Parshas Tetzaveh (Zachor) 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Feb 28
- 2 min read
כה אמר ה' ... פקדתי את אשר עשה עמלק לישראל ... בעלתו ממצרים ... (שמואל א' טו-ב)
In the Haftorah for Parshas Zachor, Shmuel HaNavi admonishes Shaul Hamelech for miscalculating Hashem’s intention regarding the fate of the Amalekim. Hashem told Shaul, “I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, and how they had lain in wait … when he came up out of Egypt.” Surely, the eradication of an entire people should be deemed as significant enough to warrant immediate action, therefore, why did Hashem not “remember” this travesty sooner?
R’ Mordechai Druk zt”l (Darash Mordechai) explains that while Amalek was indeed a danger to society as a whole because of their deep-seated denial of Hashem, the destruction of the nation of Amalek had to take place at the exact moment under the most specific conditions. Killing an entire nation even if they are deserving of it would definitely have an adverse effect on those tasked with facilitating the deaths. As such, this delicate matter needed to be carried out by someone with nothing less than a stellar character. Since Chazal say that Shaul Hamelech was like a one-year-old baby in terms of sin, it only made sense for Hashem to wait a while and task him with the eradication of Amalek, since he would ensure that it would be carried out in the most dignified, compassionate, and humane manner possible.
Sometimes, people think that substance doesn’t really matter so long as the job gets done. However, the story of Amalek makes it clear that Hashem cares just as much about who, how, when, and where a deed is done.