Tonight we will sing L’cha Dodi to welcome in the Shabbat bride. We say Shamor Vzachor, we should guard and remember the Sabbath day. It is a positive approach of remembrance. Yet, the same word, zachor, remember, is used to remember the acts of the evil Amalek, acts of destruction for the sole purpose of sinat chinam, senseless hatred.
While these two ways of thinking appear vastly different, in fact, the principle behind remembering, both good and evil, is the same. Rabbi Yitzchak Sladowsky teaches that remembering Shabbat prevents spiritual disease. We preserve the holy and the sacred, engaging in preventative medicine of the soul. Amalek is an evil that cannot be saved. It must be removed. WE must remember this too! As we kindle the Shabbat candles, that small spark of light permits us to engage in these acts of remembrance. WE dress up on Purim with the prayer that Amalek will no longer exist in our lives. And yet, we wake up each morning knowing that there is more work to be done. Remember….Remember that Shabbat does not arrive by itself. It is we who make Shabbat, it is we who create the palace in time, and it is we who mark the sacred moments in our lives. So let’s remember…
