Whether the English “Remember,” the Hebrew “Zachor” or the Yiddish “G’denk,” it is a sacred obligation of all Jews to remember our past in order to move forward meaningfully into any Jewish future.

A look back at Jewish history, and in particular, the story of Purim as described in the Book of Esther highlights the mistake of the Jewish people of the time who chose to participate in in the party thrown by the king celebrating their destruction and of the complete overturning of their almost certain annihilation through the devious plot of Haman, a descendant of Amalek, and the ultimate redemption through the hand of the Almighty.

To truly appreciate the underlying storyline of Purim, read this illuminating analysis entitled, “The True Story of Purim” from Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald’s Torah message for Tetzaveh 5780-2020. Out of respect for Shabbat, please consider printing it on Friday afternoon if you plan to read it on Shabbat.