Dear Seeker teachers,
Since this coming week's parsha is Parshat Zachor I wanted to take this opportunity to explore the issues around Amalek as a bridge towards Purim.
Goals:
- Explore the existence of evil in the world and our responsibilities towards evil.
- Learn about Purim and what the kind of leadership Esther models in response to evil.
Themes:
- Memory -- Remembering
- Forgetting or Blotting out
- Evil
Resources:
Study the Book of Esther with your students-- especially chapters 2 and 4. If your kids don't know the story of Purim (most of them will have been at least introduced to it in our Sunday program) make sure they know the basics-- especially how and why Haman wanted to kill the Jews and how Esther saved her people (though she was reluctant to take on the mission at first).
Or, if your kids are younger than 8 use this version instead of the Megillah.
Background story to Parshat Zachor: (8) Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. (9) And Moses said unto Joshua: ‘Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’ (10) So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. (11) And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. (12) But Moses’hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. (13) And Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (14) And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Write this for a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ (15) And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Adonai-nissi. (16) And he said: ‘The hand upon the throne of the LORD: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’
Questions:
- Why did Amalek attack soon after the Israelites left Egypt?
- Look at the story that immediately precedes Amalek-- does that give you a clue to why Amalek attacked at that moment?
Midrash: “As long as the seed of Amalek exists in the world, neither the Name (of the Lord) nor the Throne are complete. When the seed of Amalek has passed from the world, the Name and the Throne will be complete Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, ch. 3
Question:
Why would Amalek make God's Name and Throne incomplete?
(יז) זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם. (יח) אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחַרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים. (יט) וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח.
Parshat Zachor
17Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came forth out of Egypt; 18how he met you by the way, and struck the hindmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn't fear God.19Therefore it shall be, when Yahweh your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky; you shall not forget.
Bablonian Talmud: Sanhedrin Daf 99a
Timna was a royal princess, as it is written, alluf [duke] Lotan,17 alluf [duke] Timna;18 and by 'alluf' an uncrowned ruler is meant. Desiring to become a proselyte, she went to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but they did not accept her. So she went and became a concubine to Eliphaz the son of Esau, saying, 'I had rather be a servant to this people than a mistress of another nation.' From her Amalek was descended who afflicted Israel. Why so? — Because they should not have repulsed her.
Consider what happened to Esav and his disappointment over not receiving the blessing he wanted (Genesis 27). Esav was Amalek's grandfather.
Now consider what happened to Amalek's mother Timna.
How does that help you understand Amalek?
Genocide:
For kids older than 11: Take a look at this website about Rwanda and storytelling-- http://voicesofrwanda.org/
Is storytelling a way of blotting out Amalek? How so?
Halakhah Le'Maaseh: Practice
Teach your students about the mitzvot related to Purim:
- Reading the Megillah
- Mishloach Manot
- Matanot Le-Evyonim
- Seudat Purim
How might each of these be a response to evil? (if they are old enough to consider this question).
How does the gragger fulfill remembering to blot out the name of Amalek?