Zachor: The Battle Beyond The Battlefield

Parashat Ki Teitzei closes with a chilling commandment etched into the national memory of klal Yisrael:

“Remember what Amalek did to you... do not forget!” (Devarim 25:17–19). This passage—universally known as Zachor—is not merely a history lesson. It is a moral imperative that has echoed through generations and across continents. But what makes Amalek so different from the countless other enemies who sought to destroy us?

Rabbi Yitzchok Zilber, zt”l, offers a penetrating insight: most wars in history are fought for land, for wealth, or because of nationalistic hatred. Amalek had none of these motives. When Amalek attacked the newly freed Jewish nation in the barren desert, the Jews owned no land, possessed no great treasure, and were not their ancestral enemies in the conventional sense. In fact, Amalek was family—descendants of Eisav, twin brother of Yaakov Avinu.

The hatred of Amalek was not political or material—it was ideological. As Rabbi Zilber writes, the essence of Amalek is found in his very name: am-lak, a "people who lick blood"—those who kill for the sake of killing, who seek to desecrate all that is holy. Their brutality was beyond warfare; it was theological rebellion. They sought to cut down not just the people, but the symbol of their covenant with Hashem, mocking brit milah and scoffing at Divine protection.

What truly ignited Amalek’s hatred was emunah. The Exodus and splitting of the sea shook the ancient world. Miracles abounded. The nations trembled. But Amalek denied it all. They preached a godless worldview—a belief in randomness, not hashgachah pratit. Their attack was an act of defiance against Divine Providence.

And the Torah warns us: their power resurfaces not only when we are physically weak, but when we are spiritually vulnerable. Rabbi Zilber notes the significant smichut—juxtaposition—between the episode of Amalek and the Jews' questioning of Hashem’s presence: “Is God in our midst or not?” Immediately after, “And Amalek came…” (Shemot 17:8). Doubt in Divine presence invites spiritual attack.

So too in Parashat Ki Teitzei, the Torah warns against dishonest weights and measures—a subtle decay of moral fiber. And without pause, it declares: “Remember what Amalek did to you...” Our ethical lapses and deceit in business awaken the forces of Amalek. When truth and justice erode within, the enemy outside stirs.

The reading of Zachor is so vital that Jews in Soviet Russia risked their livelihoods to hear it. Some secretly left work for just a few minutes—sometimes traveling miles—just to hear those three verses. If they couldn’t attend Shabbat Zachor, they would try again on Purim by hearing “And Amalek came…”—because even in silence, the Jewish heart knows when it must remember.

We are not merely instructed to remember Amalek’s hatred—we are warned of the hatred that lies dormant in the world, empowered by our own spiritual weaknesses. As long as Amalek’s ideology persists—whether through modern-day deniers of Divine truth or those who devalue life—we are called to combat it with unwavering faith and moral clarity.

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Rabbi Yitzchok Zilber, ztk”l, was the founder of LaMaalot Foundation. He dedicated his life to teaching Torah, and his impactful writings continue to inspire Jews worldwide. Copyright 2023 by The LaMaalot Foundation. Conversations on the Torah, by Rabbi Yitzchak Zilber is catalogued at The Library of Congress. All rights reserved. www.LaMaalot.org