As we approach the Shabbat before Purim, we are drawn to a curious instruction from the Torah, Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey after you left Egypt.....Timcheh et zaycher Amalek mitachat hashamayim - lo tishkach/erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven - do not forget (Deut. 25:17,19)! How are we to balance the instruction to erase and blot out with the command not to forget? One reading of the Torah reveals that Amalek appeared by surprise and attacked the stragglers who could not keep up. This behavior demonstrates a lack of compassion for Gd's humanity.
One interpretation suggests that we erase the memory of Amalek by erasing this way of being (Sefer Zera Yitzhak). For Amalek, everything is coincidental or happen-stance. Looking at the world with a sense of responsibility and intentionality, we deny the way of Amalek, wipe away their memory, and remember how to be.
Each of us carries memories of our worst experiences, the ones that make us question our strength, our courage and our very being. At this time of year, we are reminded to erase the philosophy that memorializes and binds us to our worst experiences. Instead, we practice remembering in ways that transform the imprint of memory on our body, mind and spirit. Not forgetting means infusing life with past learning and informing the way we journey and remember. Dr. Orit Avnery says it well, the megillah reminds us...to act with wisdom and creativity informed by the past and to turn that past into an integral part of the present and future in such a way as to enrich our existence - for it is fruitless to ignore the past.
Going back to a moment before it became a memory (Robin Arzon, Peloton Instructor) invites us to refocus on the way we remember. Erasing a memory is not about forgetting but rather remembering actively, retelling the story without apology and without judgment. As we revisit those trying experiences, our vulnerability becomes our strength. Like Esther, we find our voice, own our story and act to make change.
As we approach this Shabbat of remembrance - Shabbat Zachor - and look towards the celebration of Purim, let us all remember ourselves with joy and as worthy.
Shabbat Shalom, rg
Congregation Habonim 103 West End Ave New York, NY 10023
