The Maor v’Shemesh1 teaches us how to [spiritually] destroy Amalek2, the sworn enemy of G-D and of the Jewish people: through Ahavas Yisroel [‘love of one’s fellow Jew’]. He proves it from the encounter with Amalek.

In one of the three verses that we are obligated to hear on Shabbat Zachor3 G-D commands, “…you shall wipe out (‘tim-cheh’) the memory (‘zei-cher’) of Amalek….” The word tim-cheh can be also be translated as "you shall erase."

So, if you erase [the numerical value of] ‘memory’ (‘zei-cher’ – zayin-chaf-reish), which equals 227, from [the numerical value of] Amalek (ayin-mem-lamed-kuf), which is 240, you get 13.

Now, 13 is the numerical value of Echad (alef-chet-daled) which means “one,”and also of ahavah (alef-hei-beit-hei), which means “love.”. When we are like "one" and have love for each other, then we are destroying Amalek. And when there is "love" between two Jews we have twice 13, which equals 26, the numerical value of Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei, the [four-letter holiest name] of G-D, which represents Divine Mercy.

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Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from a teaching of the Maor v’Shemesh, as translated on ZchusAvos.blogspot.com and submitted by Yosef BenShlomo HaKohein (Jeff Obler a’h).