Why Do We Need to Remember Amalek Every Year?

This Shabbat is one of those reminders. Before Purim, we read Parshat Zachor and fulfill the mitzvah to remember how Amalek attacked us. It is striking that this mitzvah is observed annually. The Chatam Sofer famously argued that memory fades after 12 months, and therefore the Torah requires us to recall Amalek at least once a year so we do not forget the danger or the lesson.

But let’s be honest: do we really need reminders?