family of nations, with a special religion and culture. A small nation that reaches unique achievements and influences world culture in a non-forceful way. Unlike other nations, it manages to survive despite all the attempts to destroy it. Anti-Semitism does not need anything concrete besides to generate it.
The phenomenon of anti-Semitism influenced the history of the Jewish people more than any other human factor. The anti-Semitic indoctrination demonized the Jews, blackened their image, and blamed them for all the bad things that happened in their area. It created a delegitimization of the Jewish people's right to exist, and a justification for harming them to the point of destruction. As it was in the terrible holocaust.
Many have tried to understand the roots of the phenomenon with human logic. To understand what generates and fuels it to such heights. They tried to give it a psychological and sociological explanation and came up empty handed. During the exile the Jews were helpless against the manifestations of anti-Semitism. Some were afraid to blame the anti-Semitic motive itself and preferred to blame the Jews’ way of conduct as the reason that brought it on. 'Blaming the victim', for the aggression against himself. Some believed that they would lower the level of anti-Semitism if they tried to please and be liked, and to a certain extent they would even justify the violent outbursts against them. Others believed that blurring Jewish identity markers, or adopting the local culture would achieve the goal, and were deceived.
The Zionist movement believed that taking the Jews out of the exile, and establishing a Jewish state, would reduce friction, eliminate anti-Semitism, and protect the Jews. We were blessed with the miracle of the establishment of the State of Israel, but anti-Semitism exists and is intensifying, and has taken on a modern, up-to-date form, from hatred of Jews to hatred of Israel and BDS.
The brutal anti-Semitic massacre and rape on Shabbat Simchat Torah, taught those who still needed it, that the conflict with our Arab enemy is not only territorial; it is motivated by anti-Semitism that strives to destroy us. These are also the intentions of conventional and nuclear Iran. Global anti-Semitism also tries to keep and support our Arab enemy in Gaza, and in general, as its 'front post'.
In relation to this conflict, we recognize as well, the same reactions, of 'blaming the victim', and trends of 'containment' and ‘pleasing’ out of an illusion that it will reduce the scope of the phenomenon. Thank G-d, since the establishment of the state, we have been able to defend ourselves against attempts at physical harm motivated by anti-Semitic motives.
'Shabbat Zachor' is kind of a ‘national remembrance day’, a study day of the historical roots of the anti-Semitic phenomenon and its consequences. We read in the Torah about the commandment to remember Amalek's severe harm to the people of Israel, close to its ascension as a nation on the stage of history:
זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ עֲמָלֵ֑ק בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָֽרְךָ֜ בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב בְּךָ֙ כָּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣ים אַֽחַרֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה עָיֵ֣ף וְיָגֵ֑עַ ...
"Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt— how … he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear… (Devarim 25:17-18). Amalek came from afar to destroy the people of Israel. He had no reason, no previous conflict, no territorial, no financial, and no security threat. He had an anti-Semitic opposition, in principle, to the existence of the nation of Israel, because of its uniqueness. This should be remembered and reminded of as a lesson for generations, and not to delude ourselves.
The Mitzvah of remembrance is the foundation for the war with Amalek:
היא שצונו לזכור מה שעשה לנו עמלק בהקדימו להרע לנו, ולשנוא אותו בכל עת ועת ונעורר הנפשות במאמרים להלחם בו ונזרז העם לשנוא אותו עד שלא תשכח המצוה ולא תחלש שנאתו ותחסר מהנפשות עם אורך הזמן.
"That is that He commanded us to remember what Amalek did to us in its coming forward to do us evil, to hate it at all times, to arouse the spirits with statements to fight with it and to make the nation alacritous to hate it - such that the commandment not be forgotten with [the passing of] so much time.” (Rambam -Sefer HaMitzvot -Positive Commandments 189)
The war against Amalek is a punishment for his actions, and is intended to deter potential enemies:
כי הכונה האלקית היתה בזה ללקיחת הנקמה ממה שעשה עמלק לישראל בדרך בצאתם ממצרים… למען ייראו הבאים מעשות כדבר הרע הזה
“Because the divine intent was to take revenge for what Amalek had done to Israel on the way out of Egypt… so that those who came after would see and stop doing evil things”. (Ralbag on I Shmuel 15:6)
The war against Amalek is an essential part of ‘national security' and the deterrence of the kingdom from its inception. It is intended to be the first commandment of a king in Israel:
ג' מצות נצטוו ישראל בכניסתן לארץ להעמיד להם מלך ולהכרית זרעו של עמלק ולבנות להם בית הבחירה
“Three mitzvot were commanded to the Jewish people upon their entrance into Eretz Yisrael, which apply only in Eretz Yisrael: They were commanded to establish a king for themselves, and to cut off the seed of Amalek in war, and to build the Chosen House, i.e., the Temple in Jerusalem” (Sanhedrin 20b)
שלש מצות - להכי נקט שלש הללו שהן תלויות זו בזו לעשותן כסדרן
"He chose these three that are dependent on each other to do them in this specific order" (Rashi ibid.)
The Haftarah is about missing out on the historical opportunity of erasing Amalek and creating deterrence, at the beginning of the reign of Saul, the first king:
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ ה' צְבָא֔וֹת פָּקַ֕דְתִּי אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂ֥ה עֲמָלֵ֖ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁר שָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בַּעֲלֹת֖וֹ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת עֲמָלֵ֗ק...
"Thus said Hashem: 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. Now go, attack Amalek…” (I Shmuel 15:2-3)
However, Saul misses the opportunity and does not fulfill the Mitzvah in its entirety as he leaves the Amalekite king alive:
וַיַּחְמֹל שָׁא֨וּל וְהָעָ֜ם עַל אֲגָ֗ג וְעַל מֵיטַ֣ב הַצֹּאן֩ וְהַבָּקָ֨ר...
"but Saul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the cattle …” (Ibid 9).
This was a failure in his royal leadership and not a personal failure, and therefore, unlike David, he was not allowed to repent, and the kingship was taken from him:
כי חטא שאול היה בעניני המלוכה וחטא דוד לא היה בענין המלוכה … דוד חטא באשר הוא אדם לא באשר הוא מלך, ושאול חטא במצוה שנצטוה בה מצד מלכותו, לכן היה הדין שתלקח המלכות ממנו…
"Because Saul's sin was in the matter of the monarchy and David's sin was not… David sinned as a man not as a king, and Saul sinned in a Mitzvah that was commanded to him as part of his being the king, therefore it resulted in that the kingdom would be taken from him" (Malbim I Shmuel 15:1).
Remember, don't forget! A memory with meanings for the future, forever!