It delights me when reading halakhic texts that are frankly dry to discover a glimpse of the dramas of daily life in centuries past. One such glimpse is on view in the discussion of the special Shabbat before Purim, known as “Zakhor” for its Maftir instructing us to remember the despicable attack of Amalek on…
Tag: Amalek
Amalek Inside–Zakhor 5776
It is considered a mitzvah this Shabbat for every Jew to “remember what Amalek did to you,” to blot out the memory of Amalek, and not to forget. This mitzvah is easily fulfilled by listening to the maftir reading in synagogue on the Shabbat before Purim, but it is not at all easy to understand the…
Confronting Contemporary Amalek: Zakhor 5775
I recently read Roz Chast’s memoir about the senescence and death of her parents entitled, “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” The title refers to her parents’ strident refusal, even in their mid-90s, to discuss their failing bodies and to prepare for the inevitable. The book is a brutally honest memoir by their daughter…
Rabbi Danny Nevins 