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Dear Mogen David Family,

The haftarah of Shabbat Zachor opens with Shemuel's prophetic message to king Shaul to fulfill the mitzvah of utterly destroying Amalek. The connection between the haftarah and Shabbat Zachor is obvious. , however a second very important connection emerges as well.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu informs Shemuel that He has decided to punish Shaul's disobedience by stripping him of his kingship. Shemuel's reaction: "vayichar l'Shemuel vayiz'ak el Hashem kol halayla - Shemuel was very agitated and cried out to Hashem all night." Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not accept Shmuel's tefillah. The following morning Shemuel forcefully, emphatically delivers Hakadosh Baruch Hu's message of reproach and punishment to Shaul. "Ya'an ma'asta et devar Hashem v'yim'atcha mi'melech - because you have rejected the word of Hashem, He has rejected  you as king." Shemuel does not betray the slightest trace of the previous night's plea for Shaul. His tefillah having been declined, Shemuel completely surrenders to the perfect, absolute moral will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
This provides the second connection between the haftarah and parashat Zachor. More than any other mitzvah, that of mechiyat Amalek calls for our surrender to the [at times] will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The requirement to destroy Amalek me'olel v'ad yonek,  from young child to suckling, is morally counter intuitive. And yet, like Shemuel, we unconditionally surrender to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We can, as Shemuel did, attempt through the merit of tefillah to have a decree canceled. We can and should attempt to understand Hakadosh Baruch Hu's mitzvot to the best of our ability. It is, however, heretical and is 'kefira' to question Hashem's morality.
"En shemo shalem ve'ein kis'o shalem ad she'yimche shemo shel Amalek - Hakadosh Baruch Hu's name and throne are not whole until the name of Amalek is obliterated." Chachamim link the establishment and revelation of Malchut Shamayim in the world [i.e., the ultimate redemption] to the destruction of Amalek. But, as illustrated by the haftarah, we will not destroy Amalek unless we first surrender to Hakadosh Baruch Hu's will and accept the mitzvot. So on a deeper level Chachamim are teaching that the geulah will not come until we completely, unconditionally surrender to His will and moral judgment, bemherah beyamenu amen.
Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yehuda Moses Rav HaKehillah/Senior Rabbi

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