Post by alon on Feb 25, 2018 23:53:10 GMT -8
Date of reading- 10 March 2018/23 Adar 5778
Name of Par’shah- Par’shah Zachor
usually read the Shabbat before Purim. This day is called Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remembrance
Par’shah- Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Haftara- 1 Samuel 15:2-34
D’rash: On Shabbat preceding Purim and our celebration of the foiling of the Amalekite Haman's scheme to destroy the Jewish people, a supplemental par’shah is added to the weekly reading; the Zachor; ”Remember!" In this reading (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) we are commanded to remember the evil of Amalek and to eradicate it from the face of the earth.
The Sages teach that HaShem says to the Jews, “If you do not remember Amalek, you will be sent back to the bondage of Egypt” (Pesikta Rabati 12). However there are many ways back into bondage. We should remember that the spirit of Amalek has been alive for centuries, and takes many forms today. Islam, the rising anti-Semitism in Europe and on US college campuses, and many hate groups. And instigated by anti-missionaries many Jews hate us, Meshiachim, as well.
There are also internal ways into slavery- our own personal Amaleks, if you will. Following false prophets and false teachers, false doctrines, false pride and arrogance, and our own prejudices. Forgetfulness is also an easy road back into slavery.
Amalek, driven by a hatred which defied logic attacked these people whose Gd had just brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Centuries later his descendant Haman, again driven by insane hatred tried to destroy these people chosen by HaShem.
It is a halachic requirement in most of Judaism for all men to hear the Zachor reading each year. The meaning of and purpose for the commandment is found in the word zachor itself:
Shabbat Zachor - שבת זכור - The Sabbath of Remembrance
ז - zayin; weapon
כ - kaf; the palm of a hand; a wing
ו - vav; hook; nail; peg; joining; making secure; becoming bound to
ר - resh; the head (front); highest; supreme;
ז ר - zar; enemy; man with a weapon
זח ר - zahar; enlighten, warn; place hey, to behold or reveal in middle of zar and we are enlightened or warned when we see and understand or know the enemy
זכור - zachor; remembrance; remembrance is a weapon in our grasp which binds us to think about and understand the lessons of the past.
Keep this in mind as we read from this par’shah about an unprovoked war that was harbinger for events that would unfold time and again for centuries. It is a war which has many lessons for all times:
Exodus 17:8-10, 13-16 (ESV) Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. … And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it [YHWH-Nissi], The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (ESV) “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
Philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, is credited with the saying "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
We must confront the evils of the past in order to undertake the cleansing necessary for tikkun olam. Remembering is key to preventing recurrence.
Repentance on the part of those abiding in darkness and evil is preferable. However we must confront their evil at every opportunity or they will never understand their lost condition and thus miss the opportunity to repent. Regardless, if we do not confront evil it will grow stronger and bolder until it acts:
1 Samuel 15:2-3 (ESV) Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
At times we must be ready to destroy evil. We must understand that some people are just so far gone they are beyond accepting grace and repenting. And we should never shy away from protecting our families, neighbors, or other Meshiachim.
Islam is today rising and growing bolder because the media and liberal politicians refuse to confront them with the truth. They pander to and fawn over Muslims, calling Islam "a religion of peace” and portraying Muslims as victims. Even the Roman Catholic Church, once the staunch defender which saved Europe from Islam for centuries has now embraced it. Pope Francis allowed the Quran to be read at St. Peter’s Basilica, and on a visit to the White House he kissed a Quran and said that the Quran and the Holy Bible are the same. It’s no wonder that terrorism is on the rise and Islam is spreading rapidly.
1 Samuel 15:5-6 (ESV) And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
We must always be aware there are those in any culture who may be innocent. Many in Muslim countries for example are coming to Messianic Judaism or Christianity. Beit Aveinu has established synagogues in Muslim countries, and more in the works. These we must protect.
1 Samuel 15:7-9 (ESV) And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
The people spared what was good, and took the king, Melech Agag as a prize. Shaul as their leader should have stepped in and said “No. Destroy it all as Elohim has instructed.” But he feared the people more than he did El-Elyon/Most High God. When confronted with his sin he made excuses:
1 Samuel 15:20-21 (ESV) And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
“The people, they did it. And any way we are going to sacrifice everything to the Lrd.” Not good enough. When you are appointed leader the buck stops with you. It was his job to make sure everything was done as Adonai said:
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV) And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”
Being right is always better than ritual. Obedience to the commandments of Avinu/Our Father is paramount. We may not have a Temple in which to make sacrifices, but we do have the ability to keep the mitzvoth. And we all can stand against evil, whether it be in government, in religion, in ideologies such as Naziism or Islam, or just someone we may encounter doing evil.
Like most of us when caught in disobedience, Shaul begs forgiveness. He also asks that the prophet return with him so he will not be shamed. At first Shmu’el refuses. He later relents and accompanies Shaul, however he does not forgive. In fact, he prophesies that El-Shaddai/Almighty God has torn the kingdom from him:
1 Samuel 15:24-26 (ESV) Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
Name of Par’shah- Par’shah Zachor
usually read the Shabbat before Purim. This day is called Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remembrance
Par’shah- Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Haftara- 1 Samuel 15:2-34
D’rash: On Shabbat preceding Purim and our celebration of the foiling of the Amalekite Haman's scheme to destroy the Jewish people, a supplemental par’shah is added to the weekly reading; the Zachor; ”Remember!" In this reading (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) we are commanded to remember the evil of Amalek and to eradicate it from the face of the earth.
The Sages teach that HaShem says to the Jews, “If you do not remember Amalek, you will be sent back to the bondage of Egypt” (Pesikta Rabati 12). However there are many ways back into bondage. We should remember that the spirit of Amalek has been alive for centuries, and takes many forms today. Islam, the rising anti-Semitism in Europe and on US college campuses, and many hate groups. And instigated by anti-missionaries many Jews hate us, Meshiachim, as well.
There are also internal ways into slavery- our own personal Amaleks, if you will. Following false prophets and false teachers, false doctrines, false pride and arrogance, and our own prejudices. Forgetfulness is also an easy road back into slavery.
Amalek, driven by a hatred which defied logic attacked these people whose Gd had just brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Centuries later his descendant Haman, again driven by insane hatred tried to destroy these people chosen by HaShem.
It is a halachic requirement in most of Judaism for all men to hear the Zachor reading each year. The meaning of and purpose for the commandment is found in the word zachor itself:
Shabbat Zachor - שבת זכור - The Sabbath of Remembrance
ז - zayin; weapon
כ - kaf; the palm of a hand; a wing
ו - vav; hook; nail; peg; joining; making secure; becoming bound to
ר - resh; the head (front); highest; supreme;
ז ר - zar; enemy; man with a weapon
זח ר - zahar; enlighten, warn; place hey, to behold or reveal in middle of zar and we are enlightened or warned when we see and understand or know the enemy
זכור - zachor; remembrance; remembrance is a weapon in our grasp which binds us to think about and understand the lessons of the past.
Keep this in mind as we read from this par’shah about an unprovoked war that was harbinger for events that would unfold time and again for centuries. It is a war which has many lessons for all times:
Exodus 17:8-10, 13-16 (ESV) Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. … And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it [YHWH-Nissi], The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (ESV) “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
Philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, is credited with the saying "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
We must confront the evils of the past in order to undertake the cleansing necessary for tikkun olam. Remembering is key to preventing recurrence.
Repentance on the part of those abiding in darkness and evil is preferable. However we must confront their evil at every opportunity or they will never understand their lost condition and thus miss the opportunity to repent. Regardless, if we do not confront evil it will grow stronger and bolder until it acts:
1 Samuel 15:2-3 (ESV) Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
At times we must be ready to destroy evil. We must understand that some people are just so far gone they are beyond accepting grace and repenting. And we should never shy away from protecting our families, neighbors, or other Meshiachim.
Islam is today rising and growing bolder because the media and liberal politicians refuse to confront them with the truth. They pander to and fawn over Muslims, calling Islam "a religion of peace” and portraying Muslims as victims. Even the Roman Catholic Church, once the staunch defender which saved Europe from Islam for centuries has now embraced it. Pope Francis allowed the Quran to be read at St. Peter’s Basilica, and on a visit to the White House he kissed a Quran and said that the Quran and the Holy Bible are the same. It’s no wonder that terrorism is on the rise and Islam is spreading rapidly.
1 Samuel 15:5-6 (ESV) And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
We must always be aware there are those in any culture who may be innocent. Many in Muslim countries for example are coming to Messianic Judaism or Christianity. Beit Aveinu has established synagogues in Muslim countries, and more in the works. These we must protect.
1 Samuel 15:7-9 (ESV) And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
The people spared what was good, and took the king, Melech Agag as a prize. Shaul as their leader should have stepped in and said “No. Destroy it all as Elohim has instructed.” But he feared the people more than he did El-Elyon/Most High God. When confronted with his sin he made excuses:
1 Samuel 15:20-21 (ESV) And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
“The people, they did it. And any way we are going to sacrifice everything to the Lrd.” Not good enough. When you are appointed leader the buck stops with you. It was his job to make sure everything was done as Adonai said:
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV) And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”
Being right is always better than ritual. Obedience to the commandments of Avinu/Our Father is paramount. We may not have a Temple in which to make sacrifices, but we do have the ability to keep the mitzvoth. And we all can stand against evil, whether it be in government, in religion, in ideologies such as Naziism or Islam, or just someone we may encounter doing evil.
Like most of us when caught in disobedience, Shaul begs forgiveness. He also asks that the prophet return with him so he will not be shamed. At first Shmu’el refuses. He later relents and accompanies Shaul, however he does not forgive. In fact, he prophesies that El-Shaddai/Almighty God has torn the kingdom from him:
1 Samuel 15:24-26 (ESV) Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”