04 Mar AL TIRAH – DO NOT FEAR

Last Shabbos, in cities around the globe, from
NY to LA, from London to Paris, from Sydney
to Sao Paulo, Jews gathered in shuls to hear
Parshas Zachor.
Zachor, to remember. On the Shabbos
preceding Purim, we take out a second sefer
Torah, and read of Haman’s ancestral nation,
Amalek. Amalek, the first to attack Bnei
Yisroel following the miraculous exodus from
Egypt. The pasuk tells us, “Zochor eis asher
osoh l’cha Amalek, Remember what Amalek
did to you.” With the change of just one
nekuda, one vowel, it can be read as oseh,
what Amalek is doing to you. The Purim story
is not over. The battle continues. Amalek is
still amongst us, just their names and faces
have changed. Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic
Jihad, and the hateful terrorist regime of Iran.
We read in last week’s haftorah of Shaul
HaMelech’s battle against Amalek, and his
mistakenly leaving Agag, King of Amalek,
alive. Generations later, the Megilla tells us of
Haman HaAggagi, a descendent of Agag,
planning to destroy Am Yisroel.
Almost at the precise time that we were

reading of Amalek, both in the Torah and
haftorah, news began to trickle in about the
outbreak of the war against Iran. Our hearts
were filled with concern and worry, not only
for our children, grandchildren, and extended
family, but for all our brothers, acheinu kol
beis Yisroel, living in Eretz Yisroel. We are,
after all, an Am Echad, one nation, one family.
The Midrash teaches that Esther said to
Mordechai “Kisvuni l’doros, Write my story
for the generations to come.” We know that

Esther was a humble soul, not into self-
promotion. Esther’s plea was not for personal

honor and glory, but to give hope and faith to
Am Yisroel. It is a story l’doros, for
generations. A story that transcends time and
speaks to us, fortifying us with the lesson of
emuna. Esther realized that while the Jews of
her generation were saved from Haman, the
evil of Amalek lives on. She wanted to leave a
message of chizuk. A message that when Am
Yisroel is faced with times of trouble and
danger, turning to HaShem in prayer with
sincerity and genuineness can and does make
miracles happen. That a v’ne’hapachu, a
turnaround, can happen once again.
Each day, following Aleinu, we say the few
short verses of Al tira, Don’t be afraid. “Al tira
mi’pachad pis’om, Be not afraid of sudden

terror, or of the dangers of the
wicked… for HaShem is with us.”
The Midrash tells us a story of
Mordechai, who was fully aware of
Haman’s evil and sinister plot.
Mordechai met some young boys on
their way home from cheder. He
asked them what lesson they had
learned that day. They answered with
the words of Al tira. Mordechai
understood that this encounter was
bashert, a message from HaShem
that his actions were on the right
path, and that there was nothing to
fear.
Each morning, as I finish Shacharis, I say the
tefilla of Al tira. I sing it to myself, with the
same tune I learned in school. In light of the
current situation in Eretz Yisroel, the words
have become so much more meaningful. It
imbues me with the belief that HaShem’s
miracles continue to be with us.
In gematria, the word Amalek is equal to 240
(ayin=70, mem=40, lamed=30, kuf=100), the
same as the numerical value of the word safek,
doubt (samech=60, pei=80, kuf=100). Amalek
is not just a physical enemy, but has the power
to plant safek, doubt, fear and worry in our
hearts. The message is clear. Precisely, when
faced with Amalek, when our hearts become
filled with safek, doubt, when we ask what
will be, what will be, we must strengthen
ourselves with tefilla.
The negative consequences of allowing
safek, doubt, to control us can be seen in this
week’s parsha, Ki Sisa. We read about the
tragic episode of the Eigel HaZahav, the
Golden Calf. A chapter in the history of the
Jewish people that is difficult to comprehend.
Try to imagine the Generation of the Exodus,
crossing through the vast desert, not knowing
what lies ahead. Moshe Rabbeinu was a
source of hope and strength as he led the
nation through the wilderness.
Moshe tells the people that he is climbing
Sinai, ascending to the Heavens above, to
learn Torah directly from HaShem. He
pledges to return after forty full days. Rashi
explains, that through a miscalculation, Bnei
Yisroel expected Moshe to return earlier.
When Moshe didn’t appear as anticipated,
the people began to panic. Rashi tells us how
the Satan played with their emotions. The
Satan brought confusion to the world,
making it a dark and dreary day. Many
concluded that Moshe must have died, and
they were now leaderless.
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that the
darkness brought upon by the Satan was
depression. A depression that brought on
fear, anxiety and uncertainty. These worries
and doubts led the nation to the sin of the
Golden Calf.

Many who instigated the episode were from
the “Eirev Rav” — the “mixed multitude” that
included Egyptians and others who had joined
Bnei Yisroel on the Exodus. Their faith was
lacking. They joined because they saw Am
Yisroel as a strong power and wanted to be on
“the winning team”. With Moshe not on the
scene, they planted seeds of doubt, which
spread panic amongst the Jewish nation.
“Make for us gods…” (Shemos 32:1). The
people turned to Aaron, and asked him to form
a god to lead the way.
It was only a minority that asked for a god.
But the power of persuasion is so strong, that
they were able to draw others to their beliefs.
There were divisions even amongst those who
requested a god. There was the Eirev Rav,
who were accustomed to a culture of idol
worship, and were ready to worship the actual
calf. Then, there was a group who felt a need
for an intermediary, on which HaShem’s
presence would rest. They had difficulty
believing in the abstract. They wanted
something tangible. Something they could see
and touch. There was yet a third group, that
saw the Golden Calf as an opportunity to
shake off the moral discipline of Torah. A
Golden Calf doesn’t come with rules or
obligations. They wanted a life free of any
moral or religious restrictions.
No matter what the reasoning was, safek,
doubt played an important role in bringing
Bnei Yisroel to the tragedy of the Eigel
HaZahav.
There is no generation that has a monopoly on
the havoc that safek, inner doubt, creates. As
the current war against Iran progresses, let’s
remember that every generation, from the
Exodus to Mordechai and Esther, to our own
modern times, has its Amalek. A battle of both
inner and outer forces. The Amaleks of
physical enemies, and the Amaleks of inner
fear and doubt.
As in the times of our ancestors, let us turn to
HaShem, beseeching Him to remove fear and
doubt from within and without, and He will
surely make a v’ne’hapachu, by obliterating
our enemies and bringing real shalom to all of
Am Yisroel, in Eretz Yisroel and throughout
the world.