We read this week of the command to blot out the memory of Amalek. What did Amalek do to be singled out by the Torah for such treatment? The Torah tells us that they attacked the weak and the weary. The Rabbis expand on this by stating that they were the first nation to attack Israel after the Exodus. Another habit of theirs was to apparently chop off the circumcised part of their Jewish victims and throw them skyward. How do we understand these stories? By attacking Israel so soon after the Exodus they were seeking to negate its effect. They were denying the special nature of Israel, something seen in their mutilation of the sign of the covenant. But this had an even deeper purpose, which can be seen by their behaviour detailed in the Torah and elsewhere in the Bible. They attacked the weak and defenceless, preying on those that could not resist. This, of course, is precisely what the Torah prohibits on numerous occasions and negates a major lesson of the Exodus. G-d rescued the Jews from Egypt precisely to teach them, and the world, that He does not approve of preying on the weak. It is for this reason that Amalek sought to negate the impact of the Exodus and deny the special relationship between G-d and Israel, symbolised by circumcision. This is not unique in our history. The Nazis had exactly the same policy for the same reason. There anti-Jewish campaign was not incidental or irrational. It was based on a deep loathing for Jewish morality, which had ‘infected’ European civilisation through Christianity, and which stood in the way of the Nazi ideology of the survival of the strong and the destruction of the weak. Haman, also, sought to replace the moralistic religion of Zoroastrianism with idolatrous cruelty, so the Jews had to be eliminated. Today’s Amalekites are no different. The Left wishes to replace the Jewish inspired values of tolerance and difference with a neo-fascist globalised uniformity. That is why they can so easily make common cause with Islamic extremists who want an Islamic version of the above. In both cases Jews, and especially Israel, stand in their way. We stand for a different view of the world, so we need to be eliminated. We should however take comfort from the Purim story and today’s special reading. Like Amalek, Haman or Hitler; our present day enemies will meet the fate proscribed for them by the Torah.
ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS
Rishon |
The command to light the Menorah. Aaron’s clothes: the Ephod. |
Sheni |
Aaron’s clothes: the Breastplate. |
|
Shelishi |
Aaron’s clothes: the Robe, the plate and the Mitre. The four garments of a regular Priest. |
|
Revi’i |
The ceremony of induction to the priesthood. |
|
Chamishi |
Induction continued. |
|
Shishi |
The daily offering. |
|
Shevi’i |
The altar of incense. |
| Maftir |
Remember what Amalek did to you. |
|
Haftorah |
I Samuel: 15;1-34: Saul’s war against the Amalekites. |
Sidra Statistics
Parshat Tetzaveh
· has 111 verses ;
· is the 8th in Exodus, 20th in the Torah
· 8th longest in Exodus, 27th longest in the Torah
· has 4 pos + 3 neg = 7 mitzvot.
