Vayikra Pent.
Lev. 1:1-1:26; Deut. 25:17-19
SHABBAT ZACHOR
The Shabbat to Remember
Last Shabbat we joyfully entered the Hebrew month of Adar Bet, the “leap” month added to regulate the Jewish calendar and keep our holy days in their proper season. We are commanded to “be happy it is Adar,” because Purim falls during Adar with all its raucous and hilarious customs (you will not want to miss Surfin’ Megillah this Thursday night!). How fortunate that this year we get to double our happiness with two months of Adar.
Yet as soon as we enter Adar, we encounter the flip side of our hilarity - the face of evil from which we are saved in Megillat Esther. The Shabbat before Purim is called Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remembrance, during which we include an excerpt from Deuteronomy (25:17-19) in addition to the weekly portion of our regular cycle. The extra verses start with these words: “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt - how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers at the back of the community.” Amalek: the face of evil, the embodiment of Israel’s every enemy from the desert until now - Pharaohs, Hamans, Crusaders, Cossacks, Nazis, Hamas and Hezbollah - all those who single out the Jews for destruction with a viciousness that defies understanding.
This, then, is the somber undercurrent of our outward gaiety on Purim. The Esther story in particular highlights the challenging nature of the Jews’ collective existence in the Diaspora; we live with dual loyalties and, like Mordechai and Esther, find both support and resistance to our Jewish concerns from secular rulers. We know our friends in high places shift with each successive administration. (That is why we always ask in these election years: “Who will be the best candidate for the Jews?") In the character of Esther we see the ambiguity inherent in assimilation. Esther risks the loss of her Jewish identity, but it is her very place in the Shushan court (where no one knows she is Jewish) that allows her to save her people. What lesson do we learn from this? To seek secular power at the risk of our faith, or to risk the loss of power by adherence to faith and identity? Can we find a happy medium somewhere in our Diaspora life? The Megillah leaves us with questions to ponder as we rattle our groggers and tip back our glasses in L’chaim!
We celebrate our relief, our wonder, our giddy gratitude that against all odds we have survived, we have thrived, and we have renewed in every generation our ancient covenant with the Holy One. Let us blot out the name of Amalek, let us work for justice for our people and all peoples, that all the Amaleks of the world might be vanquished!
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim!
Rabbi Judy Shanks
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