The Truly Forgotten

The Jewish nation has had many enemies. Why, then, single out Amalek’s act (Deut. 25: 17-19) as particularly contemptible? What was it about Amalek that was especially despicable?

The Torah describes it as follows: “asher korkha baderekh – he stopped you ‘cold’ in your tracks.” Whom did Amalek attack? Not all of Israel, but only a particular segment of our people: “vay’zanev bekha kol haneheshalim – he wormed his way into the stragglers – those who had fallen behind, v’atah ayeif v’yagei’a – while you were enfeebled and weary.” Thus Amalek’s attack was especially despicable because it was essentially the act of the coward.

For five Arab countries to attack, in 1948, a young fledgling state in its infancy, was an act characteristic of, and in keeping with, Amalek.

Sixty years on, what has changed? Nothing and everything – “nothing” in the sense that Israel is still under attack; “everything” in the sense that Israel is no longer weak and enfeebled. Israel, thank God, is strong.

For the United Nations – “united” only in its anti-Israel obsessions – to attack Israel’s campaign to defend herself, finally and belatedly, against rocket attacks from Gaza is admittedly not an Amalek-like act, since Israel has “caught up” and straggles no longer. It is nonetheless highly critical.

As the recent elections in Israel have illustrated, Israel has had to pay a price for its success. With the rise in strength and vitality comes a fall in sympathy and sentiment. But mature Jews, confident of their own destiny, true children of Israel who depend not on world opinion for self-validation, make no apology for Israel’s strength. If the only way we can win the world’s love is to be the “neheshalim – the straggling mutts of the Middle East” – let the world not throw us a bone and let them love us less.

The world insists, however, that every underdog must have its day. That is why that image – as our own recent elections here in the States have taught us – is a most coveted one. Particularly for the “Palestinian” players in the Middle East who vie for the attention and affection of our media.

But lost in the media’s fascination with Davids turning into Goliaths and converting Goliaths into Davids are the true neheshalim (enfeebled), namely the disenfranchised Palestinian….. Jews!

Truly, they are the real “ayeif v’yagei’a – weary and oppressed”. It is to them that we address ourselves on this Shabbat Zakhor.

Regarding this morning’s mandate of memory, the “Rogotshover” once remarked: zekhirah ayno shayakh ela al davar she’ayno l’fanav – “remembrance is superfluous unless it is applied to that which is not apparent”.

Quite apparent, since they are prominently paraded before us in the media, are the images of Palestinian Arabs who protest their supposed state of “statelessness”. (And Israel’s democratic system allows for the staging of such scenarios.)

Truly forgotten by the world, however, are the Jews in Arab lands. Truly forgotten are the 800,000 strong – or should we say weak – Jewish refugees. Truly forgotten is the $15 billion spent by Israel in efforts to resettle them. Truly forgotten are the Jews held hostage today by Arab, Persian and other Muslim governments. Truly forgotten is the fact that land that was developed by Jews in those Arab lands was confiscated by those governments – four times as much land as the total area of Israel today! Truly, Jewish refugees from Arab lands are the neheshalim, ayeif v’yagei’a of the world.

It is for this reason that it becomes all the more incumbent upon us to remember.

The Baal Shem Tov taught us: “Forgetfulness leads to exile; remembrance leads to redemption.” May our mitzvah of remembrance merit the redemption of these truly forgotten and oppressed, speedily and in our day, so that all Israel be privileged to experience the Purim promise of “Layehudim hay’tah orah vesimha vesason veekar, kayn tih’yeh lanu!”

Shabbat Shalom!