Confronted with the demand to fix the world, many of us content ourselves with complaining about it. Conscious of the immensity of the problems we feel helpless to change things. In our Haftorah this week, Samuel rebukes King Saul for this: “Even if you are small in your own eyes, you are the king of Israel…and God has sent you on a journey (1 Sam. 15:17,18).

This is Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat of remembrance. In it, we recall the attacks on Israel in the desert by the nation of Amalek. According to our tradition, Amalek survived to threaten us again on Purim because Saul did not take his own mission seriously enough. Yet, Saul is not unique in this regard. As Heschel reminds us from the Hasidic tradition, it is a sin to forget that every human being is majestic. We all share the spark that both exalts and obligates. Just as with King Saul, God has sent each individual on a journey.

When thousands gather at Never is Now, or make their voices heard in constructive ways throughout our society, we are taking our obligations seriously. We remember, and we act. It is not the other person’s task to better the world; it is ours.

On this Shabbat Zachor, we read again of Amalek and bring to mind the ideological successors who have sought to destroy our people. We commit ourselves anew to the battle against hatred, knowing that we cannot afford to spare a single soul in this critical effort. Our Torah portion begins with instructions to the Priest to light the Menorah in the Temple. Instead of sewing discord or standing indifferent, the Jewish tradition calls on us to kindle the light.