Blotting out Amalek from within

פרשת זכור הוא העצה שכ' בגמרא לעולם ירגיז אדם יצ"ט על יצה"ר.

Parshas Zachor is the counsel written in the Gemara: "A person should always rouse his yetzer tov against his yetzer hara" (Berachos 5a).

The Sefas Emes presents the mitzvah of Zachor — remembering Amalek — as the embodiment of Chazal's advice to stir up the good inclination to wage war against the evil one.

לכן ע"י התעוררות נדיבות בנ"י בפרשת שקלים שהוא בחי' יצ"ט.

Therefore, through the awakening of the generosity of Bnei Yisrael in Parshas Shekalim, which is the aspect of the yetzer tov —

Shekalim arouses the giving, generous side of a Yid, which corresponds to the yetzer tov.

צריך להיות נולד מזה שנאה וקנאה לנקום בעמלק המעכב גאולתן של ישראל.

— there must be born from this a hatred and zeal to take revenge against Amalek, who blocks the geulah of Yisrael.

Once the yetzer tov is aroused, it naturally generates a holy hatred toward Amalek, the force that obstructs the redemption.

וא"ל יקרא ק"ש הוא הביטול להשי"ת כשאין יכולין לתקן במעשים מצד עצמינו.

And if this does not avail, "let him recite Krias Shema" (Berachos 5a) — this is the bittul (self-nullification) to Hashem, when we cannot rectify through our own deeds.

When rousing the yetzer tov is not enough, the next strategy is total bittul to Hashem, accepting His Oneness through Shema, when our own efforts fall short.

והוא פרשת פרה שהוא הביטול להשי"ת.

And this is Parshas Parah, which is the bittul to Hashem.

The mystery of the Parah Adumah — beyond human comprehension — represents that same submission and bittul to Hashem.

ובאמת צריכין לכל העצות כי יש כמה מיני יצה"ר.

And in truth one needs all of these strategies, for there are several kinds of yetzer hara.

Different temptations require different tools; no single approach suffices.

יש שמבטלין אותו ע"י שנאה כנ"ל.

There is a kind that one nullifies through hatred, as above.

Some forms of the yetzer hara are defeated by rousing active opposition and hatred.

ויש ע"י ביטול.

And there is a kind that is nullified through bittul.

Other forms are overcome only through self-nullification before Hashem.

וכתיב והיה בהניח ה' אלקיך לך מכל אויביך מסביב כו' תמחה כו'.

And it is written: "And it shall be, when Hashem your God gives you rest from all your enemies around you… you shall blot out (the memory of Amalek)" (Devarim 25:19).

The mitzvah to erase Amalek is framed as coming after Hashem grants rest from all surrounding enemies.

כי הנה עמלק שולט בכל מקומות עבודת בנ"י אשר השאיר ה' להיות בכל דור למחות אותו.

For behold, Amalek holds sway in all the places of the avodah of Bnei Yisrael, whom Hashem left over in every generation so that we should blot him out.

Amalek is not merely an external nation but a force embedded within every Yid's avodah, which Hashem left for us to erase in each generation.

ושמעתי מפה קדוש מו"ז ז"ל כי בוודאי יכול הבורא למחות אותו ברגע אחת.

And I heard from the holy mouth of my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, that surely Hashem could blot him out in a single moment.

The Sefas Emes cites his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim): Hashem certainly could destroy Amalek instantly.

אך רצה הקב"ה לזכות את בנ"י להיות מחיית שמו ע"י בנ"י.

But Hashem wished to grant Bnei Yisrael the merit that the erasure of his name come about through Bnei Yisrael.

Hashem left the task to us as a zechus, so that the victory over Amalek would be ours.

אמנם שאר האומות יכולין בנקל יותר לדחותם.

However, the other nations can be pushed away more easily.

The forces represented by other nations are simpler to overcome.

אך כשזוכה אדם לתקן איזה דבר או בעשיית מצוה.

But when a person merits to rectify something or in the performance of a mitzvah —

Specifically at the moment of accomplishment or of doing a mitzvah —

שהוא נק' קצת נייחא לאיש ישראל.

— which is called a bit of "rest" (naycha) for a Yid —

Such a moment of spiritual rest and satisfaction is itself precarious.

אז צריך לזכור למחות עמלק.

— then one must remember to blot out Amalek.

This explains "when Hashem gives you rest" — davka in the moment of naycha, the danger of Amalek surfaces and must be erased.

היינו לצפות להשי"ת שנוכל לקיים מצותיו כראוי לפרסם שמו בכל העולם.

That is, to yearn toward Hashem that we may fulfill His mitzvos properly, to publicize His Name throughout the entire world.

"Blotting out Amalek" in this inner sense means longing to serve Hashem purely and to make His Name known — the opposite of Amalek's spirit of cooling and concealment.

וז"ש מכל אויביך מסביב.

And this is the meaning of "from all your enemies around you."

The phrase "around" hints that these other enemies surround only the externals.

פי' שאין מעכבין כ"כ כמו עמלק ימ"ש שהוא שולט בפנימיות כל דבר.

The meaning is that they do not obstruct as much as Amalek, may his name be erased, who holds sway in the penimiyus (inner core) of every matter.

Other enemies only attack from "around," the surface, whereas Amalek penetrates to the very inner point of every act and accomplishment.

רק על ידי הזכירה בעת רצון יכולין לזכות למחיית עמלק במהרה בימינו:

Only through remembrance at an eis ratzon (a time of favor) can we merit the erasure of Amalek, speedily in our days.

It is specifically by remembering — turning to Hashem in the favorable moment of a mitzvah or accomplishment — that we can uproot Amalek's inner grip, bimheirah b'yameinu.

Summary: Parshas Zachor embodies Chazal's counsel for fighting the yetzer hara: first arouse the yetzer tov (the generosity of Shekalim) into a holy hatred against Amalek who blocks the geulah, and when that does not suffice, turn to total bittul before Hashem (Parshas Parah). Amalek is not merely an outside nation but a force lodged in the penimiyus of every act — Hashem left it for us to erase as a zechus. Davka in a moment of accomplishment or mitzvah ("when Hashem gives you rest"), Amalek's inner grip surfaces, and only by remembering and yearning toward Hashem in that eis ratzon can we blot him out, bimheirah b'yameinu.