REMEMBERING ST. JOHN’S WOOD

Many nations have attacked the Jewish people throughout history, but only one is commanded to be remembered as a permanent archetype of evil.

The special Maftir for this Shabbat recalls Amalek – not merely as another historical enemy, but as a symbol of something far deeper. His attack was not only physical; it was ideological. It challenged our understanding of history, destiny, and Divine purpose. That is why the command to remember him is eternal, and why this Shabbat refreshes that memory once again.

Amalek’s attack is described using the Hebrew word karcha, which normally means “encounter.” Yet Rashi offers three distinct interpretations of that word that define the Amalekite worldview:

• Chance: First, karcha implies a random encounter. Amalek argued that Israel’s presence in the desert was a fluke – he saw an opportunity and seized it.
• Impurity: Second, Rashi links karcha to keri (impurity). Amalek’s aim was not just military conquest, but spiritual degradation; he sought to defile the sanctity of the Jewish people.
• Coldness: Third, Rashi connects it to kar (cold). Citing the Midrash, he shares the parable of a fool who jumps into a scalding bath. Though he burns himself, he cools the water for others. Amalek “cooled” the world’s awe of G-d, making it easier for others to follow suit.

Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch shlita – born in London in 1926 and recently honoured by the King and Queen on his 100th birthday – notes that these three explanations are deeply intertwined. (Cited by R. Shalom Rosner in Shalom Rav, I, 441).

Amalek’s underlying aim is to assert that everything is random (mikreh). In his eyes, nothing has inherent meaning, nothing has direction, and history is just a series of accidents. Such a worldview both defiles and cools; it sullies a spiritual perspective and drains religious enthusiasm. If events are merely accidental, then covenant is an illusion and destiny is a fantasy.

To remember Amalek is to reject this randomness. It is to affirm that there is a blueprint. The Hand of G-d is present – even when not immediately visible.

This is the existential struggle of every generation. Who we are, and where we stand in history and geography, is not a coincidence. It is not mikreh. It is part of a Divine plan.

As I reflect on thirty years with this remarkable community, I am deeply conscious that it was not coincidence that brought me here. G-d guided my path and yours to St. John’s Wood synagogue. It has been a privilege to serve here in so many ways. I have had the opportunity to share Torah, to share in your joys and to share in your sorrows.

None of it was mikreh.

It has been a blessing. As we remember Amalek this Shabbat, may we strengthen our awareness that our lives – and our shared journeys – are guided, purposeful, and never accidental.

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