Late October 2000
While the bombing of the USS Cole has been relegated to the back pages or the last news story, it is still very much real for us here and on US military bases around the world. As we lay our dead service people to rest, we must continue to remember their gallant sacrifice and pray that a time will come when such sacrifices are no longer necessary.
The Torah teaches vayavo Amalek vayilcham Am Yisrael bRefidim; and Amalek came and fought with Israel in Refidim. (Exodus 17:8) When the battle had ended, we read "And Hashem said to Moshe, 'Write this for a memorial in the book, and put it in the ears of Joshua, for I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.'"
God promises to blot out any mention of Amalek. Yet, in Deuteronomy 25 we are told, "Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, at your coming forth out of Egypt. How he met you by the way, and killed the hindmost of you, all that were feeble behind you when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God... You will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heaven. You will not forget."
Even as we are told to blot out the name of Amalek, we are commanded never to forget! Our dead have been laid to rest, but our hearts must make every effort to remember them. If we allow their memories to slip from our hearts and our minds then we once again open ourselves to attack.
For the honor and memory of our nation and those who serve let us blot out the remembrance of the horror of this cowardly at of terrorism from under the heavens. However, you shall never forget their sacrifice.
