Bulletin Ki Teitze

other, that his name be not wiped out from Israel.” The words used here are identical
to the words found in the story of Amalek in Exodus and echoed in Deuteronomy. In
the case of levirate marriage, the point is to prevent a name from being wiped out. In
the case of Amalek, the point is to ensure that the name and the memory are wiped
out. But, the law of levirate marriage continues, providing instructions for what to
do when a kinsman refuses to do his duty, refuses to prevent the name and memory
of his brother from being wiped out, refuses to protect the widow. Lipton posits that
Deuteronomy is going so far as to imply that a kinsman who would refuse to fulfill
this duty is acting just as the Amalekites did, attacking us at our weakest. The desire to
wipe out the name and memory of Amalek becomes transformed into the desire to
wipe out the desire inherent in ourselves to act this way, to take advantage of the weak
among us rather than supporting them.
Deuteronomy also changes who is responsible for accomplishing this task. In Exodus,
God will wipe out the name of Amalek. In Deuteronomy, we will. Deuteronomy takes
the difficult, seemingly genocidal story of Amalek and transforms it into a parable
of Israelites communal responsibility. It becomes a moralistic tale of why you’d best
support the widow, lest someone accuse you of behaving like Amalek.
5784 – 2023-2024
Selichot with Cantor Brody
Saturday, September 9 th – 8:00 p.m.
Rosh Hashanah
Friday, September 15 th – 6:15 p.m.
First Day:Saturday, September 16 th – 9:00 a.m.
Second Day: Sunday, September 17 th – 9:00 a.m.
Yom Kippur
Kol Nidre: Sunday, September 24 th – 6:00 p.m.
Monday, September 25 th – 9:00 a.m.
Yizkor – 11:30 a.m.
Please send your High Holiday Forms ASAP
Don’t forget to indicate how many people will be attending services!
Beth Tikvah of Naples
1459 Pine Ridge Road
Naples, FL 34109
239 434-1818
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