Kommentar zu Dewarim 25:17

זכור את אשר עשה לך REMEMBER WHAT [AMALEK] DID UNTO THEE — If you use false weights and measures then you must apprehend the provocation of the enemy, as it states (Proverbs 11:1): “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, etc.”, and there is written immediately after this (v. 2): “If intentional sin comes, shame comes”(Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 8).

REMEMBER WHAT AMALEK DID UNTO THEE. I have already mentioned the Midrash which the Rabbis interpreted in the Sifra:³⁸⁰Above, 24:9. The Sifra quoted is at the beginning of Seder Bechukothai. “I might think that it means, ‘in your heart.’ But when Scripture states, thou shalt not forget,³⁵³Further, 25:19. forgetfulness of heart is already stated. How then can I fulfill the injunction Remember? It must mean ‘by verbal utterance.’” It is also stated in the Sifre,³⁸¹Sifre, Ki Theitzei 296. “Remember what Amalek did unto thee means verbal [remembrance]. Thou shalt not forget³⁵³Further, 25:19. means [remembrance] in the heart.”
But I know not what is this remembrance through the spoken word. If it is to say that we are to read the section of Amalek in public, then we might deduce therefrom that the duty of reading on the second [Sabbath in the month of Adar the section] Remember what Amalek did unto thee is by law of the Torah!³⁸²Megillah 29b. On each of four Sabbaths preceding the month of Nisan there is a special Scriptural section read during the Synagogue service. On the Sabbath immediately preceding Adar we read the section of the shekels; on the Sabbath before Purim we read the section before us on Amalek because Haman was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites — Now it is known that the reading of the Torah in public was ordained by Moses and the prophets (Baba Kamma 82a). But, concludes Ramban, according to the above interpretation we may thus say that the reading of the section on Amalek in public is ordained by the Torah! See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 685:7, where this opinion is mentioned. So also we shall have in that case a Scriptural support for the reading of the Scroll [of Esther on Purim]!³⁸³See Ramban above, 4:2, as to how the Sages had difficulty in establishing this duty. But, concludes Ramban, in the text before us we have Scriptural support for the reading of the Scroll of Esther, since this is a form of “verbal remembrance.” However, since the Rabbis made no reference to it we must say that the correct interpretation of the text is as follows. The correct interpretation appears to me that the verse states that you are not to forget what Amalek did to us until we blot out his remembrance from under the heavens, and that we are to relate it to our children and to our generations, saying to them, “Thus did the wicked one do to us and therefore we have been commanded to blot out his name.” Similarly, in the affair of Miriam, we were commanded³⁸⁴Above, 24:9. to make it known to our children and relate it to the generations. And although it would have been appropriate to conceal it in order not to speak of the shortcomings of the righteous,³⁸⁵Sanhedrin 93b: “And does Scripture speak of the shortcomings of the righteous?!” yet Scripture commanded that it be made known and revealed so that the admonition against slander be put in their mouths³⁸⁶Further, 31:19. because it is a great sin and causes many evils, and people are in the habit of stumbling therein, just as the Rabbis have said:³⁸⁷Baba Bathra 165a. “All people are [suspect] of a shade of slander.”
Ki Thavo

זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק, "Remember what Amalek did to you, etc." The reason the Torah singles out Amalek is because this nation was unique, attacking the Israelites by seeking them out, not even knowing where they were to be found. Just as an eagle flies far and wide to search for prey, so the Amalekites marched through hundreds of miles of desert in order to locate the Israelites.

Remember. When a person sins, he comes to sin in one of three ways. Either due to a lack of faith in Hashem and His Torah, or because his desires get the better of him, or because his anger, or other evil interpersonal attributes overpower him. The chief sin showing lack of faith in Hashem is idolatry. The chief sin of desire is sexual immorality, and the chief sin of evil attributes is murder. Every sin is due to one of these three. For example, one who breaks Shabbos to earn a livelihood shows lack of faith, which is related to idolatry. If he breaks Shabbos in order to fulfil his desires, it is related to sexual immorality. The worst of the three is idolatry, since it demonstrates a lack of faith and also makes repentance very difficult. Someone who steals a valuable item from another may have done so due to his desire for that item, which is related to sexual immorality. However, one who has false weights and measures does not do so due to desire, but because of a lack of faith in Hashem, Who provides everyone with what they need with individual providence to every creature. This is related to idolatry. Therefore the Sages have said: The sin of false weights, even though it is only a subcategory of idolatry, and very far from the chief sin of denial of Hashem, nevertheless, it is more serious than sexual immorality, which is the chief sin of desire. It is much more difficult to repent from a lack of faith, and it is directly related to Hashem’s honor. Since this is the case, we now return to the topic of Amalek… Amalek came as a result of the doubt of the people as to whether Hashem was in their midst or not, through nature. They were concerned that when Moshe died there would be no more miracles. This lack of faith brought Amalek, and is therefore due to “the sin of weights”.

זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק, “keep on remembering what Amalek has done to you.” Nachmanides writes, quoting our sages (Sifri) on our verse that the word זכור is to be understood as remembering by mouth, i.e. reading the appropriate verses in the Torah, whereas the words לא תשכח, at the end of the paragraph refer to remembering in one’s heart. Nachmanides continues that he does not understand what Sifri has in mind when he says that זכור refers to “remembering” by mouth. If it referred to the reading of the paragraphs in the Torah dealing with Amalek’s attack in a public reading, this is a long established custom on the Sabbath before Purim, (as well as the reading of the actual report in Beshalach which is read on the morning of Purim.) He therefore concludes that what is meant is that we (subsequent generations) must not forget what Amalek has done to us until the time comes when the memory of his erstwhile existence has been expunged from history. While Anmalek or his descendants still exist on earth, we must make sure that in educating our children we impress upon them who he was and what he hoped to accomplish, namely the extinction of the Jewish people by any means possible. The same holds true for what happened to Miriam. In spite of the fact that we normally gloss over shortcomings of our righteous forbears, in this case the moral ethical advantage to be derived from remembering that episode outweighs the danger of thereby detracting from Miriam’s many merits. The sin of badmouthing people is such that we must be on our guard against it at all times, and demonstrate by the example of Miriam that even the greatest people are liable to trip up. We, who cannot measure up to such people must therefore be especially on guard against becoming guilty of that sin.

זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק, “Remember (constantly) what Amalek has done to you.” The reason the paragraph dealing with Amalek was written at this point is to teach that if your business practices are corrupt you will have reason to worry about provocation by enemies. Our sages base this on the sequence of Proverbs 11,1: “dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,” followed in verse 2 of the same chapter by: “evil is followed by disgrace in its wake.” It seems to me that this is also the reason why the phrase: “for it is an abomination to the Lord,” did not follow the words: “you shall not have in your house different measures,” but was only written later. Had the Torah written these words immediately, the paragraph would have concluded with the promise of long life (verse 15). The Torah preferred to conclude this paragraph with the words: “anyone acting in a corrupt fashion,” so that the reminder of the attack by Amalek could follow it immediately. This would serve as a reminder that when we are attacked by enemies the chances are that we have ourselves to blame for not living up to the ethical standards of the Torah. It also teaches that Amalek did something evil to us, seeing the Jewish people had done nothing to provoke such an attack. Amalek traveled a long way from its home in order to attack the Jewish people and it did not respect the covenant with G’d. The expression אשר קרך is related to the word מקרה, “something unrelated to known causes (coincidence).” The Midrashic interpretation derives the word from קר, cold; the meaning is that Amalek chilled the hot dish in the pot, i.e. the whole world was under the impression of the invincibility of G’d and His people, an impression which Amalek sought to undermine, to prove as wrong.

And it is written afterward, “The malicious arrive, then comes mortification.” I.e., the enemy will come and provoke you to battle, and you will suffer mortification.

You shall not have. Know that Hashem measures exactly what each person needs for their livelihood. Someone cannot take even a hairsbreadth of what belongs to another. When someone lies and cheats with their weights and measures, the enemy comes and enters his border. The Sages state: The prohibition of uneven weights is worse than that of forbidden relations” (Bava Basra 88b) because there is no way of returning money stolen from the public. Furthermore he is lying about something which has a precise measure, and this is worse, therefore the ruler who is the worst punishment comes against him and attacks him.

V. 17. זכור וגו׳. Das Fernhalten von jedem עול, von dem Missbrauch jeder, sei es auch nur momentanen Überordnung (עול) über den andern zu dessen Schaden, von dem Missbrauch eines jeden Vertrauens, das ein Mensch in den andern setzen muss, wenn überall ein Zusammenleben der Menschen möglich sein soll, das Durchdrungensein von der Überzeugung, dass wir nur so lange Gott unseren Gott nennen dürfen, als wir ängstlich das kleinste Unrecht gegen seine Menschen auf Erden scheuen, und die daraus hervorgehende fleckenloseste Rechtschaffenheit in unserem Verkehr mit Menschen, das war der letzte Zug, den das Gesetz für das Charakterbild des von ihm zu leitenden und nach ihm sich nennenden Volkes gezeichnet. Das Volk, in dessen Nationalcharakter die Züge des Mitgefühls, der Rücksicht, der Milde, des Wohltuns gegen alles, was lebt, hervorleuchten sollen, wie dazu die letzten Kapitel des Gottesgesetzes wiederholt gemahnt, das überall bereit sein soll, "wohl" zu tun, dem solle es in allerersten Linie unmöglich werden, "wehe" zu tun, das soll im vollendetsten Ideal als "ישרון" (Kap. 33, 26) über die Erde wandeln, in dessen Verkehr mit Menschen solle es als ישר, als das geradeste, rechtschaffenste, biederste unter den Völkern sich ankündigen, und שארית ישראל, diejenigen, die alle Zeiten und alle Prüfungen für die einstige jüdische Vollendung durchdauern, erblickt das Prophetenwort in denjenigen, welche "kein Unrecht tun, keine Täuschung reden und in deren Mund sich keine Zunge des Truges findet; sie allein finden auf Erden ihre Weide und Ruhe, sie allein haben vor nichts und niemandem zu zittern" שארית ישראל לא יעשו עולה ולא ידברו כזב ולא ימצא בפיהם לשון תרמית כי המה ירעו ורבצו ואין מחריד (Zefanja 3, 13).

Den geraden Gegensatz zu diesem aus Gerechtigkeit und Liebespflicht gewobenen Charakterbilde eines Volkes, das nur in gewissenhafter Pflichttreue seine Macht und seine Zukunft erblicken, und durch dessen Vorgang die ausschließliche Pflichthuldigung einst das "Anteil der Gesamtmenschheit werden soll, bildet eine Völkergröße, die, wie Amalek, nur in dem Schwerte ihre Macht und in dem Niedertreten aller ungerüsteten Schwächern ihre Ruhmesfreude findet. Sie trat bereits bei dem ersten Hineintreten des Volkes der siegreichen Pflichttreue in die Völkergeschichte (Schmot 17. 8 — 16) diesem feindlich entgegen und ihr ward (daselbst) gleich bei diesem ersten gegensätzlichen Versuch das einstige Verschwinden aus dem Gedächtnis der Völker verkündet (siehe daselbst).

Die nunmehr mit ihrer Pflichtaufgabe in das Land des Gesetzes zu dessen treuer Erfüllung Einziehenden werden daher hier auf diesen ihren ausgeprägtesten Gegensatz, und zwar zu dauernder Erinnerung, nochmals hingewiesen, in den einzelnen Zügen seines Auftretens ihnen dieser Gegensatz zu ihrer Bestimmung zum klarsten Bewusstsein gebracht, und — während dort der Kampf gegen Amaleks Völkerprinzip bis zu dessen völligem Verschwinden als Inhalt aller völkergeschichtlichen Gotteswaltungen auf Erden verkündet ist — wird hier Israel aufgefordert, sich als mitwirkendes Werkzeug für diesen Gotteskampf gegen Amalek zu begreifen und zu bewähren, aus dessen die Menschen irreführenden, mit seinem Glanze blendenden Ruhmeslorbeer das letzte Blatt eben dann fallen werde, wenn nicht vor einem stärkeren Schwerte sein Schwert, wenn vor einer nur auf Pflichttreue gegen Gottes Sittengesetz aufgeblüht stehenden, nur von Gott getragenen Macht Amaleks Schwert zusammenbricht.

בדרך בשעת טירופיכם בצאתכם ,את אשר עשה לך עמלק בדרך בצאתכם ממצרים ממצרים בשעת גאולתכם (סיפרי׳), eure Gesamtheit (לך) war בדרך, auf der Wanderung begriffen, von ganz anderen Gedanken und Sorgen, als von Kriegsgedanken eingenommen; es war die Wanderung einer heimatlosen Menge mit Frauen und Kindern in der Wüste, deren Lage menschliche Teilnahme von jedem menschlich Fühlenden und nicht Feindseligkeit hätte erwarten dürfen. Und über jedem einzelnen von euch (בצאתכם) schwebte doch die Bekundung des einen Einzigen unsichtbar gegenwärtig, der seine Fesseln gebrochen und ihn aus der Knechtschaft einer solchen Macht wie Mizrajim zur Freiheit geführt, eine Tatsache, die dem Wehrlosesten von euch zu Schirm und Schild gegen jeden mutwilligen Angriff hätte dienen müssen.