When it comes to those who hate us, the hatred can be personal—the haters may feel we have wronged them in some way, leading to resentment. But there is also a form of hatred that is ideological. As Jews, we experience this often through antisemitism. In these cases, the hatred is not based on personal interactions but rather on a belief system that demonizes us.
When dealing with personal hatred, we should strive to make amends when possible. However, ideological hatred is different. There is no clear path to reconciliation because
the cause of the hate is not rooted in a personal grievance, but in a worldview that sees us as the enemy.
This week, on the Shabbat before Purim, we read a special Torah portion known as Parshat Zachor. In it, we are commanded to remember Amalek. The Torah describes
how Amalek attacked the Jewish people without cause, simply because they were Jews. Because of this, we are commanded to erase Amalek’s existence from the world.
There are six remembrances in the Torah, yet none of them have a special public reading on Shabbat—except this one. Why is it so crucial to read about Amalek in this way, especially when today we do not know who Amalek is and therefore do not act on the command to destroy them?
The answer lies in understanding Amalek’s mindset. Amalek knew exactly who the Jewish people were. He recognized G-d and understood that we were His chosen nation. Yet, he did not care. He knew right from wrong and deliberately chose evil.
This is what we must eradicate—the mindset that knows with clarity truth and goodness yet still chooses to defy it. Mistakes happen, but willful evil is unacceptable.
This is why we are so shaken by the brutal murder of innocent children and adults at the hands of Hamas. The killing of the Bibas family was neither an accident nor an act of war—it was intentional, deliberate, and evil. We struggle to comprehend such pure cruelty.
Whether or not Hamas is the biblical Amalek is not for us to determine. But we do know how we feel about it.
So, what can we do?
When we hear the Torah reading, we should reflect on the subtle influence Amalek can have within ourselves. We must ensure that our knowledge of right and wrong is not merely intellectual, but translates into the emotions in our hearts and the actions in our lives. We must never allow ourselves to fall into an "Amalek mindset"; where there is a disconnect between what we know to be true and how we choose to behave.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim