Zakhor Et Asher Asah Lekha Amalek
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Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman Epstein's radical 18th-century interpretation transformed the biblical command to "Remember what Amalek did to you" from a mandate for military vengeance into a call for deep spiritual introspection. Through gematria and creative textual reading, the Ma'or va-Shemesh controversially argued that the verse actually means "Remember you made Amalek," positioning human pride (ram) as the true internal enemy. Using textual analysis and midrashic methodology, this research reveals how Hasidic exegesis reframed the traditional understanding of confronting evil - not as an external battle, but as an internal psychological struggle. Close examination of primary Hasidic texts demonstrates how this interpretation revolutionized the Purim narrative amid contemporary political upheaval, presenting Amalek as a psychic construct that must be integrated through love (ahavah) and unity (ehad) rather than destroyed through warfare. The findings illuminate a profound Hasidic insight: authentic liberation comes not from projecting evil onto external enemies, but from recognizing and transforming the adversary within.

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Published 2004
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Daniel Siegel