Modern Masters: Parshat Zachor | Rabbi Sam Shor | February 26th 2026

So good morning everybody. Just before we uh before we actually get to our source sheets, we have three special dedications for this year this morning. First of all, the shear is dedicated by Freda Greenbound whose yard site is the 10th of Adar. Also, this year is dedicated site. And lastly, I personally like to dedicate this year of the Miriam who is the father-in-law of my OU Iso friend and colleague Natan Candler Gabriel Manakim was among the developers of Israel's Aerrow missile defense system and he served for 25 years in the Israeli Air Force as well as uh followed that by a career of more than 20 years in the aerospace industry. and he was a humble devoted family man who also spent many hours in the bait midash and was also a bilah of great renown. So we we we dedicate the okay with that as our introduction I want to share with you something silly that came across my somewhat silly that came across my desk okay and that someone forwarded me and it reads as follows. Okay. Okay. There's a in many Jewish communities to eat four different kinds of on this shabas. Why amalik? Because these four different kinds of kougals are ro an acronym for the word amalik. And we're supposed to destroy amalik. So I guess the best way to destroy a malik is what? To consume amalik, right? So what are the four different types of kgle? Apple with an in. Okay. In Yiddish apple, tap tap as we would say in Hebrew. Male which is like matz which is kak luxen which is actual itriote noodles and cartel which is tap which is potato. So if you take those those four words apple me male luxen and kafel it spells out amalik. And there's actually pictures of different I have two different pictures of different you know uh um haisha companies who market this kougal amali kougal where they basically basically take a slice of four different kinds of kougal and put them in a pan together and call it amali kogle. Anyways that was something that came across my desk. So terms of destroying a malik. So we tend to struggle with this idea. We often think that this idea of you know how could it be that the Torah seemingly instructs us to commit genocide. So I just want to share with you a story about theic master of the Saskar. Okay. And then the story goes as follows. That one pur the Saskar stopped his suda and said saddle up the horses and get the carriages. It's time to blot out Amalik. Hisim were petrified. What could the Rebi mean? Was he so intoxicated from his parents Suda that he wanted to commit an act of violence? Being obedient disciples, theim got in their carriages and followed their rebi. He rode into town to a local inn where the Polish peasants, the Amalik of the of their day, who had no great love for the Jewish people, were engaged in their own drunken bash. The Rebi and his disciples entered the inn. When the peasants saw them, they stopped dancing. The music stopped. Everyone circled around the Rebby and as and the Jews as they walked to the center of the dance floor. The room was silent. The Rebi looked at one of the peasants and put out his hand with his palm to the ceiling. Silence. The peasants looked at one another. Suddenly, one of them stepped forward and took the Reby's hand. They slowly started dancing. The musicians began playing. In a matter of minutes, all the Cassinim and peasants were dancing furiously with one another. >> So what does it really mean to destroy a Malik? And that's what we're going to take a deep dive over the next few moments together to delve into this idea. Obviously, there's a mitzvah to blot out a Malik. And we have to understand what that means in all its manifestations. What does it mean to blot out a Malik? So, we're going to start with text number one on our sore sheets. Okay. Okay. This these are the we recite on Shabas and it says the tells us. So why does the verse say remember what did to you in the singular? Okay. When you say in the plural went forth from what's the significance of the word? So it's very interesting the the great master said the following. He says when are we vulnerable to Malik when we view ourselves as a okay as as a singular individual. When we don't see ourselves as part of a greater okay a greater collective that we call is when we view ourselves only as that's when we become vulnerable to that's we'll come back to this idea uh in in a few moments and of course in the Torah tells us that who was that they happened upon you when you're on your way and they harmed all the weak weakest ones at the back of your encampment when once again in the singular when you were tired and exhausted and they didn't have any fear they were not in awe of God at all and then the Torah says will be for you as promised as an inheritance to to dwell there you shall What? Obliterate any memory of Al Malik from under the heavens. Lo, don't forget to do so. Okay. So, Rashi, everyone knows this rashi. What does it mean? That they happened upon you. So, listen to the famous Rashi. You have it in your in your sheets with the English. So, I'm just going to read it in the regular Rashi because it's a little easier to read. This the word which translates as they happen upon you, pounced upon you, actually comes from the language of what? Cooling off and heating. They cooled you off from your boiling. What does that mean? that when the Jewish people were quote on fire with passion for they everything they experienced all the miracles that be that Hashem had bestowed upon the Jewish people so they were on fire with their faith and then what happened so because they were on fire with faith and because they the whole world had seen how Hashem had their backs in such a powerful miraculous way no one wanted to harm them at that moment but what happened one nation came forward and began and created a space showed the way for our other enemies to come and attack us. And then Rashi tells us this is like a burn a bath that's full of boiling water that no human no person could possibly go in the water. It's so hot. and one scoundrel came forward and dared to jump into the boiling water and even though he got scalded and burned he cooled off the waters for others. So Rashi tells us what that who was Amalik. Amalik was the the the force of the many many unfortunately many many enemies of the Jewish people to come forward. Once Amalik takes that first plunge, they cool off. They pave the way for others to come and harm the Jewish people as well. Okay, that's Rash's interpretation. I want to I want to take a look now at some of the masters of Jewish thought um who give us different insights and different ways of understanding this mitzvah of destroying a malik. So let's turn the page over. We're first going to hear from [clears throat] Viva. Do you need the sushi? I have >> Okay. Here. Here. Thank you. No worries. Okay. So, Rasav says the following in Ko do okay which is a famous essay Rafal Vetek wrote about the significance of the establishment of the state of Israel. And in that beautiful beautiful essay you take well it's a more than essay. It's already a book. Um if you take a look at text number three we're just going to quote from page 113 114 in called the the fake. I heard the answer from my father. bless memory. So here Roselves Vich is quoting his father the great rashiva Mosha Salvik. Every nation that conspires to destroy the Jewish people is considered by the haka to be a malik. So what's the first insight that gives us in the name of his father? That amalik is not an ethnic group. So the mitzvah to obliterate is not necessarily an an ethnic group. The mitsah to obliterate a malik is not specific to a specific ethnicity according to but rather what anyone who seeks to harm the Jewish people. So already based on this definition, what can we learn? That the Torah is not giving us a mandate of genocide, but rather a mandate to mandate to be a conscience to the entire world. That any any entity that seeks to harm the Jewish people and and subsequently humanity, we have an obligation to what? To obliterate. It doesn't matter what where they're descended from. My mother my father added, he says that as concerns of Malik itself, we were commanded to perform tumits. In terms of the actual original nation of Amalik, there were two mitzvos. A for the individual to blot out the memory of Amalik which is a covenant on everyone to slay any individual member of Amalik that he encounters as expounded in the Torah port. You shall blot out the memory of a Malik and B for the community to engage in communal military preparedness for war against a Malik. Sound familiar? As it is explained in the Torah portion of Bashal, the Lord will wage war with a Malik from generation to generation with relation to any other nation that stands ready to destroy us. We are commanded to wage war against it even while it prepares for war against us. And our war against it is a war of mitzvah in accordance with the command of the Torah that the Lord will wage war with a Malik from generation to generation. Okay. So, we could take this definition of like out of, you know, how people want to often interpret this and question this and struggle with this out of the out of the the realm of seemingly genocide and transform to the side of what eternal selfdefense and that says Rab Salvich is how we understand the mitzvah of Malik in every generation. So that's Salvik's definition in the name of his father Raosha Salvich. Okay, we're now going to learn from a number ofic masters. We're going to learn start with the great reb number four and begins to take us in a totally different direction in understanding the significance of the mitzvah of Malik. Let's listen to his beautiful words. Oh, so what is saying the is in our generation that every Jew has to remove the the capacity for evil okay that re that exists within our hearts hidden within our hearts that we could call a malik that's hidden within our hearts now listen to how explains this that we're we have a mandate to obliterate a malik any aspect of a malik that exists in the world. So we have to take a step back says understand what that means that if if asan quotes the famous zar that says every single barnach every single human being is an is a microcosmic world and therefore something exists in the actual physical world it exists metaphysically in the microcosmic world of the human being and therefore if there's a mitsute an aspect of a malik, of wickedness, of evil, of utter evil that exists in the physical world, then it's mirrored somehow metaphysically within the world, the proverbial world, the proverbial microcosmic world of the human being. Okay? And therefore there is an aspect of a malik which gives us the capacity to mess up and and do wicked things that exists within every single human being being tries all the time to want to cause us to mess up to miss the mark to sin to transgress. And this is what the Torah is reminding us. We always have to remember remember and the Rebi takes us the next the next step. He says what's the power of the Jewish people? We're told we're meant to obliterate the Amalik that exists within us. So what's the power? What capacity we have to obliterate Amalik? The power of the Jewish people is what? With our speech. The voice is the voice of Yakov. What is the greatest weapon? The greatest thing we have to protect us says is to share words of when a person has that capacity and his heart is constantly burning. Okay. for Hashem. Then what's that's the greatest shir the greatest we have is what sharing Torah with one another doing demonstrating that we love Hashem and his Torah and his people. And that's the greatest we have. But when a person puts that aside, that capacity aside, as the tells us, they went forth from. Now look what how look how breaks down the word. He says you have the words in that. Okay. They put their they let go with their hands when they let go of the kak that they have. Okay. When they no longer ded with the same passion, when they stop sharing Torah with one another, okay, using that for the right things, then that's when we be when we put that aside. That's when we became susceptible to Amalik and that's when we're always s susceptible to Maliko. That's when the rot came upon the Jewish people. When a person grasps with in all circumstances this awe of Hashem, reverence for God and in their reverence for Hashem, they refrain from transgressing any of Hashem's instructions and commandments in any way. What's going to protect them from from transgression? holding tight to our year as hashem using the that gives us the not for wicked speech or for but what for sacred speech and if we're able to do that says that's the greatest against the rest within every single one of us the proverbial proverbial okay so now if you turn to the next page the niml okay the great re He's going to build on this idea a little bit further about obliterating the from within as a manifestation of obliterating a Malik. So this is text number five as we learn the tells us that the Jewish people went before Malik attack attacked them. The P tells us the Jewish people went three days in the desert without May. And what's a mush for? Sarah kazal >> below Torah. They went three days without Torah. What made us susceptible to Malik? That the Jewish people were went three days without Torah. And this is what the Torah is alluding to for us that a Jew should not go ever three days without Torah. God forbid because what happens if we do that? Go three days without learning Torah. That's when we the can jump and we become susceptible to the god forbid. Okay. And therefore, a Jew has to always be strengthened by involving themselves always in the pursuit of Torah. This is what it means when the says remember what Amal did to you. How did how did Amalik get their kawak their power? How were we susceptible to Amalik? because there was Torah amongst the Jewish people and therefore it's appropriate at all times what to be engaged in the sacred pursuit of learning Torah byuk famously taught in Torah that one of the ways to define the word Torah we say Torah for its own sake is to understand that we learn Torah in order to what to lift up the entire Jewish people because Every single Jew is metaphysically connected one to the other. We share a collective soulmat and therefore when one of us is involved in the pursuit of Torah, what does it do? It gives spiritual power to the entire nation to every single Jew. And so therefore to just to build on what the Nim says here, he says what's the strength? Where do we get the strength to be able to overcome the and be that represents a malik? Okay, by being engaged in Torah, which means what? Understanding that our limitra is not just to improve my own circumstances or my own station in life, but metaphysically through my limitra, what what have I done? What have we done through our limitra? We've lifted up the entire Jewish people metaphysically, spiritually. Okay. So then he continues the last part of the of the instruction is not only remember but what obliterate from under the heavens. Okay, we have to what? Obliterate the okay what does it mean from under the heavens? Get rid of the from within you. And even though that's true, the low don't forget that we ought to always be cautious and aware that what that the is ever present. Okay? It's not just enough to to say, "Oh, I'm going to improve myself and try to overcome the Sahara." And if we do improve and we do do Chuva for whatever things the tricked us up on in the in the past, okay, we can't just now kind of lay on our laurels. Okay. Don't forget that what the is ever present. Remember, always be conscious that what that the is there and that he shouldn't come to trip us up again. And it's easy for us to understand this idea says the okay so says is the key to what? to overcoming the eight sahara to obliterating the within. So it's very interesting the okay may be set upon us. He takes us in a different direction. He offers a different interpretation of what we're meant to glean from this mitzah of obliterating a malik and and how we were susceptible to a malik. This is text number six on our sheets and he says the following. We learn in the medum and Rashi brings it the rashi that we learned in the beginning of the year. What there was a car they h they happened upon you on the way. It's from the language of what cooling off. Okay. And he quotes Rashel of the burning of the boiling hot bathtub. Right now, now listen how he explains this rashi and to understand this idea that I've introduced above. What is what does it mean that they cool us off? That they cool off the the flame of love, the burning love that we have for one another. They they put out that flame that we h of love that we have for one another. Because when we first went forth from Egypt, what we were we were so unified. We had such warmth and enthusiasm and concern for one another. And what did Malik do? They came and they cooled off that and they and they made cold that love that we had one for our fellow Amalik created strife this unity san amongst clauso when we first went forth from mitim we were unified not just unified we had a burning love for one another says the more of ash and what did what did cause okay and sadly we're still paying we're still paying the price for this centuries later, millennia later, we're still paying the price for this. Okay? This idea of of of of judging one another, of of lack of respect and unity, that's what makes us susceptible to a Malik. It's very interesting the ite brings related to purum and the and builds on this idea of the introduces related to the mitzvah the mitzvah of okay listen to those words not on your sheet okay but what's the idea of setting and giving gifts to the poor what's that all about came we don't see by Pak we do even though there is a m of of of ma of making sure everyone has matzism okay for for for pak we don't have this idea of of of everyone running around and giving baskets and right what what is this all about we don't see this anywhere anywhere else we could say the entire protection the strength what pro protects us against a malik is when the Jewish people are together as one because when the Jewish people are united as one entity a malik can never harm them can never come upon them says thetori and that's why on this y of a which is all about overcoming ham the direct descendant of a malik what we have this mitzvos of to bring to the Jewish people to remind on this day of puram it's all about restoring a to the Jewish people. Okay. So now you can turn your sheets over and we're going to learn from the ish kodes the rebi of the war ghetto the ps of the rebi rabus kama shapiro is actually named for his illustrous ancestor the who we learned from just a few moments ago and the pessi takes us this idea of in a completely even different direction from what we learned in the past few texts. Listen to what the psali says. Okay, we learn also this idea and he quotes his father the rabbi and he says the following the word. Okay, all of us have heard this idea of the expression of what being off the derek. What does it mean to be off the derek? What? that we're we're not exactly on the right path in terms of our commitment to belief in God and faith and our commitment to Torah etc. So he says what is what's meaning they cooled them off what in their thoughts in their belief in their faith in Hashem okay what's what's alluded to in our before came to fight with the Jewish people that there were the weak. Okay, if you look back at the P it says that who did Amalik begin to attack the weak at the back of the encampment. So says that the the rabbi of gisk again the PSI is quoting his father the great rebel of gisk says gisk that what does it mean that they attack the weak and that they passed upon us in our in our belief in our faith in God. He says that they began by what? Seeing. When they came to the encampment, they saw there were those who were weakened in their faith in God. Who had began to see beauty in the other ways, the other belief systems, just like Amalik saw that beauty. When Amalik saw that they had weak, the weak amongst the Jewish encampment had that shared affinity for the theot for the things that were outside of Torah, that were outside of belief in Hashem. That's who they attacked first and that and then they realized ah we already see that amongst the encampment how there are those who are weak in their faith in God. Let's let's cool off the rest of the encampment also. Let's let's spread these ideas. Let's let's infiltrate the the entire camp with these ideas, these outside ideas which will cause further disunityity and strife and and make them susceptible. as we said last two weeks ago in this year that what was the the what's the what's perm all about perm is what uniting us not just to be and to be doesn't just mean that we're nice to each other to be means as we learned from from the from the from from maken two weeks ago what does it mean to be it means to have a shared sense of purpose a shared sense of values okay it's not just to be nice we have to have a united front. What protects us from our enemies when we have a shared sense of values and purpose? We're going to come back to this idea in just a moment as well. Now, we're going to learn from the next text, Rabbi Barak Simon. Rabbi Barak Simon, of course, one of the great Russia Yeshiva and yeshiva university. Um, and he has a beautiful set on on called Barak. And in the Barak, Rabbi Simon brings this all together. And and then I'm going to share one last idea that's not on our sheets. What is the essential message that we're meant to take home when we read this para the para of doing war doing battle with Malik to recognize how great the power of desecration is. Okay, which comes to the power of being disgraceful or silly. And therefore, what's the antidote to those to those weaknesses? Therefore, we have to what? Strengthen our capacity to praise. to praise and recognize the importance that's hidden within every single member of the Jewish people, no matter who they are and where they're at. And when we strengthen ourselves with to see the good in every single member of the Jewish people and we're able to do that, okay, then what does that do? It transforms our entire relationship with not only with one another but with it unleashes a spiritual power in our was before this lacking and will merit to sanctify name and to give what pleasure to our creator. So says Rabbi Simon says how do we understand this idea of blotting al Malik it's building on these on these beautiful pieces from the from the from the hashmesh and from the Torah that we saw that it's all about what having a shared sense of values of seeing the value in every single member of Israel and when we're able to do [clears throat] that then we're susceptible to nothing okay that's true and I want to bring this all together with one last word okay the founding rashiva of yeshiva in gush known as the gushiva smit explain that that happened upon you they pounce upon you by happen stance so listen to this beautiful teacher from from raamal raal suggest that a ka means that what that a malik randomly happened upon us they didn't plan to attack us they randomly encountered us and therefore they attacked attack us. Whoever Al Malik encountered, they attacked. They didn't have any specific hatred for the Jews specifically says says says uh says Raal, but rather they anyone they encountered they attacked. It was totally random. So how do we blot out a Malik says Raal? By living lives which are not random by living lives of utter purpose. Okay. They're full of purpose, values, and meaning. That is the mitzvah today to blot out Malik. So, just to bring this all together, the Malik is not necessarily genocide. Okay. The mitzah to destroy a Malik begins with destroying the Sahara. They we get strength against the Sahara. Our CA comes through Lima Torah and that allows us to remove the Sahara. There is a mandate to blot out Amalik. What does it mean? Because Amalik off our love for one another and therefore the antidote to Amalik in today's day and age is to love, respect and experience unity with every single member of Kal is and ultimately to be ambassadors for goodness to the entire world. In so doing, these four factors please God will lead us to the destruction of any amalik that rises to do us harm. My bra for all of us as we prepare for Shabb and the mitzvah of Shabar is that we should indeed take to heart all these beautiful ideas as we hear the zak being read the shabas and they should not only transform our hashem but they should transform relationship with one another which will ultimately allow us to stand up to any amalik that rises to to do us harm. All right. Shabbat shalom. Thank you. You're very welcome.