Zakhor | What are We Supposed to Remember

Zakhor | What are We Supposed to Remember, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The commandment to "remember that which Amalek did to you" is the focal point of the reading of "Parashat Zakhor" (Deut. 25:17-19) which is read on the Shabbat before Purim. The oddity of reading a passage which tells you that you must remember it - as opposed to reading the actual story of their attack (Ex. 17:8-16) is odd; odder yet is the self-defeating command to "wipe out the memory of Amalek" while concomitantly "Remember...do not forget". How can we wipe out a memory and then make sure to remember it? We explore what it is we are commanded to remember by using the Mitzvah of Retelling the story of Exodus, which seems to be the paradigm for the celebration of Purim. Along the way, several surprising observations help solve our puzzle.

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