Two Minute Torah Podcast

Tetzaveh (Shabbat Zakhor) 5770 by Rabbi Adam Rosenthal

Shalom and welcome to KOACH's Two-Minute Torah; a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

This is Adam Rosenthal, rabbi of Peninsula Sinai Congregation, located about 20 minutes south of San Francisco, California.

"You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!"

That's some pretty heavy stuff!

We read these words from the book of Deuteronomy each year, on the Shabbat preceding Purim. They lend that Shabbat a special name: Shabbat Zakhor — the Shabbat of Remembering. Remember what Amalekh did to you.

But what injustice did the tribe of Amalek commit, that makes them so much more memorable than the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Babylonians and so many other infamous characters, who were all "bad for the Jews"?

Torah describes Amalek as the ones Asher Korecha Baderech, who surprised us on the road.

"Surprised" — That's not a bad translation of Korecha. But then again, for a rabbi, a word as uncommon as Korecha is like an iTunes gift card: the fun and possibilities are endless!

Rashi points out that the word Korecha contains the word Kor, meaning cold. Amalek didn't simply "surprise" us in the desert, they cooled us. They frosted us. You see, after having left Egypt, with the Ten Plagues and the splitting of the sea, we were hot. Boiling hot. No one wanted to touch us or get in our way. But then along came Amalek. They attacked us, and they showed everyone that we weren't as hot as we looked.

Amalek's sin wasn't simply the horrible act of preying on the most vulnerable at their weakest hour. It was the sin of showing others that you can break any boundary. If Amalek were left to their own devices, they would lead the world to violate every taboo, transgress every law. Amalek would lead us to anarchy and chaos.

But Torah brings order to the world and our lives. And that order, defined by the Mitzvot, makes the world a better place.

On Purim we push and stretch boundaries with costumes, alcohol, and lots of silliness. We do this and get away with it, because ultimately, we respect those boundaries. We know that Purim is only one day a year, and that we'll be on better behavior the next day. At least, most of us!

But there are people who break laws and disrespect norms without a bit of remorse. If we let them, they will freeze progress. We must resist them, and stay hot on our path.

Have a happy Purim.