“זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק” – Remember what Amalek did to you. It says in the sefer עצי חיים regarding the mitzvah of mechiyas Amalek – eradicating Amalek, that there were two evils which Amalek perpetrated. The first is the evil he did with Klal Yisroel, that he went to battle with them. The second, and the main evil that he did, is that he went against Hakodosh Boruch Hu – he infringed on the honor of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Chazal tell us that the Name of Hashem, and His throne, will not be complete until the very essence of Amalek is obliterated. That which Amalek did to us, Klal Yisroel, is easy for us to feel for they are the reason that we are in golus today. All the tza’ar and afflictions that Klal Yisroel have are because of Amalek. However, that which Amalek marred the honor of Hakodosh Boruch Hu in this world, that is something we must also connect to, and want Amalek to be obliterated, so that the Name of Hashem and His throne will once again be complete in this world.
This is why there is a command, “זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק” – Remember what Amalek did – “לך” – “to you”. But the Torah also tells us, “תמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים” – that we must seek to eradicate Amalek from this world because of what he did to shomayim – that to this world, the Name of Hashem and His throne are not complete. We find a similar concept in regards to Shabbos kodesh. It says in the סידורו של שבת regarding the posuk “אך את שבתותי תשמורו” – the word, “שבתותי” – is plural, referring to more than one Shabbos – for the kedusha of Shabbos is split into two parts. The first part is called, “שבת לד'” – that Shabbos was given to Klal Yisroel to praise Hashem, and to toil in the Torah. The second part is called, “שבת לכם” – that is for Klal Yisroel to delight in food and drink. We can now explain the statement in Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer – Klal Yisroel said to Moshe Rabbeinu that one posuk says, “זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק”, and one posuk says, “זכור את יום השבת לקדשו” – how can we keep both? The intent of the question was that both of these mitzvos have purpose to be performed for the sake of Hashem, and for them to have personal benefit. Being that there is an aspect of doing it for their own benefit – practically speaking, how are they supposed to perform them l’shem shomayim?
Moshe Rabbeinu answered them,זה זכרהו לשמרו ולקדשו, וזה זכרהו להשמידו ולאבדו that first one needs to be mekayeim these mitzvos in the simple manner, doing it for oneself. Remember what Amalek did to Klal Yisroel, the terrible harm they caused, and remember to heed Shabbos and eat and drink. If one will do these mitzvos properly, then Hakodosh Boruch Hu will help them to get to the higher level, of keeping Shabbos l'shem Hashem, and obliterating Amalek for the sake of Hashem. It is a goal that we must have – and we must beseech Hakodosh Boruch Hu to help us get to the elevated status of serving Him.
- RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
