Devarim 25: I-malek or U-malek

Chapter 25 contains the commandment to remember Amalek. This is fulfilled every year by a special reading of the end of this chapter on the Shabbat before Purim. Haman is described as Haman the Agagite, and Agag was the king of Amalek in the time of King Saul in the book of Samuel, making the reading about Amalek particularly appropriate for that Shabbat.The story of Amalek first appeared earlier in the Torah, in chapter 17 of Exodus. That passage also contains a commandment from God to Moshe to write down and remember what Amalek did. Why, then, is the pre Purim reading taken from Deuteronomy 25 rather than from the original narrative in Exodus? Why does Moshe repeat this commandment at all? At first glance, it would seem more logical to read from the actual story in Exodus, which already includes a commandment to remember Amalek.To answer these questions, we must compare the two passages.In Deuteronomy, Moshe commands:“Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt—how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. Therefore, when the LORD your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” (Deuteronomy 25:17–19)זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם׃אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים׃וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל־אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ תִּמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא תִּשְׁכָּחCompare this with the commandment in Exodus:“Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Inscribe this in a document as a reminder and read it aloud to Joshua: I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’” (Exodus 17:13–14)וַיַּחֲלֹשׁ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת־עַמּוֹ לְפִי־חָרֶב׃וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי־מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִםThere are two significant differences between these two passages. The most obvious difference is that Deuteronomy omits the narrative elements entirely—there is no mention of Joshua’s military heroics or Moshe’s raised hands and miraculous support. The commandment stands on its own, without the surrounding story.The second difference is subtle but critical and comes down to a single letter in Hebrew. In Exodus, God says “I will blot out the memory of Amalek”—אֶמְחֶה (with an alef). In Deuteronomy, Moshe commands the people “you shall blot out the memory of Amalek”—תִּמְחֶה (with a taf).This small linguistic shift reflects a major theological change. At the time of the original attack, the Israelites had only just left Egypt. Although they emerged victorious, their success depended heavily on Joshua’s leadership and Moshe’s miraculous intervention. God therefore reassures them that He Himself will ultimately deal with Amalek in the future.Forty years later, the people have matured into a nation. Moshe and God have prepared them to take responsibility for their own destiny. That is why the story is no longer necessary, and why the commandment is now framed as a human obligation. God no longer says, “I will blot out Amalek.” Instead, He charges the people themselves with the task. They are now ready for that responsibility.This shift explains why the pre Purim reading comes from Deuteronomy rather than Exodus. Purim is a story of Jewish survival without overt miracles, where human courage and responsibility play the decisive role. The Deuteronomy passage, with its focus on memory, moral responsibility, and human action, is therefore the fitting text to frame the holiday.