We find an interesting connection between parshas Tetzaveh and parshas Zachor. The Ba’al Haturim says, beginning from parshas Shemos, Moshe Rabbeinu’s name is mentioned in every parshah except for Tetzaveh.
Why? He answers (based on the Zohar), after the cheit ha’eigel, when Moshe was begging Hashem to forgive Bnei Yisrael, Moshe said, “If you don’t forgive them, micheini, erase me completely from your sefer!” Even though Hashem did forgive them, a tzadik’s curse, even when conditional and the condition is not met, will still come true to a certain extent. Furthermore, the kehunah should have really have gone to Moshe himself, not to Ahron. However, since by the burning bush Moshe had initially refused to be Hashem’s messenger, even though he was being honestly modest, the kehunah was taken from him and given to Ahron. And since parshas Tetzaveh deals with the special uniforms of the Cohanim and the Cohanim’s inauguration, this is where Moshe’s name is omitted.
In parshas Zachor, we have the mitzvah to be timche, erase the memory of Amalek. This is the mitzvah to completely wipe out and destroy Amalek and all its associations.
Now, just to compare these two micheeyos, erasings. Moshe was willing to be erased for the sake of Bnei Yisrael, as there was no reason for him to be left without them. He was erased from parshas Tetzaveh. How does Tetzaveh begin? “And now, you command Bnei Yisrael…You bring Ahron and his sons…and you speak…and you make…” To whom is Hashem speaking? To Moshe Rabbeinu! The entire parshah is Hashem speaking to Moshe to give over to Bnei Yisrael and to Ahron. There’s no need to mention Moshe’s name! What bigger honor can there be than being the conduit from Hashem to everyone else? So, the erasing of Moshe’s name is actually a sign of Hashem’s love and honor for Moshe! And Moshe made it very clear that he was there only because of Bnei Yisrael, so it’s actually a huge sign of Hashem’s love for us!
The erasing of Amalek’s name is for the exact opposite reason. It is for Hashem’s disgust with Amalek, which comes from Amalek’s hate of Klal Yisrael, which is really hate for Hashem. There are no hidden signs of love for them in the Torah.
We’ve written about Amalek in past articles, about how their hate for Hashem stems from anger that He created a world without any hashgachah, Divine involvement (in their worldview). I’d like to explain this a bit more.
The Zohar says (end of parshas Va’era): At the End of Days, Bnei Yishmael will stir up three wars of mehumah, wildness and terror: by land, sea, and in the great city.
The Gedolim have said that we are in the End of Days. Perhaps the three wars have occured, or are currently happening. But right now, this war we are in definitely is a war of mehumah. The IDF is currently releasing their reports of what happened and what went wrong before, on, and after Simchas Torah 2023. One thing clear from the reports is Hamas had much bigger plans. They wanted to conquer all the major cities in southern Israel and commit even greater mass murder. Plans to conquer all the air force bases. Plans for Hezbollah and the other proxies to attack simultaneously from all directions. But due to their mehumah, most of their plans didn’t work out. Many groups of terrorists got lost, distracted, and simply went wild and lost complete control and direction. Their grand plans fell apart and they lost it. As terrible as the acts of terror and murder were, what they wanted to do would have been much worse.
But that’s all about Yishmael. What’s the connection to Amalek?
Amalek has this trait of wildness and terror. Haman wanted to do that to Klal Yisrael (Esther 9:24). In the end, it fell back onto him, as the king’s guards came to rush him to the queen’s party before he could clean himself after being soiled during the parade.
Amalek used to have a king and kingdom. That was finished off by King Shaul, and they also lost their country. But they lived on, because Amalek didn’t even want a king! They operate better without one. A leader, yes, but not a king. Why? Because they want mehumah. Their hate for Hashem leads them to wanting to destroy everyone else, even if they will be destroyed in the process. Everything just happens, and they are angry, resentful, and want to destroy. When parts of Bnei Yisrael tried to go into Eretz Yisrael after the sin with the spies, they were met by Amaleikim. Each time an Amaleiki killed a Jew, the Amaleiki dropped dead. Yet they continued attacking. The Torah describes them as bees, who sting and die. That’s suicidal. The Nazis acted the same way, trying to kill as many Jews as possible at the expense of their war effort. The German generals on the Russian front were begging for supplies, but the Nazis were too focused on murdering Jews in Hungary. The gedolim have said that suicide bombers have that same trait of Amalek. Even the leftist anarchists (Jews included) who are willing to cause terrible destruction, just to push their agendas, also have this trait.
When Pharoh was ruling Mitzrayim, Amalek couldn’t touch Bnei Yisrael. After kriyas Yam Suf, when his army was destroyed and the monarchy of Mitzrayim ended, that was when Amalek showed up.
Achashverosh had a big inferiority complex, as he wasn’t from royalty, having grabbed the throne using his wealth and force. Only after he felt powerful and settled enough did he allow Haman to rise in prominence. It was very dangerous to do so, and he was frightened that Haman was plotting against him. He just wanted to use Haman to destroy Klal Yisrael.
In Pirkei D’rebbi Eliezer it says that Amalek got mixed in to all the nations. And that will be the nation’s downfall! Without kings nowadays, any power which they have gets ruined by Amalek, which will cause their downfall with his trait of mehumah.
I’d like to share the following from sefer Shaarei Kedusha, by R’ Chaim Vital. He writes that each time that we say amein yehei shmei rabah, we are fulfilling the mitzvah of erasing the memory of Amalek. How so?
At the end of parshas Beshalach, Rashi explains: It says yad al kes kah, Hashem’s name and throne will only be complete after Amalek is erased. As long as Amalek keeps spreading his mehumah, and his worldview that everything is without Hashem’s hashgachah, then Hashem can’t be complete. Only once Amalek is destroyed, replaced with emunah and bitachon in Hashem, that He is in complete control of everything, can Hashem be complete.
May we be zoche to see Amalek wiped out with the coming of Moshiach very soon!
Based upon shiurim heard from Rav Yisrael Altusky shlita, Yeshiva Torah Ore, Yerushalayim. Shiurim can be heard on the Kol Halashon website.
