Shalom my friends, this is Simcha Hochbaum of Hebron standing in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. This Shabbat, the Shabbat before Purim is also known as Shabbat Zachor. The Shabbat where a Jew is commanded to remember the atrocities of the nation of Amalek that was the first one to attack the Jewish people after the unbelievable miracles that we experienced in Egypt. “Lo tishkach” the Torah says, don’t forget the horrible affliction both physically, emotionally and spiritually, that Amalek inflicted upon the Jewish people. You know, the story of Purim comes about because we didn’t fulfill this mitzvah of eradicating Amalek.
When Shaul HaMelech had the chance. to put that final blow unto the Amalekite king Agag, he left him alive. And as a result of that came out a descendent of Agag whose name was Haman. It was Haman who tried to kill the Jews in the story of Purim on the 13th day of Adar, men, women and children. Mercy in its wrong place is not compassion. But rather it’s the opposite.
When one fights against an evil, Hashem does not only allow cruelty to enter inside of you, but you’re filled with more mercy and more compassion. As a result of us wiping out Amalek and finishing the job on Purim and going and getting permission to fight the anti-Semites and destroy all of those in the provinces of Shushan and surroundings, we Jewish people are filled with compassion and love.
And also on Purim we’re giving gifts to each other. All of the sudden on Purim we’re helping the poor. All of the sudden on Purim we’re filled with great, great joy. May we be privileged this Shabbat Zachor to always remember October 7th and give strength to the Jewish government to finish the job. To eradicate the evil. To once again see “v’nahafoch hu” to turn it all around. We should be victorious over all our enemies and be able to see great victory on all the fronts and be able to see great victory on all the fronts.
Shabbat shalom.
