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Torah Portion

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THE FOUNTAINS
AT FRANKLIN

By Creating Holy Community,
We Blot Out Amalek Forever

carried within him the legacy of both
David and Saul.
He also carried the spiritual inheri-
tance of Judah in refusing to bow to
idols or mortals; for this principled
stand, he provoked the genocidal
hatred of Haman. Samuel reminds
Saul, and Mordecai reminds Esther
that the acts of an individual can
transform the life of our nation.
Thousands of years later, the same
ometimes it seems that Jewish
truth is evident. In the face of anti-
history is stuck in one place
Semitism, Jews must remain strong,
for the longest time. The
just, courageous and steadfast in our
names of villains may change,
faith. The megillah teaches us that
but their basic character remains, gen-
God's presence may be hidden, but it
eration after generation.
is never absent. Even in the
This is a basic insight as
darkest of times, we will
we approach Purim on this
prevail if we remain true to
Shabbat. It is a positive com-
our faith.
mandment to remember that
Unfortunately, this mes-
which Amalek did to us as
sage never seems outdated
we fled Egypt — how they
or old. The enemies of Israel
attacked the weakest
are as persistent and perni-
Israelites from the rear just as
cious today as ever. Even
we made our break for free-
should our external enemies
dom.
disappear, we have an inter-
The imperative of Zachor
RABBI DANIEL nal struggle with intolerance
is not merely an exercise in
and hatred. The battle with
NEVINS
historical memory. As we
Amalek
is an unfortunate
Special to the
turn to the haftorah, a text
but inescapable fact of our
Jewish News
taken from the book of
religious life.
Samuel that describes the vic-
Purim is, for this reason,
tory of King Saul over King
only a half-happy holiday. We do not
Agag of Amalek, we realize that this
recite Hallel on Purim because the
battle was carried out over centuries.
story ends with Israel still in exile and
When we open Megillat Esther this
King Ahasuerus still in power. It
week and learn that Haman was an
remains for us, the readers, to contin-
Agagite, we realize that our enemies
ue the fight against evil and to create a
may change names — but they retain
strong and just society.
their character. The only consolation is
This explains our Purim mitzvot of
that just as our enemies persist in his-
giving tzedakah, sending gifts of food
tory, so too do our heroes. Mordecai is
to others and eating a festive meal —
identified as "a Judean, the son of Yair,
these acts create a cohesive and caring
the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a
community and are a positive response
Benjaminite."
to the destructive power of hatred.
The Talmud (Megillah 13a) notes
Let us remember not only the vil-
that King David (of Judah) spared the
lainy of Amalek, but our own power
life of Shimei; this allowed Mordecai
to prevail over hatred yet again. O
to be born and to rescue the Jews. On
the other hand, it was another
Benjaminite, King Saul, the son of
Kish, who spared the life of Agag, and
allowed Haman to emerge and tor-
As our country contemplates war
ment us.
against a modern tyrant, what
The rabbis teach us that the deeds
can we do to strengthen America
of one generation impact on our
internally? Should America
descendants in ways we cannot know.
develop rituals of memory and
Mordecai is identified as a Judean
responses such as mishloach
(Yehudi) even though he was from the
manor- (gift baskets) to remind us
tribe of Benjamin (Yemini) because he
what is worth fighting to pre-
serve in our nation?

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Shabbat Zachor,
•
Parshat Vayikra:
Leviticus 1:1-5:26,
Deuteronomy 25:17-19;
I Samuel 15:2-34.

THE FOUNTAINS
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Conversations

Daniel Nevins is a spiritual leader at
Adat Shalom Synagogue.

AL# 630084627 • N PDJ031403

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11' (248) 353- 2810

THE

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