Remembering the foundation defeats Amalek

חז"ל קבעו לקרות פ' עמלק בש"ק כמ"ש בזה זכור ובזה זכור.

Chazal established the reading of the parsha of Amalek on Shabbos Kodesh, as it says "zachor" (remember) regarding this and "zachor" regarding that.

Parshas Zachor is read on Shabbos because both Shabbos and the war against Amalek share the language of "zachor" (remembrance), linking the two.

כי כמו שהצדיק יסוד עולם ולו הזכירה. לכן כתיב בשבת זכור.

For just as the tzaddik is the foundation of the world and to him belongs the "remembrance," therefore "zachor" is written regarding Shabbos.

The tzaddik is the "yesod" (foundation) of the world, and remembrance is bound to him; Shabbos, too, carries "zachor" because it is likewise a foundation.

כי הוא קיום ויסוד כל מעשה בראשית. כמ"ש מיניה מתברכין כל שיתא יומין.

For it [Shabbos] is the sustaining force and foundation of all the work of creation, as it says, "from it all six days are blessed."

Shabbos is the root that holds up the whole of creation; the six weekdays draw their blessing from it.

וכמו כן יוסף הצדיק שומר הברית הוא היסוד עולם. ולו הזכירה כמ"ש באבני שוהם שהיו כל השבטים כתובים על כתפות הכהן לזכרון.

And likewise Yosef HaTzaddik, the guardian of the bris, is the foundation of the world, and to him belongs the "remembrance," as it says regarding the shoham stones, on which all the tribes were written upon the shoulders of the Kohen for a remembrance.

Yosef, who guarded his purity (the bris), is the archetypal "yesod." Remembrance is tied to him, as seen in the shoham stones bearing the tribes' names "for a remembrance" on the Kohen Gadol's shoulders.

והגם כי [בחושן] הי' י"ב אבנים. אבל העיקר הוא כח יוסף הצדיק שהוא אבן השוהם.

And although on the choshen there were twelve stones, nevertheless the main thing is the power of Yosef HaTzaddik, who is the shoham stone.

Though the breastplate held twelve distinct stones, the essential unifying force is Yosef, represented by the shoham — the stone of the shoulder-pieces that carry all the tribes together.

וכמו שהיה באבנים ששם יעקב מראשותיו ונעשו אבן אחת והוא כח יוסף שמאחד כל השבטים כמ"ש תסובינה אלומותיכם ותשתחוין לאלומתי.

And just as it was with the stones that Yaakov placed at his head, which became one stone — this is the power of Yosef, who unifies all the tribes, as it says, "your sheaves gathered around and bowed to my sheaf."

As Yaakov's separate stones merged into one, so Yosef has the power to unify all the shevatim into a single whole — foreshadowed in his dream of the sheaves bowing to his.

וכ"כ בזוה"ק פקודי שהי"ב אבנים הם כענין אבנים ששם יעקב אע"ה מראשותיו.

And so it is written in the Zohar HaKadosh, Pekudei, that the twelve stones are like the matter of the stones that Yaakov, our father, peace be upon him, placed at his head.

The Zohar confirms the parallel: the twelve stones of the choshen correspond to Yaakov's stones that fused into one, expressing the unity of Klal Yisrael.

וכן כתיב בברכת יוסף משם רועה אבן ישראל. שנק' אבן שהוא היסוד.

And so it is written in the blessing of Yosef, "from there, the Shepherd, the Stone of Yisrael" — that he is called "stone," for he is the yesod (foundation).

Yaakov's blessing calls Yosef the "Stone of Yisrael," underscoring that he is the foundation-stone upon which the nation rests.

ולכן יש בו זכירה שא"א לישכח בהעיקר ויסוד הדבר.

And therefore there is "remembrance" in him, for it is impossible to forget the essence and foundation of a thing.

Because Yosef (and Shabbos) is the very foundation, he is inseparable from remembrance — one cannot forget that which is the root and essence of everything.

והרשע הוא ממש להיפוך שרוצה לעקור יסוד של עולם כמ"ש חתך מילות וזרק כלפי מעלה.

And the rasha is the precise opposite, for he wishes to uproot the foundation of the world, as it says [of Amalek], that he cut off the marks of the bris and threw them upward.

Amalek, the rasha, is the inverse: he attacks the very foundation, brazenly attacking the bris — the sign of the yesod — by cutting and casting it heavenward in defiance.

לכן אין בו בשורש ויסוד העולם כלום.

Therefore he has no part at all in the root and foundation of the world.

Because Amalek sets himself against the foundation, he is utterly disconnected from the world's true root.

ולכן ימחה השי"ת שם עמלק כי כל שליטה שלו בעוד שהשקר נמצא בעולם.

Therefore Hashem will blot out the name of Amalek, for all his dominion lasts only while falsehood exists in the world.

Amalek's power is rooted in sheker (falsehood); his rule endures only as long as falsehood persists, and so his name is destined to be erased.

ולכן כשבנ"י מתעלין לשורשם אין לו שום מגע וזכר שם.

And therefore, when Bnei Yisrael ascend to their root, he has no contact there, nor any remembrance.

When Bnei Yisrael rise to their true foundation — the realm of truth — Amalek can find no foothold and his very memory vanishes.

וכ' כאשר ירים משה ידו שהוא התדבקות אל השורש.

And it is written, "when Moshe raised his hand" — this is attachment to the root.

Moshe lifting his hands in the battle with Amalek symbolizes Bnei Yisrael cleaving upward to their root, the source of their strength.

כמ"ש חז"ל שמסתכלין כלפי מעלה ומשעבדין את לבם לאביהם שבשמים.

As Chazal said, that they would look upward and subordinate their hearts to their Father in Heaven.

Chazal explain that Moshe's raised hands prompted Bnei Yisrael to turn their gaze upward and surrender their hearts to Hashem — and that bittul is what defeated Amalek.

וכתיב לשון עתיד ירים ולא כתיב הרים. להודיע כי לעולם כשיש התרוממות לבנ"י אז יכולין למחותו.

And it is written in the future tense, "yarim" (he will raise), and not "herim" (he raised) — to teach that always, whenever there is elevation for Bnei Yisrael, they are then able to blot him out.

The future-tense verb signals an ongoing truth, not just a past event: in every generation, when Bnei Yisrael lift themselves toward their root, they have the power to erase Amalek.

ובשקלים שנק' תרומה יש התרוממות. ולכן קבעו אח"כ זכור.

And in the shekalim, which are called "terumah," there is "haramah" (elevation); and therefore they established [the reading of] Zachor afterward.

The half-shekel, "terumah," shares a root with "rom" (elevation). Since Parshas Shekalim raises Bnei Yisrael, Parshas Zachor — about destroying Amalek through elevation — was fittingly placed right after it.

ויש רמז בפסוק ויקחו אבן כו' ואהרן וחור תמכו כו'.

And there is a hint in the pasuk, "and they took a stone... and Aharon and Chur supported," etc.

The Sefas Emes finds in the verse describing Moshe's supported hands an allusion to the three forces that defeated Amalek.

כי אהרן הי' בחי' שקלים אהבה ונדבה בכח הרצון ותשוקה שיש בלבות בני ישראל להשי"ת.

For Aharon was the aspect of shekalim — love and free-willed giving, through the power of the ratzon and yearning in the hearts of Bnei Yisrael toward Hashem.

Aharon, the man of love, corresponds to the shekalim, given out of ahavah and willing devotion — the heartfelt longing of Bnei Yisrael for Hashem.

וחור הוא שמסר נפשו בעבור העגל בחי' פרה.

And Chur is the one who gave his life over the [protest against the] eigel — the aspect of the Parah [Adumah].

Chur, who was killed resisting the eigel, corresponds to Parshas Parah, which atones for the sin of the Golden Calf — embodying mesirus nefesh.

אבן בחי' זכור כמ"ש לעיל.

The "stone" is the aspect of Zachor, as stated above.

The "stone" Moshe sat upon corresponds to Parshas Zachor, tied to Yosef the "stone" and to remembrance, as explained earlier.

ובכח אלו הג' גברו בנ"י על עמלק הרשע ימ"ש:

And by the power of these three, Bnei Yisrael prevailed over Amalek the rasha, may his name be blotted out.

These three forces — love (Shekalim/Aharon), mesirus nefesh (Parah/Chur), and remembrance of the foundation (Zachor/the stone) — together gave Bnei Yisrael victory over Amalek.

Summary: Parshas Zachor is read on Shabbos because both share "zachor" — for Shabbos, like the tzaddik Yosef (the "Stone of Yisrael" who unifies the tribes), is the yesod, the foundation that can never be forgotten. Amalek is the inverse: he attacks the foundation through sheker, so his power lasts only while falsehood endures, and when Bnei Yisrael ascend to their root he vanishes. Moshe's raised hands ("yarim," future tense) teach that in every generation, elevation enables Bnei Yisrael to blot out Amalek. This elevation links to the shekalim ("terumah"), and the three forces hinted in the verse — Aharon/Shekalim (love), Chur/Parah (mesirus nefesh), and the stone/Zachor (the foundation) — together defeated Amalek.