Shemos

1) On the Shabbos immediately preceding Purim, Parshas Zachor is read, in order to juxtapose the destruction of Amalek to the destruction of Haman (Rashi, Megillah 29A).

2) The reading of Parshas Zachor is a fulfillment of the biblical commandment, “Remember what Amalek did to you (17)...you shall not forget (19) (Devarim 25).” The Gemarah in Megillah (18A) extrapolates that once the Torah says “You shall not forget,” implying a mental cognizance, the enjoinder to “remember” must be a requirement to articulate our thoughts verbally.

3) Parshas Zachor is the last three verses in Parshas Ki Seitzei (Devarim 25, 17-19). This Torah portion relates the ambush of our Nation by the people of Amalek, evoking our hatred and inspiring our commitment to eradicate the memory of this bitter enemy.

4) The congregation should have Kavana (intent) to fulfill this commandment through their hearing of Parshas Zachor and the Baal Koreh should have Kavana to allow others to fulfill their obligation through his reading (Mishna Brurah 685, 17).

5) Although there is a disagreement among the Halachic authorities whether women are obligated to fulfill this commandment, (see Minchas Chinuch, Mitzvah 603) the custom is that women are obligated and should make every effort to hear the reading of Parshas Zachor. There will be a second reading of Parshas Zachor Purim morning before the women’s reading of the Megillah at 10:15 AM.

6) There is a disagreement as to how to vocalize the word "zachar". The custom is to first read the verse pronouncing the word "zachar" (zeicher), then to reread the verse pronouncing the word zachar (zecher). Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l maintains that it is enough to repeat the four words "timcha etz zachar amalek" twice without repeating the entire verse (Am HaTorah, Choveres 9, pg. 10). In the merit of the sincere fulfillment of the mitzvah of Zachor may we live to see a world devoid of evil and tyranny, overflowing with loving-kindness and the knowledge of Hashem.

7) The Rambam in his Sefer Hamitzvos (Mitzvah 189) explains that the purpose of verbally remembering the evil actions of Amalek is to evoke our enmity and inspire us to wage war and vanquish Amalek. This is why the Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 603) is of the opinion that women are not obligated in the Mitzvah of Zachor (Remembering Amalek), for if the purpose is to wage war against them, it is not customary for women to fight in war. (Others contend that women are obligated in Zachor because they must fight in Milchemes Mitzvah, war of Mitzvah Status.) This line of reasoning is used to explain the absence of a Bracha on the Mitzvah of Zachor. If the purpose of Zachor is the annihilation of Amalek, we refrain from praising and blessing Hashem over the destruction of His creatures.

The Minchas Chinuch is critical of this understanding of the purpose of Zachor. In Messianic times, after the people of Amalek have been destroyed, what benefit will there be in the Mitzvah of Zachor? Therefore, others suggest that the purpose of Remembering is to remind us what precipitated Amalek’s attack. Just as in the days of Mordechai and Esther, Haman the Amaleky had the upper hand because the Jews compromised Torah principles and were guilty of divisiveness, the freed Egyptian Jews were attacked by Amalek because they were lax in Torah and Achdus, too. We, therefore, remember the evil of Amalek to remind ourselves of the extent of our obligation to Torah and our fellow Jew. This is why the Targum Yonason (Ki Seitzei 25,19) translates “Erase the memory of Amalek from under the heaven, even in the days of the Moshiach, do not forget!”

Traditionally our Shul’s annual Maos Chitim Drive takes place around Purim. In order to encourage everyone to participate in this beautiful mitzvah allow me to share with you a number of concepts concerning Maos Chitim.

1) The Rama (O.C. 429) tells us, “It is customary to purchase grain and distribute it to the indigent for their Pesach needs.” The commentaries grapple with the Rama’s description of Maos Chitim as a custom, when in actuality the Yerushalmi in Baba Basra tells us that it is an obligation. The Mishna Berurah suggests (Shar Hatziun 7) that one may fulfill the obligation of Maos Chitim by distributing money to the indigent. The custom, however, is to give the poor the actual grain or flour with which to bake the matzohs. There are a number of reasons for the custom of giving the actual grain. A) A gift of grain is deemed more ideal than money since the needy individual can more readily benefit from the gift, as opposed to first purchasing the grain and subsequently baking the matzohs. (Matzohs were not available commercially in those days). Support for this concept can be found in the Gemorah in Taanis 23b. The Gemorah relates, that during a severe drought, both Aba Chilkiyah and his wife prayed for rain. In response to their pleas, clouds developed over her corner and produced rain. As a housewife, she gave Tzedakah by sharing actual gifts of food with the poor, in contrast to her husband’s allocation of money alone. B) Due to the tendency of money to devaluate, the concern was that the same amount of money would be allocated annually, failing to satisfy the basic needs of the poor. The custom of allocating actual grain reminded people that the gift had to translate itself into a sufficient amount of matzohs based on yearly market value. C) The Lekutai Maarich says that the custom of Maos Chitim is based on the comment of the Zohar Chadash in Bereishis that tells us, “That which the Mishna teaches, we are judged on Pesach concerning grain, is contingent upon how much grain was shared with the poor the previous year.” We therefore distribute actual grain in order that the blessing should fall on the new crop of wheat.

2) The Achronim explain that the obligation of Maos Chitim stems not only from the mitzvah of Tzedakah but is also part and parcel of the fulfillment of the mitzvah of “Simchas Yom Tov.” The Rambam writes (Hilchos Yom Tov 6,18) “when one eats and drinks, one is obligated to feed those less fortunate i.e. the stranger, orphan, widow, and poor. One who locks his door and eats and drinks only with his family, neglecting the poor and those of bitter fortune do not experience Simcha shel mitzvah but rather a hedonistic orgy!” Through sharing Maos Chitim with others we fulfill our personal obligation of Simchas Yom Tov. With this we can understand why the halacha of Maos Chitim was placed in the laws of Pesach as opposed to the laws of Tzedakah. There is also a practical halachic difference if the obligation of Maos Chitim is also a mitzvah of Simchas Yom Tov. The Mitzvah of Tzedakah is only an obligation when one has enough for his own livelihood, however, the mitzvah of Simchas Yom Tov demands that one borrow money to fulfill the obligation of Simcha. Therefore, one who doesn’t have enough income for Pesach must borrow money to give towards Maos Chitim as the parameter of this mitzvah transcends standard tzedakah and relates to the mitzvah of Simchas Yom Tov.

3) The Gaon of Vilna z’tl found an allusion to the obligation of Maos Chitim in the following pasukim in Bo (13, 6-7), “For a seven day period shall you eat Matzohs...Matzohs shall be eaten for seven days.” The first pasuk refers to our personal obligation to eat matzohs, the second refers to our obligation to ensure others have the opportunity to eat matzohs, too. The Gaon points out that the word matzoh is written chaser (i.e. without a vav) in the first pasuk and maleh (i.e. with a vav) in the second. This indicates that the obligation to facilitate the eating of matzohs for others is even greater than one’s personal obligation to eat matzoh.

In the merit of this altruistic mitzvah, may we all have a Chag Kosher v’Sameach.