Blotting out Amalek through Shabbos unity

במדרש יפה פרי תואר כו'.

In the Midrash: "beautiful of fruit and fair of form," and so on.

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash that draws on this phrase (describing the menorah/olive) to explore the theme of light.

הענין הוא כי אין צריך לאורה.

The matter is that He has no need of light.

Chazal teach that Hashem did not command the lighting of the menorah because He requires its illumination — He is the source of all light.

אכן כתיב להעלות נר תמיד.

Yet it is written: "to kindle a lamp continually."

Despite needing no light, the Torah commands a perpetual flame — so its purpose must lie elsewhere.

כי תורה אור.

For "Torah is light."

The lamp symbolizes Torah, which is itself light (Mishlei 6:23).

ומכש"כ הקב"ה כולו אור.

And all the more so, Hashem is entirely light.

If Torah is light, then certainly Hashem, its source, is pure and total light.

אבל הנר עיקר תועלת שלו להאיר תוך החושך.

But the main benefit of a lamp is to give light within the darkness.

A flame's value shows specifically in a dark place; its whole point is to illuminate where there is concealment.

וע"ז נבראו בנ"י ונתערבו בין האומות ורשעים וסט"א שבעולם הזה.

For this purpose Bnei Yisrael were created and intermingled among the nations, the wicked, and the sitra achra (the "other side") of this world.

Bnei Yisrael are the lamp placed amid the darkness of galus and the forces of evil, in order to shine there.

אעפ"כ מאירים לעולם.

Even so, they give light to the world.

Surrounded by darkness, Bnei Yisrael nonetheless illuminate the world.

ונר תמיד הוא נקודה חיות שיש בעולם מחי החיים.

And the "continual lamp" is the point of life-force (nekudah chiyus) that exists in the world from the Life of all life.

The eternal flame represents the inner point of divine vitality that Hashem, the Source of life, plants within creation.

והוא נשמת העולם.

And it is the soul of the world.

This inner point of life is, as it were, the world's neshamah.

כמו בפרט נר ה' נשמת אדם.

Just as in the individual, "the lamp of Hashem is the soul of man."

As the verse (Mishlei 20:27) describes the individual neshamah as Hashem's lamp, so too on the universal scale.

כן בכלל.

So too in the general.

What is true of one soul holds true for the collective world-soul.

ותמיד כמו שהוא בזמן (כי) [כן] הוא במינים.

And "continually" — just as it applies to time, so it applies to the categories of being.

The word "tamid" means this point shines not only across all moments of time but also across all types and species of creation.

פי' שנקודה זו מאירה בכל עת ובכל מקום.

That is to say, this point shines at every time and in every place.

The inner life-point of holiness is present always and everywhere.

אבל בנ"י יכולין להעלותה יותר ויותר לאור התורה וזה ע"י המצות שהם ענפים מהתורה.

But Bnei Yisrael are able to elevate it more and more toward the light of Torah, and this is through the mitzvos, which are branches of the Torah.

Through mitzvos — the offshoots of Torah — Bnei Yisrael raise that hidden point of life ever higher into the full light of Torah.

וחיבור תורה ומצות א"י להיות רק ע"י עבודת בני ישראל.

And the joining of Torah and mitzvos can only come about through the avodah of Bnei Yisrael.

It is the labor of Bnei Yisrael that unites Torah (the light) with mitzvos (its branches).

וכאשר בנ"י יצאו ממצרים היו מוכנים להטות כל האומות אל הבורא ית' לולי שקדמן עמלק הרשע ימ"ש על הדרך.

And when Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim, they were ready to turn all the nations toward the Creator, were it not that Amalek the wicked — may his name be blotted out — preempted them on the way.

After Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael could have drawn the whole world to Hashem, but Amalek's attack interrupted that mission.

לכן אחריתו עדי אובד.

Therefore "his end is to perish forever."

Because Amalek blocked the universal turning to Hashem, his ultimate fate (Bamidbar 24:20) is total destruction.

כי יש לכל אומה באחריתה קצת שייכות ע"י בנ"י זולת עמלק.

For every nation has, in its end, some connection through Bnei Yisrael — except Amalek.

In the end of days every nation will gain some bond to Hashem via Bnei Yisrael; only Amalek is excluded entirely.

ויזנב כו' הנחשלים אחריך הם דורות שלנו כמו שהי' אז בפרט באותן שפלטן הענן.

"And he cut off the stragglers in your rear" — these are our generations, just as it was then, specifically with those whom the Cloud cast out.

The "stragglers" Amalek attacked (Devarim 25:18) represent later, weaker generations like ours, paralleling those whom the Ananei HaKavod expelled for their sins.

כי בפנימיות בנ"י בוודאי אין לו שום מגע.

For with the inner essence (penimiyus) of Bnei Yisrael he surely has no contact at all.

Amalek can only reach the "stragglers" — the outer edges — but the inner core of a Jew remains untouchable by him.

ולכן בשבת קודש שהשי"ת פורס סוכת שלום עלינו יכולין למחות אותו.

And therefore on the holy Shabbos, when Hashem spreads over us the sukkah of peace, we are able to blot him out.

On Shabbos Kodesh, when we are enveloped in Hashem's protective peace, we are connected to our penimiyus and so empowered to erase Amalek.

ולכן הקדימו חז"ל קודם פורים בש"ק לקרוא פרשת זכור כי צריכין להכין מש"ק כח למחות אותו בימי המעשה.

And therefore Chazal arranged to read Parshas Zachor on the Shabbos before Purim, for we must prepare from Shabbos the strength to blot him out during the weekdays.

The reading is placed on Shabbos so that we draw from its holiness the power to fight Amalek throughout the ordinary days of action.

וכמו שהי' שם שאמר ליהושע וצא הלחם כו' מחר אנכי נצב כו'.

Just as it was there, when Moshe said to Yehoshua, "Go out and fight... tomorrow I will stand," and so on.

As at the original battle (Shemos 17:9), the war is fought "below" by Yehoshua while Moshe stands above drawing down spiritual strength.

שמכח הפנימיות יש להכין בעבורו כלי מלחמה.

For from the strength of the inner essence one must prepare for it the weapons of war.

The weapons against Amalek are forged from penimiyus — the inner, hidden power of holiness.

וכ' אשר עשה לך לשון יחיד ומסיים בצאתכם.

And it is written "what he did to you" in the singular, yet it concludes "when you went out" in the plural.

The verse (Devarim 25:17-18) shifts from singular to plural, hinting at the theme of unity.

כי כשבנ"י באחדות אחד אינו יכול ליגע בהם.

For when Bnei Yisrael are in oneness, he cannot touch them at all.

When Bnei Yisrael are unified (the singular "you"), Amalek has no power over them.

ורק אז היו ברפידים שלא הי' להם האחדות כראוי.

And only then they were at Refidim, where they did not have proper unity.

Amalek struck precisely at Refidim, when the people lacked their proper achdus.

וזה הנחשלים.

And this is "the stragglers."

The "stragglers" are those who fell out of the unity of the camp.

וכמו כן בדורות השפלים שנמשכין אחר הראשית ודורות הראשונים.

And so too in the lowly generations, who draw themselves after the beginning and after the earlier generations.

Weaker generations survive by attaching themselves to the spiritual root of the first, greater generations.

ולנו עיקר המכשולות שעשה לנו עמלק.

And for us, the main stumbling-blocks are what Amalek did to us.

Our chief spiritual obstacles trace back to Amalek's weakening of our connection.

רק בשבת קודש יש כח לבנ"י מדורות הראשונים כמ"ש שמרע"ה מחזיר לנו הכתרים בכל ש"ק.

Only on the holy Shabbos do Bnei Yisrael have strength from the earlier generations, as is said that Moshe Rabbeinu returns to us the crowns on every Shabbos Kodesh.

On Shabbos the crowns received at Har Sinai are restored to us, reconnecting us to the power of the first generation.

ויש האחדות בבנ"י.

And there is unity among Bnei Yisrael.

Shabbos brings Bnei Yisrael into a state of achdus.

כמ"ש דמתאחדין ברזא דאחד.

As it is said, that they become united in the secret of the One.

On Shabbos Bnei Yisrael bind together in the mystery of Hashem's oneness (raza d'echad).

ואין לו שום מגע בנו בש"ק.

And he has no contact with us at all on Shabbos Kodesh.

Unified and rooted in our penimiyus, we are completely beyond Amalek's reach on Shabbos.

אז הזמן לזכור לו איבה ושנאה.

That is the time to remember toward him enmity and hatred.

Precisely when we are safe from him, on Shabbos, is the right moment to firmly resolve our opposition to Amalek.

וז"ש והיה בהניח כו' מכל אויביך מסביב הוא בש"ק שבאין לשורש המנוחה כנ"ל.

And this is the meaning of "and it shall be, when He gives you rest from all your enemies around" — this is on Shabbos Kodesh, when we come to the root of rest, as above.

The "rest from enemies" (Devarim 25:19) at which we are to blot out Amalek alludes to Shabbos, the source of menuchah.

והנה מצוה לזכור יצ"מ בכל יום כדכ' כל ימי חייך.

Now, there is a mitzvah to remember Yetzias Mitzrayim every day, as it is written, "all the days of your life."

The Sefas Emes turns to the daily obligation to recall the Exodus (Devarim 16:3).

והטעם כי בנ"י לעולם הנהגה שלהם למעלה מהטבע.

And the reason is that the conduct of Bnei Yisrael is always above nature.

We recall the Exodus daily because Bnei Yisrael are governed by a supernatural providence, not ordinary nature.

וצריכים לנסים ונפלאות.

And they require miracles and wonders.

Our very existence depends on ongoing nissim and niflaos.

כמ"ש על נסיך שבכל יום עמנו.

As we say, "for Your miracles that are with us every day."

The liturgy affirms that Hashem's miracles accompany us daily, even when hidden.

ובימי הפסח מתעורר שורש הגאולה ביותר.

And in the days of Pesach, the root of the geulah is awakened most of all.

Pesach is the season when the wellspring of redemption is most powerfully aroused.

ועמלק ידע והבין כי ביציאת מצרים נתחזקו בנ"י לדורות עולם.

And Amalek knew and understood that through Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael were strengthened for all generations.

Amalek grasped that the Exodus permanently fortified Bnei Yisrael for all time.

לכן ויבוא עמלק לבטל ולהחליש כח יצ"מ לערב אותנו.

Therefore "Amalek came" — to nullify and weaken the power of Yetzias Mitzrayim, to mix us in.

Amalek's attack (Shemos 17:8) aimed to dilute the strength of the Exodus and blend Bnei Yisrael into the ordinary natural order.

שלא להיות אחוזין בשורש הנסים.

So that we should not be grasped onto the root of miracles.

His goal was to sever our hold on the supernatural source from which we live.

ולכן קודם ימי הפסח הקדימו חז"ל פ' זכור.

And therefore, before the days of Pesach, Chazal arranged Parshas Zachor in advance.

Zachor is read before Pesach to remove Amalek's obstruction and clear the way to the root of geulah.

וכן עשה הבורא ית' לנו נסים בימי מרדכי ואסתר באדר.

And so the Creator performed miracles for us in the days of Mordechai and Esther, in Adar.

The Purim miracle in Adar was Hashem's renewal of open nissim just before Pesach.

כדי שאחר מחיית שם עמלק שנעשה בימים האלו יכולין אח"כ להתדבק בגאולת מצרים בימי הפסח.

So that after the blotting out of Amalek's name accomplished in these days, we can afterward cleave to the redemption of Mitzrayim in the days of Pesach.

Erasing Amalek at Purim clears the path so that we can attach ourselves to the geulah of Pesach that follows.

וכן איתא במדרשות ע"פ זכרונכם משלי אפר אם אין אתם זכורין למחות עמלק תחזרו למצרים בחומר ובלבנים כו' ע"ש.

And so it is brought in the Midrashim on the pasuk "your remembrances are like ashes" — if you do not remember to blot out Amalek, you will return to Mitzrayim, to mortar and bricks, and so on. Look there.

The Midrash (on Iyov 13:12) warns that forgetting to erase Amalek would unravel the Exodus itself, dragging us back into the bondage of Egypt.

והקב"ה שילם לעמלק כמדתו ע"י שהכין עצמו ועמד על הדרך למצוא עילה לכשיהי' קצת ירידה לבנ"י.

And Hashem repaid Amalek measure for measure, since he prepared himself and stood upon the way to find a pretext for whenever there would be some descent in Bnei Yisrael.

Amalek lay in wait to pounce the moment Bnei Yisrael faltered; Hashem therefore pays him back middah k'neged middah.

כמו שהי' ברפידים שרפו ידיהם מיד בא.

As it was at Refidim, that when their hands grew slack he came immediately.

At Refidim, the moment their grip on Torah and avodah weakened, Amalek struck.

כן מצווין אנחנו לזכור שנאתו תמיד שכשיהי' עת רצון לא נשכח מלמחות אותו.

So we are commanded to remember our hatred of him always, so that when there comes an eis ratzon (a time of favor) we will not forget to blot him out.

We keep his enmity in mind constantly so that when the opportune moment arrives we will not neglect to erase him.

ז"ש זכור כו' עי"ז והיה בהניח כו' תמחה.

This is the meaning of "Remember..." — through this, "and it shall be, when He gives you rest... you shall blot out."

Constant remembrance (Zachor) is what enables the eventual fulfillment of "you shall blot out his memory."

והאמת כי ניסן זמן גאולה כמ"ש בניסן עתידין לגאול.

And the truth is that Nissan is the time of redemption, as it is said, "in Nissan they are destined to be redeemed."

Chazal teach that the future geulah, like the first, will come in Nissan.

לכן ביותר צריכין עתה לזכור שכשנהיה גאולים במהרה בימינו לא נשכח מלנקום ממנו.

Therefore we especially need now to remember, so that when we are redeemed speedily in our days we will not forget to take vengeance upon him.

As geulah approaches, remembrance becomes all the more urgent, so the final blotting out of Amalek is not forgotten.

גם נראה כי נשבע הקב"ה שאין שמו שלם עד שימחה שמו של עמלק.

It also appears that Hashem swore that His Name is not complete until the name of Amalek is blotted out.

Hashem's Name and Throne remain incomplete (Shemos 17:16) so long as Amalek endures.

לכן בוודאי בימים הללו שקודם זמן גאולה יהיה מחיית שמו בודאי כדי שיוכל אח"כ להיות שם וכסא שלם במהרה בימינו אמן.

Therefore surely in these days before the time of redemption, the blotting out of his name will certainly occur, so that afterward the Name and Throne can be complete, speedily in our days, amen.

Amalek's erasure must precede the final geulah so that Hashem's Name and Throne can at last be whole.

וחכמינו ז"ל ברוח קדשם בלי ספק כוונו לזמן האמיתי שיהי' בימים אלו מחיית שמו.

And our Sages, with their holy spirit, surely intended the true time when, in these days, his name will be blotted out.

Chazal, with ruach hakodesh, fixed Zachor at this season precisely because it points to the real, final erasure of Amalek.

ממילא יש בכל שנה בזה הזמן קצת מחיית שם עמלק.

Consequently, every year at this time there is some measure of blotting out the name of Amalek.

Each year's Zachor enacts a partial fulfillment of erasing Amalek.

ועיקר יש לזכור לנקום ממנו בעבור שהוא מעכב התגדלות שם כבוד ה' ית':

And the main thing is to remember to take vengeance upon him because he obstructs the magnification of the glory of Hashem's Name.

The deepest reason to oppose Amalek is that he stands in the way of the revelation and exaltation of Hashem's glory in the world.

Summary: Bnei Yisrael are Hashem's lamp, created to shine the hidden point of divine life into the darkness of galus and the nations. Amalek alone severs himself from this redemptive light and attacks the "stragglers" — the outer, disunited edges of the nation — but never our penimiyus. On Shabbos, unified in the secret of the One and crowned again with the power of the first generations, we are utterly beyond his reach and can resolve to blot him out. Parshas Zachor is set before Pesach because erasing Amalek clears the way to the root of geulah, and only when his name is gone can Hashem's Name and Throne be complete.