Seeing Amalek in Reality

Parshas Zachor

תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח

Devarim 25:19

"Wipeout Amalek + DON'T FORGET" -Are people forgetting something?

בשם גר''א זכר רב טובך בסגול תחת הזיי''ן כדעת הרד''ק וכן בפרשת זכור את זכר עם סגול

In the name of the Gr'a ''זכר רב טובך'' with the segul [the 3 dot vowel] under the זין like the da'as of the Radak, and thus also Parshas Zachor ''et zecher'' [with the segul].

Interestingly, "זין" means "weapon", fitting for the Mitzvah of Wiping out Amalek!

Chofetz Chaim: Chilchos Arbah Parshios

The laws of the four parshiot - Mishna Brura 685:18

"Be careful to read the words in their tune and their melody when you read parshas Zachor''

"know, that there are those who say [Gr'a], that you need to read "zeicher" Amalek

with a צירי tzeiri and those that say that you need to read ''zecher'' Amalek with a segol

Source: ועל כן מהנכון שהרורא יקרא  שניהם לצאת ידי שניהם - Mahril

"Therefore, it is fitting that the reader should read both of them to "go out" by means of both ways" - the emphasis is on "read" and not "say".  Sfardim "read" both and say one; Ashkenazim have the minhag to literally read and say both versions aloud.  However, the best way to do it, is as the Mishna Brura says:  "read".  With both ways, have in mind two and vocalize one - thus the entire mind is focused on the mitzvah.

Amalek is classified by the Gr'a as Erev Rav and the Erev Rav Amalek is deemed "baalei machlokes", thus it is of baalei machloket to consider this a "machloket" - this is simply a kavanah of two kavanot.  Ironically, if one were to ask, what is the machloket based on, the answer one would find is "I dont know!" (...due to the obscurity of the sourced Vilna Gaon) And if "learned" the response would be, "I forget." (...interestingly enough, many are not taught or even aware of the source being this obscure Vilna Gaon) The irony is, it isn't a machloket at all, it's a kavanah from the Gr'a from the Radak and brought down by the Chofetz Chaim as a tool of weaponry in the kriah to defeat Amalek. Thus to "forget" the source of the machloket is indeed ironic since the mitzvah in the psukim clearly says "you shall not forget!"  So when we read Parshas Zachor the ikkar kriah is to vocalize the tzeiri and have in mind the segol at the same time.  With this, one is definitely "yotzie" the mitzvah to read both while vocally pronouncing one; two single attempts is an expression and manifestation of sufek; sufek is the gematria of Amalek.

To beg the question: are you yotzie at all? Did you declare war on Amalek?  Thus the spiritual war in the mitzvah is brought down by the Radak, the Gr'a, and brought to light by the Chafetz Chaim.

This is the one mitzvah where it would be a Chilul Hashem to find sufek and machloket surrounding it. The objective is and must be understood clearly to wipeout Amalek.

The basis of the Gra is to show that two separate "parts" or ideas can actually be fashioned into one harmonious being as it is said in Navi: "they will become one in my hand".  From schism we find the repair of schism.  God forbid that Divine Schism should lead to disunity.  May the mitzvah of Parshas Zachor weigh heavily in the merit of bringing achdut to Am Yisrael.

May we witness the full wiping out of Amalek and eliminate sufek and baseless machloket this year with the fall of Erev Rav and Amalek...leading us to a Geulah Shleimah speedily in our days of 5772.
 Amen.

Posted in: 5772,Purim,Torah