Either:
I Sam. 15:1-34 or
Esther 7:1-10, 8:15-17
This week is Shabbat Zachor. On this Shabbat, we remember the command to blot out the memory of Amalek. Somewhat counter-intuitive, but a commandment nonetheless:
You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not forget!
- Exodus 17:19
The traditional Haftarah for this parasha comes from I Samuel. However, the Reform movement reads from Esther. The connection is that Haman (BOOO!) is said to be descended from Amalek.
So…what are we supposed to do here? I am continually working through my opinions of what to do with a text the Reform movement has decided not to read. Keep in mind, that these texts are not excised or considered less than the other texts. They are merely replaced with another text whose message is more appealing. Apparently, a description of an Israelite total war, wherein they are asked to destroy men, women, children, and animals is too much to be read publicly on Shabbat. In this sense, I agree. The reading is counter to our values and our understanding of the way nations should interact.
The Esther passage is not much better, however. Esther, tells the king that Haman wants to kill her and her people. This leads to Haman being killed. The part of chapter 8 that is missing, however, from the reading, is the part where the Jews take all of Haman’s possessions. Also missing, the rampage that the Jews go on in revenge.
Which passage makes more sense to read? Can we just skip a piece of history that causes us discomfort?
Neither of these readings is very positive. They are both about war and revenge and the price that is paid.
The Samuel chapter ends with Saul losing his kingship because he didn’t destroy the livestock (on top of a number of other issues with listening to God) as God had commanded. Saul wanted to save them and offer them to God as a sacrifice. This is not what God asked for. Destroying the Amelkites, in this case, destroys the King. His sons will die and his line will be no more.
The Book of Esther is filled with many things. One thing it doesn’t have…God. The Jewish rampage leaves God out of the picture. The Jewish revenge on Haman is brutal, seemingly unnecessary, and yes, out of character. They destroy the ten sons of Haman (chapter 9). His name is literally blotted out of our reading with loud noises.
In their downfalls, Saul and Haman appear to have more in common then we might think.
Saul is removed from the favor of God::Haman is removed from the favor of the King.
Saul’s sons are killed::Haman’s sons are killed.
Saul meets an early death on the day of battle::Haman meets an early death on the day of battle.
Saul is replaced by David::Haman is replaced by Mordechai
What can we learn from these two examples?
What, also, can be learned from the fact that Amalek, who we are commanded to blot from our memory in Exodus, is mentioned many times again in the Tanakh (from Torah to Chronicles)?
What is our Amalek? What would we like to forget but cannot? What would we prefer not be a part of our history?
Perhaps the Esther story and the rampage that follows is something in our history that we would rather forget. And yet, the calendar puts these two in proximity, every year as a reminder of our greatest triumph, surviving the wilderness against difficult circumstances and enemies, and our moment of zeal when God is forgotten. Moreover, we celebrate with raucous readings of the Megillah, carnivals, games and prizes, costumes, and drinking so much that we can’t tell who is our enemy and who is our friend. When we do all these things, are we hiding from our past? Are we blotting out the bad? Or, are we saying that if I can’t tell who is my enemy, I’ll treat everyone like they’re my friend? (The drinks help with that, too.)
This year as we blot out the name of Haman, our enemy, perhaps we should consider what it means to blot out our history, and if we ever can. We may not like what happened in the past, but are we therefore free to forget it? Can we skip over something that makes us uncomfortable?
Moreover, should we?
Friday, February 26, 2010
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Dear Daniel,
ReplyDeletePurim Sameah. This is an excellent post--both for the larger issue you raise, as well as for your analysis of the biblical narratives. As to the larger point, I'll just say the following. One thing I always liked about the traditional cycle of reading the entire parashah each week and all the traditional special readings for special days was the message this sent that the entire Torah (and nevi'im, for haftarot) is our Torah and that we have to constantly study all of it, think about all of it, and, if and when need be, wrestle with all of it. If we only decide to read what we "like" and choose to ignore other parts, we may never challenge ourselves and our beliefs as we should. We might also miss important insights and learning we might otherwise get.