Monday, May 10, 2021

When it's ok to be part of cancel culture

 https://www.thejc.com/judaism/features/when-it-s-ok-to-be-part-of-cancel-culture-1.512155

Jews too “cancel” our nemesis, but only once a year. The Torah commands us to “wipe out the memory of Amalek” referring to the biblical tribe who launched unprovoked attacks against us, preying on the weakest Jews who were trailing at the back of the line leaving Egypt (Deuteronomy 25: 19).

Similarly, we’re told that “the memory of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7). This, we apply to Amalek’s descendant Haman , whose failed attempt at genocide against Jews is recalled on Purim. We purge ourselves of Haman’s name by drowning it out with twirling gragger-rattles, booing and banging each time it’s read from the Scroll of Esther (Esther Rabbah 9: 10).

 

1 comment:

  1. But that's always been the paradox of that mitzvah - remember to eliminate the memory of them. But if we do, how do we fulfill the mitzvah? So we perpetuate the memory in order to keep on attempting the eliminate it.

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