What is the meaning of the “remembrance of Amalek”? Is it not sufficient simply to destroy Amalek? Horav S.R. Hirsch z.l. explains that it is not Amalek who is so threatening to the future of humanity. Rather, “zecher Amalek,” the remembrance of Amalek, the glorifying of Amalek’s memory, is the prime danger.
As long as in the annals of history the murderers and plunderers are venerated as heroes, as long as these heinous criminals are not buried into oblivion, their names will gradually be “cleansed.” With each successive generation individuals will arise who seek to glorify these “great warriors.” These people will awaken in the ignorant masses the desire to emulate their strength and power. When the Divine laws of morality become the sole criteria for measuring the caliber of men — consistent with one’s rise in power and esteem — the standards of morality will rise. Only then, will the reign of Amalek cease to exist.
One need only to look around and see how the most heinous criminals of fifty years ago have today become “heroes.” It is human nature to forgive and forget. Man, however, can not forgive a sin committed against Hashem. Amalek personifies he who hates the Almighty and seeks to challenge Him by brutally tormenting His children. Such a transgression can be forgiven only by the Almighty, not by human beings. This is especially relevant when the hatred and persecution continues under the guise of political expediency. This “state of the art” anti-semitism is the same hatred which has existed between Amalek and Klal Yisrael through the millennia. Perhaps if we open up our eyes, we will perceive how we are being blinded by the “zecher Amalek.”
