What
Does
It
Mean
that
We
Read
the
Portion,
Zachor
[Remember],
Before
Purim,
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
21,
1991
The
verse
says,
“Remember
what
Amalek
did
to
you
along
the
way
when
you
came
out
from
Egypt,
what
happened
to
you
along
the
way.
Blot
out
the
memory
of
Amalek
from
under
heaven;
do
not
forget.”
We
should
understand
why
we
must
remember
what
Amalek
did
to
us
in
order
to
observe
“Blot
out
the
memory
of
Amalek.”
That
is,
this
means
that
if
we
do
not
remember
what
he
did
to
us,
we
cannot
blot
out,
but
rather
precisely
as
much
as
we
remember
of
him,
this
we
can
blot
out,
and
not
more.
We
should
understand
what
it
means
in
the
work
that
he
says,
“Blot
out
the
memory
of
Amalek,”
and
if
we
have
no
memory
then
we
cannot
blot
out.
Therefore,
first
we
were
given
the
Mitzva
[commandment/good
deed],
“Remember
what
Amalek
did
to
you,”
and
then
we
have
the
memory
of
Amalek,
and
we
can
carry
out
the
Mitzva
of
blotting
out
Amalek.
It
is
known
that
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli
[vessel],
no
filling
without
a
lack.
Hence,
a
person
cannot
do
anything
if
he
has
no
need
for
that
same
thing.
Therefore,
how
can
we
blot
out
Amalek
if
we
have
no
need
to
blot
him
out?
That
is,
a
person
does
not
know
what
is
Amalek
or
why
we
need
to
perform
the
action
of
blotting
him
out.
Therefore,
first
we
must
know
what
is
Amalek
and
what
troubles
he
had
done
to
us.
Afterward,
to
the
extent
that
we
understand
that
he
is
causing
us
troubles,
to
that
extent
we
are
ready
to
observe
“Blot
out
the
memory
of
Amalek.”
In
other
words,
according
to
one’s
memory
of
the
troubles
he
had
done
to
him,
to
that
extent
a
person
is
willing
to
blot
him
out.
That
is,
precisely
according
to
what
he
remembers
that
he
had
harmed
him,
to
that
extent
he
wants
to
remove
him
from
the
world.
If
a
person
does
not
remember
that
he
had
done
to
him
many
troubles,
then
he
has
no
need
to
blot
him
out.
Hence,
to
the
extent
that
he
remembers,
he
can
blot
him
out,
and
not
more.
It
follows
that
it
is
impossible
to
observe
the
blotting
out
of
Amalek,
but
only
to
the
extent
that
he
remembers
the
troubles
that
he
did
to
him.
For
this
reason,
the
preparation
for
blotting
out
Amalek
should
be
that
one
must
know
what
is
Amalek,
meaning
what
is
the
role
of
Amalek
against
the
people
of
Israel.
It
is
about
this
that
the
verse
says,
“Remember
what
Amalek
did
to
you
along
the
way
when
you
came
out
from
Egypt,
what
happened
to
you
along
the
way.”
To
the
extent
that
a
person
feels
the
“what
Amalek
did
to
you,”
he
can
carry
out
“Blot
out
the
memory
of
Amalek.”
That
is,
if
a
person
does
not
remember
that
Amalek
harmed
him,
he
has
no
reason
to
blot
him
out.
When
a
person
introspects
and
wants
to
see
who
is
his
enemy
and
does
him
only
harm,
it
is
the
will
to
receive
for
one’s
own
sake,
which
is
called
the
“evil
inclination,”
since
it
prevents
a
person
from
receiving
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
the
Creator
wants
to
give
him.
Therefore,
when
one
looks
at
it,
to
the
extent
that
he
feels
that
the
will
to
receive
is
his
enemy,
to
the
extent
of
the
preparation
to
know
and
to
feel
the
suffering
it
causes
him,
only
to
that
extent
is
one
willing
to
obliterate
it
from
the
world.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written,
“Blot
out
the
memory
of
Amalek.”
That
is,
this
implies
that
we
should
know
that
we
can
blot
out
only
to
the
extent
that
we
remember
what
is
the
measure
of
the
bad
that
he
had
done
to
us.
Accordingly,
we
can
understand
why
we
read
the
portion
Zachor
[remember]
before
Purim.
First
we
must
understand
what
is
Purim
in
the
work.
The
importance
of
Purim
is
explained
in
the
words
of
the
ARI
(The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,
Part
15,
Item
220),
“This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written,
‘Their
memory
shall
not
fade
from
their
descendants.’
That
illumination
is
on
the
days
of
Purim
each
and
every
year.
Therefore,
in
the
future,
all
the
occasions
will
be
cancelled
except
for
the
scroll
of
Esther.
The
reason
is
that
there
has
never
been
such
a
great
miracle,
not
on
Sabbaths
and
not
on
good
days,
for
such
an
illumination
to
be.
In
this
respect,
there
is
a
big
merit
to
Purim
over
all
other
days,
even
Sabbaths
and
good
days.”
In
the
commentary
Ohr
Pnimi,
he
interprets
that
that
light,
which
was
in
the
days
of
Purim,
can
shine
only
at
the
end
of
correction
and
not
before.
This
light
is
called
“the
light
of
the
purpose
of
creation.”
That
is,
it
is
light
of
Hochma
that
is
clothed
in
vessels
of
reception,
meaning
he
wants
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
are
there,
which
come
from
the
purpose
of
creation.
This
light
of
the
purpose
of
creation,
called
light
of
Hochma,
cannot
shine
without
clothing,
and
it
dresses
in
the
light
of
the
correction
of
creation,
called
light
of
Hassadim.
Before
the
end
of
correction,
this
light
of
Hochma,
called
Gadlut
of
Hochma,
cannot
shine
together
with
the
light
of
Hassadim.
At
that
time,
there
was
a
miracle
because
of
the
fasting
and
the
outcries,
which
extended
light
of
Hassadim,
and
then
light
of
Hochma
could
dress
within
the
light
of
Hassadim,
and
this
is
considered
that
there
was
a
miracle
when
the
light
shone
before
the
end
of
correction,
since
by
nature,
that
light
can
shine
only
at
the
end
of
correction,
which
is
called
“in
the
future.”
The
miracle
was
that
it
illuminated
before
the
end
of
correction.
This
is
why
our
sages
said,
“All
the
occasions
will
be
cancelled
except
for
the
scroll
of
Esther,
since
the
light
of
Purim
is
the
light
that
will
shine
in
the
future.
It
is
written
(Shabbat,
p
88),
“‘And
they
stood
at
the
bottom
of
the
mountain.’
It
means
that
He
forced
the
mountain
on
them
like
a
vault
and
said,
‘If
you
accept
the
Torah,
very
well.
But
if
you
do
not,
there
will
it
be
your
burial.’
Raba
said,
‘Although
the
generation
received
it
in
the
days
of
Ahasuerus,
as
it
is
written,
‘they
kept
what
they
had
already
received.’”
We
therefore
see
the
importance
of
Purim,
that
they
accepted
the
Torah
willingly,
whereas
until
then,
it
was
only
by
coercion.
By
this
we
can
interpret
what
we
asked,
What
is
the
meaning
of
the
portion
Zachor
being
before
Purim?
The
reason
is
that
there
is
no
light
without
a
Kli.
Hence,
first
we
must
remember
what
Amalek
did,
for
Amalek
in
the
work
is
called
“the
evil
inclination,”
and
remember
the
troubles
he
caused
the
people
of
Israel.
Afterward,
once
we
have
a
Kli,
meaning
a
lack,
it
is
possible
to
pray,
as
then
it
was
fasting
and
crying
out,
and
then
they
were
rewarded
with
“kept
and
received
willingly,
for
the
love
of
the
miracle.”
It
follows
that
we
must
prepare
for
Purim.
We
must
say
that
the
preparation
is
for
the
need
and
the
Kli
[vessel]
for
the
reception
of
the
light.
This
means
that
by
feeling
the
lack,
we
can
receive
the
filling.
As
there
are
six
workdays
before
we
can
come
to
the
state
of
Shabbat
[Sabbath],
as
our
sages
said,
“He
who
did
not
toil
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat,
what
will
he
eat
on
Shabbat?”
meaning
that
only
when
there
are
six
workdays,
then
when
Shabbat
comes
there
is
rest.
Therefore,
one
who
works
on
Shabbat
is
regarded
as
“desecrating
the
Shabbat,”
meaning
he
desecrated
the
rest.
Likewise,
the
preparation
for
Purim
is
also
the
feeling
of
the
evil
of
Haman,
who
wants
to
destroy
and
to
kill
and
annihilate
all
the
Jews,
from
youth
to
old,
infants
and
women,
in
one
day.
Therefore,
one
must
pay
attention
to
the
Haman
in
his
heart,
how
he
wants
to
destroy
anything
related
to
Kedusha
[holiness],
meaning
anything
that
can
yield
something
that
is
regarded
as
Kedusha.
Regardless
of
the
measure
of
the
matter,
even
if
it
is
the
smallest,
he
wants
to
destroy
it.
He
regrets
that
he
hasn’t
the
power
to
overcome
the
thought
of
Haman,
who
wants
to
destroy
all
the
Jews.
We
should
interpret
that
“all
the
Jews”
means
anything
that
has
some
relation
to
“for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,”
this
he
wants
to
destroy.
This
is
called
“recognition
of
evil,”
which
is
a
Kli
and
a
lack.
Afterward,
we
can
receive
a
filling
for
it,
called
“light,”
which
comes
to
fill
the
lack
that
is
in
the
Kli.
Hence,
afterward,
Israel
were
rewarded
with
“and
it
was
turned
to
the
contrary,
so
that
the
Jews
governed
their
enemies,”
and
they
were
rewarded
with
receiving
the
Torah
willingly
and
not
forcefully.
But
the
heart
of
the
miracle
is
that
“the
Jews
governed
their
enemies.”
That
is,
when
the
quality
of
“Jews”
in
one’s
heart
governs,
the
work
of
the
Creator
can
be
done
willingly
and
not
by
force.
It
follows
that
the
heart
of
the
miracle
is
when
he
was
in
a
state
where
Haman
controls
and
wants
to
destroy
the
entire
quality
of
the
Jews.
But
when
the
Jews
control
one’s
heart,
they
can
observe
willingly
and
not
forcefully.
This
is
as
our
sages
said,
“Tyre
was
built
only
out
of
the
ruin
of
Jerusalem,
and
vice-versa,
when
one
rises,
the
other
falls.”
Hence,
the
heart
of
man’s
work
is
to
pray
to
the
Creator
to
give
him
the
desire
to
bestow,
as
this
is
the
heart
of
the
prayer,
as
it
is
written,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
When
the
Creator
gives
him
the
desire
to
bestow,
this
is
the
heart
of
the
miracle,
and
this
is
called
“a
second
nature,”
and
it
is
in
the
hands
of
the
Creator
to
give
him
a
second
nature.
This
is
why
we
read
the
portion
Zachor
before
Purim.
But
before
the
portion
Zachor,
we
read
the
portion
Shekalim
[pl.
of
shekel].
This
comes
to
tell
us
that
in
the
work,
as
The
Zohar
says,
“Shekalim
means
Even
[stone]
with
which
to
weigh.”
This
is
so
because
one
must
weigh
the
order
of
one’s
work,
to
see
whether
or
not
it
is
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
That
is,
it
is
impossible
to
blot
out
Amalek
before
one
knows
the
power
of
the
bad
within
him,
and
how
it
causes
all
the
distancing
from
the
Creator.
Therefore,
when
weighing
the
work
in
order
to
see
if
they
are
fine
or
not,
we
can
come
to
the
recognition
of
evil.
Then,
the
extent
to
which
we
feel
the
bad
and
cannot
overcome
it,
meaning
that
we
see
that
we
cannot
prevail
over
it,
this
is
still
not
regarded
as
“recognition
of
evil.”
However,
this
means
that
he
sees
the
losses
that
the
evil
causes
him
and
he
wants
to
get
rid
of
the
evil
but
cannot.
This
is
called
“recognition
of
evil,”
meaning
the
sensation
of
the
evil.
In
other
words,
when
he
sees
the
losses
that
the
evil
causes
him,
this
is
called
“recognition
of
evil.”
This
feeling
comes
to
a
person
through
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
when
the
light
in
the
Torah
makes
him
feel
that
the
situation
he
is
in
is
very
bad
because
it
causes
him
to
be
far
from
Kedusha.
But
if
he
does
not
feel
that
he
is
immersed
in
self-love,
it
harms
him
(and
this
is
called
recognition
of
evil).
Precisely
through
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
when
he
tries
to
obtain
through
them
assistance
in
the
work,
the
Torah
reveals
to
him
the
bad
in
him.
The
first
assistance
he
receives
is
the
recognition
of
evil,
meaning
to
recognize
that
the
bad,
meaning
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself,
is
bad
and
harmful
to
spirituality.
It
follows
that
the
meaning
of
recognition
of
evil
is
to
recognize
that
the
bad,
meaning
the
will
to
receive,
is
what
is
harmful
to
man.
And
when
one
feels
that
it
is
harmful,
he
can
pray
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart.
However,
we
must
understand
why
there
should
be
a
prayer
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart.
The
answer
is
that
since
one
cannot
feel
the
real
taste
of
anything
unless
he
has
a
yearning
for
it,
from
above
they
want
that
when
he
asks
for
something,
that
his
request
be
answered,
there
must
be
a
real
lack.
This
is
called
“a
prayer
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart,”
and
it
is
known
that
“heart”
means
“desire.”
Hence,
when
one
prays
to
be
given
some
filling,
he
must
have
a
lack
for
the
filling.
For
this
reason,
if
one
has
another
desire
in
one’s
heart,
it
is
a
sign
that
he
does
not
have
a
big
desire,
since
his
desire
splits
into
two
desires.
It
follows
that
neither
are
great.
But
if
he
has
but
one
desire
in
the
heart,
this
is
considered
that
what
he
asks
is
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart.
That
is,
he
does
not
have
any
desire
in
between.
He
might
have
a
desire
to
learn
Torah
but
also
a
desire
to
rest
and
not
exert.
This,
too,
is
considered
two
desires
and
is
already
not
considered
that
the
fact
that
he
wants
to
learn
Torah
is
one
desire,
since
he
also
wants
to
enjoy
rest.
Therefore,
we
read
the
portion
Shekalim
before
the
portion
Zachor,
since
first
we
must
know
that
the
will
to
receive
is
called
“bad
and
harmful,”
and
then
we
can
say,
“Remember
what
Amalek
did
to
you,”
when
he
enthroned
the
will
to
receive
over
the
people
of
Israel
in
both
mind
and
heart.
And
since
we
know
that
he
did
a
bad
thing,
we
want
to
obliterate
Amalek.
We
should
know
that
in
the
order
of
the
work,
we
must
make
several
discernments:
1)
When
a
person
begins
to
enter
the
work
of
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
he
does
not
feel
deficient,
since
he
knows
that
he
is
more
or
less
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Hence,
he
has
no
reason
to
say
that
he
has
bad.
2)
When
he
begins
to
examine
his
actions,
he
begins
to
feel
that
he
has
bad
in
him,
and
he
is
wicked,
but
not
a
complete
wicked,
since
he
sees
that
there
are
worse
people
than
him.
Therefore,
he
is
called
“incomplete
wicked.”
3)
When
he
wants
to
work
in
order
to
bestow,
he
sees
how
far
he
is
from
this
work.
Hence,
the
wicked
comes
to
him
with
the
“Who”
and
“What”
questions.
At
that
time,
he
comes
to
a
state
where
he
sees
that
he
is
a
“complete
wicked”
in
both
mind
and
heart.
4)
When
he
is
in
a
state
of
ascent,
he
thinks
of
himself
that
he
is
righteous,
meaning
that
he
will
remain
in
a
state
of
ascent
forever.
Yet,
afterward,
another
descent
comes
to
him
and
he
sees
that
he
is
wicked.
Therefore,
he
does
not
know
what
to
say
about
himself,
whether
to
say
that
he
is
a
complete
wicked,
since
he
sees
that
he
has
ascents
when
he
appears
to
himself
as
righteous,
or
to
say
that
he
is
righteous,
since
he
sees
that
during
a
descent,
he
is
wicked.
Since
a
person
is
close
to
himself,
he
accepts
a
bribe
from
the
body,
which
he
loves,
and
says
that
in
truth,
he
is
righteous,
but
an
“incomplete
righteous.”
In
other
words,
since
the
body
will
enjoy
more
if
he
justifies
himself,
he
says
about
himself
that
he
is
an
“incomplete
righteous.”
Because
he
has
descents,
at
which
time
he
is
in
a
state
of
“wicked,”
and
he
does
not
say
that
he
is
“wicked”
because
of
the
descent,
for
the
above
reason
that
he
accepts
a
bribe
from
the
body,
so
he
chooses
to
say
that
he
is
righteous,
but
an
incomplete
one,
as
it
is
written
(Deuteronomy
16:19),
“A
bribe
blinds
the
eyes
of
the
wise
and
distorts
the
words
of
the
righteous.”
We
can
see
an
example
of
this
in
the
manner
that
the
world
behaves.
We
see
that
many
people
buy
lottery
tickets
in
order
to
win
the
draw.
Each
one
thinks
that
he
will
win
the
grand
prize
in
the
lottery,
although
there
could
be
a
million
participants
in
the
lottery
and
only
one
winner.
Nevertheless,
he
participates
in
the
draw
and
thinks
that
he
might
win.
That
is,
although
it
is
doubtful,
he
thinks
that
he
might
still
win.
Conversely,
we
see
that
when
those
who
buy
the
lottery
want
to
go
some
place
by
car,
we
see
that
one
out
of
a
million
has
a
car
accident,
and
people
are
hurt.
But
that
person
who
bought
the
lottery
ticket
is
not
afraid
that
he
might
have
an
accident.
He
does
not
say,
as
when
he
comes
to
buy
a
ticket,
that
he
might
have
an
accident.
The
reason
for
this
is
that
since
a
person
is
close
to
himself,
he
cannot
see
anything
bad
about
himself.
If
there
is
something
bad,
it
will
probably
happen
to
others,
and
not
to
him.
Although
he
has
hopes
about
winning
the
lottery,
with
a
car
accident,
someone
else
will
“win”
this,
and
not
he,
although
based
on
what
does
he
determine
that
there
is
a
difference
between
the
lottery
and
an
accident.
And
yet,
“A
bribe
blinds
the
eyes
of
the
wise
and
distorts
the
words
of
the
righteous.”
Therefore,
when
one
sees
that
he
has
ups
and
downs,
he
says
that
in
truth,
he
is
righteous,
so
why
is
he
having
descents,
for
then,
during
the
descent,
he
sees
that
he
is
wicked?
As
a
result,
he
says
about
himself
that
he
is
righteous,
albeit
incomplete.
5)
When
he
is
rewarded
with
complete
faith
and
can
aim
his
work
in
order
to
bestow,
but
only
in
vessels
of
bestowal,
it
can
be
said
that
he
already
has
love
of
the
Creator,
although
only
with
the
good
inclination.
But
the
vessels
of
reception,
which
pertain
to
the
evil
inclination,
those
are
still
outside
of
Kedusha.
6)
When
he
achieves
“repentance,”
meaning
when
he
is
rewarded
with
love
of
the
Creator
“with
both
your
inclinations,”
as
it
is
written,
“And
you
shall
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart,”
meaning
with
both
your
inclinations,
the
good
inclination
and
the
evil
inclination.
This
is
considered
that
one
has
repented,
meaning
that
the
bad
in
him,
which
are
the
vessels
of
reception,
have
also
entered
the
Kedusha
[holiness],
and
he
can
work
with
them
in
order
to
bestow.
This
is
why
our
sages
said,
“In
a
place
where
they
who
repent
stand,
complete
righteous
do
not
stand.”
This
means
that
complete
righteous
cannot
stand
in
Kedusha,
meaning
that
complete
righteous
cannot
use
Kelim
[vessels]
of
the
evil
inclination,
which
are
vessels
of
reception
for
self-benefit,
so
they
are
corrected
and
are
in
Kedusha,
meaning
that
they
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
everything
follows
the
order
of
degrees,
from
light
to
heavy.
Hence,
the
order
of
the
work
is
that
we
begin
in
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
and
then
we
achieve
Lishma
[for
Her
sake].
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
our
sages
said
about
the
words
“received
and
kept,
kept
what
they
had
already
received.”
That
is,
thus
far
it
was
by
force,
as
it
is
written,
“And
they
stood
at
the
bottom
of
the
mountain,”
and
they
explained,
“He
forced
the
mountain
on
them
like
a
vault
and
said,
‘If
you
accept
the
Torah,
very
well.
But
if
you
do
not,
there
will
it
be
your
burial.’”
It
follows
that
thus
far
it
was
by
force,
and
now,
on
Purim,
they
accepted
it
willingly.
This
is
called
“the
order
of
the
work.”
That
is,
the
beginning
of
man’s
work
should
be
by
force.
By
nature,
when
a
person
wants
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
his
body
objects
to
it.
This
means
that
in
truth,
we
begin
in
Lo
Lishma,
when
the
body
does
not
object
so
much,
since
when
it
believes
that
it
will
be
rewarded
for
relinquishing
small
pleasures
and
receive
in
return
great
pleasures,
meaning
he
promises
the
body
that
it
will
receive
a
greater
reward
in
return
for
his
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
this
is
not
against
nature.
Hence,
this
is
truly
the
first
beginning.
But
afterward,
when
he
begins
the
work
in
order
to
bestow,
the
body
resists
it
as
it
contradicts
the
nature
with
which
it
was
born,
which
is
to
think
only
about
its
own
benefit.
At
that
time,
the
work
is
coercive.
That
is,
he
must
not
look
at
the
body,
whether
it
agrees
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
Rather,
one
must
do
everything
by
force,
even
if
the
body
disagrees.
This
coercion
that
a
person
does
is
regarded
as
“a
prayer,”
since
a
person
wants
to
observe
“love
the
Lord
your
God,”
but
sees
that
he
has
no
love
for
the
Creator,
for
there
is
a
rule
that
where
there
is
love
there
is
no
coercion.
Rather,
specifically
where
there
is
no
love,
and
a
person
wants
to
work
for
someone
for
whom
he
has
no
love,
he
can
work
for
Him.
Thus,
we
should
ask,
If
a
person
has
no
love
for
the
Creator,
why
does
he
work
for
Him?
That
is,
Why
should
one
work
coercively?
The
answer
is
that
we
were
given
faith.
A
person
must
believe
that
through
the
coercion
that
he
forces
himself,
and
he
truly
wants
to
love
the
Creator,
this
is
a
prayer.
By
this
he
will
be
rewarded
with
“accepted
willingly,
for
the
love
of
the
miracle.”
That
is,
the
Creator
gave
them
the
second
nature,
which
is
the
desire
to
bestow,
and
they
were
rewarded
with
the
love
of
the
Creator
and
received
everything
willingly.