Amalek

[cellio]

The Shabbat before Purim is called Shabbat Zachor, because in addition to the regular torah reading we add a few verses that command us to "blot out the memory of Amalek" and to "remember what Amalek did to you" (Deut 25:17-19). Amalek is the nation that attacked Israel's stragglers in the desert; the connection to Purim is that Haman, Purim's bad guy, is said to be descended from Amalek.

Isn't this a contradiction? How can we both blot out their memory and remember what they did to us?

One interpretation is that we're supposed to blot out the details of this people, but we have to remember (vaguely) that there are people out to destroy us. Well, that's certainly achieved an effect; most people today probably have no idea who Amalek was and couldn't say one positive thing about them, and institutions like the Anti-Defamation League make sure to jump on any slight, real or not, lest it be an attack. But sometimes that leads to bad behavior; there are people out there who are convinced that the world (or some major portion of it) is out to destroy us, and some of that fear leads to pre-emptive violence that isn't appropriately aimed. That's not good for anyone. There are people who hate us, of course, and sometimes it's correct to go on the offensive, but if we go on the offensive we have to make sure our aim is true. (And I'm not just talking about Jews here.)

Maybe, instead, we have to remember -- specifically, in detail -- what Amalek did -- and, by extension, what others have done. If we remember details, names, and places, maybe it is less likely to lead to wholesale bigotry. Some Arabs hate us; make sure to remember which ones rather than tarring all Arabs with that brush. Some Europeans -- same thing. Some Christians. Some Republicans.

What, then, of blotting out their memory? If we make sure to remember the details, we will probably realize that not all members of a group share any particular goal. We can blot out Amalek as a nation while remembering what individual Amalekites, and Amalekite factions, have done. Maybe the torah is telling us to focus our memories, not to wipe them clean.

Do not read this as a touchy-feely can't-we-all-just-get-along? opinion; I believe that wrongdoers should face the consequences of their bad decisions, whether those wrongdoers are the guys with the guns, or the guys who funded them, or the guys who elected them knowing their intentions. Part of not forgetting is to not pretend that everything is fine when it's not. We should make wrongdoers pay, but we must be clear on who the wrongdoers are.

Comments

[geekosaur]

By the way, you might be interested in the articles just posted to radical_torah.

[cellio]

Thanks for the pointer.