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Torat HaMizrachi

Rabbi Doron Perez

HITLER, HAMAN & HAMAS

A PARASHAT ZACHOR AND PURIM PRIMER

bsolute evil has existed for of years later, Hitler declared the same villains are locked in constant battle.
millennia. It constitutes a single- intentions. Tragically, he succeeded Individuals and societies possess both
A minded, systematic focus to in murdering one third of the Jewish the passion for altruistic good and the
destroy all good in the world. According to people, and if not for the hand of impulse for self-destructive evil. Israel's
Torah tradition, it has a name. Amalek. The Providence guiding the actions of the mission is chiefly the former; Amalek's
Torah commands us to always remember Allied Forces, he would have gone much the latter.
and never forget what Amalek represents. 1 further. Unstopped and unchecked, this
type of evil would, G-d forbid, destroy It was not by chance that Amalek was
This is the essence of Parashat Zachor. every last Jew wherever they are. the first nation to attack Israel, as soon
Our Sages instituted an annual public as we came out of Egypt. This can be
Torah reading on the Shabbat preceding The Perennial Battle sourced from Parashat Zachor. Here are
Purim, lest we forget Amalek’s role two remarkable points which highlight
in world affairs. The saga of the most Even though Amalek no longer exists Amalek’s pursuit of evil:
as a nation, it most certainly exists
infamous Amalekite, Haman, at the heart
of the Megillah, is a sobering reminder as an ideology. Its goal is to eradicate “How he happened upon you on the
of the existence of absolute evil and our everything good in the world – first the way and cut off all the stragglers at your
obligation to confront it. Jewish people, and all those who stand rear, when you were faint and weary, and
for morality and justice. he did not fear G-d” (Deuteronomy 25,
Final Solutions 17-19).
Remarkably, only two nations are called
Having mentioned absolute evil, most תי ִ ׁשא ֵ ר, the first of nations – the Jewish
situations in life are not so black or people and Amalek. 2 Firstly, there is no stated motive for
white. Certainly in ethical terms, little this attack. Amalek was not motivated
is absolutely good or absolutely bad, The point is clear. These two nations by any normative political or military
but rather nuanced with many shades are pitted against each other in the reasoning. Theirs was not a battle over
of moral grey. Nevertheless, world and perennial battle of good versus evil. land or religion nor a war of defense, 3
Jewish history are testament to the Just as on an individual level we battle deterrence or display of regional power.
undeniable existence of destructive constantly between our good and evil They chose to attack for no reason other
ideologies of significant evil. impulses, so too these forces struggle than to commit evil for its own sake.
with one another on a cosmic level – the To sow darkness at the very dawn of
Haman’s intention was to kill every collective mission of the Jewish people Israel’s aspirations to be ‘a light unto the
last Jew in all 127 countries of as opposed to that of Amalek. nations.’
Achashverosh’s global empire in one
day. His Final Solution was on the brink The struggle between good and evil Secondly, Amalek always intentionally
of implementation. It was only through is at the core of much literature and targets innocent civilians.
the grace of G-d and the actions of art. Because it is so central to the
Mordechai and Esther that his plan was psychological and historical reality
thwarted at the last minute. Thousands of the human condition. Heroes and continued on page 4

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