Included in the imperative to remember Amalek’s heinous deed is the obligation to reflect upon the place where this incursion transpired. This seems enigmatic! Why should it be necessary to remember the place? Should it not be sufficient to simply remember the act? In Hilchos Melachim (8:5) the Rambam states that it is a mitzvah to constantly remember Amalek’s evil deeds and the fact that he ambushed us as we left Egypt. This memory serves as a source to propagate yet greater animosity towards him. This image, however, does not yet explain the significance of the location of the tragic event.
We may suggest the following. The prime objective of the redemption from slavery and exodus from Egypt was the revelation at Har Sinai, followed by the giving of the Torah. Hashem manifested the miracles in order to inspire us and to prepare us for that auspicious moment. Amalek’s arrival on the scene interfered with this heightened spiritual mood. The spiraling religious fervor that was imbued in us was halted. The opportunity for greater perception of Hashem was deflected. Amalek interrupted our intense spiritual experience. This is the significance of reflecting upon the place at which the flagitious crime took place. Although we reached great spiritual heights during Revelation, Amalek destroyed our unique opportunity for an extraordinary leap in our spiritual development.
