"

We meet at this Azkara for Jane, at this day and place to

remember Jane, the day after we read Parshat Zachor. This is
not the only specific command to remember something, after
all we are told zachor et Yom Hashabat Lekadsho. But it is the
only command which not only asks us to remember, but also
not to forget Lo Tishcach.

What was so terrible about the Amalekite attack that that we

have both a mitzvat Aseh and a Mitzvat Lo Taaseh? After all,
the Egyptians oppressed us for hundreds of years, enslaving us
and starting a slow genocide by ordering the killing of every
male child born, and not only are we not commanded to
remember that but we are positively commanded not to abhor
them Devarim 23, 8.

Why the difference.
One of the answers is to be found in Pirkei Avot, Perek 5,
Mishna 16, which I will translate as follows:
If love depends on a specific cause, when the cause ends so
does the love. If love does not depend on a specific cause, then
it never ends.
The same applies to hate.
When hate depends on a specific cause, it ends once the cause
disappears. But baseless hate lasts forever
The Egyptians oppressed the Israelites because in Pharoahs
words

Beware, The Israelites are becoming too numerous and strong
for us. In other words their hate sprang from fear, it was
rational.
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The Amalekites however were not being threatened by the

Israelites. They attacked a people who were tired and
weary, and specifically those who were lagging behind

So the Egyptians feared the Israelites because they were strong
and the Amalekites attacked them because they were weak.
So the Amalekites were not rational, like the Egyptians. And
with irrational enemies, like most of those we have today and
that we read about daily in the newspapers, it is vital to
remember and also not to forget that this is a permanent war to
the end of days ' Hashem will be at war
with Amalek from generation to generation.
Going back to that mishna in Pirkei Avot
. ,

All of us here, and many others who couldnt manage to be
here ,had a love for Jane that was not . We loved and
admired her for who she was and for what she was. Her
courage in adversity, her humility, her kindness, her humour
and wit, her optimism and her simple but steadfast yirat
shamayim.
Her entire life was a struggle, with tough economic times as a
child, illness and early bereavement in her close family,
medical challenges throughout her life as a mother and wife.
Yet, amazingly, one never heard a breath of complaint or the
slightest hint of bitterness at her fate. She was, and is, an
inspiration to us all. And because this love of ours for her is not
dependent on anything external, it is a love that is
it will never cease. We will continue to remember her with love,
admiration and honour.
I cant let this moment pass without devoting a few words to
Chayim. We have all seen and felt the huge void left in your life
by Janes departure. Your daily with this has been
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painful for all of us to see, and I doubt whether anything any of

us can say or do can mitigate your pain. I hope that seeing the
way all of Janes friends have constantly turned up for the
monthly shiurim held in her memory is some comfort, and,
poignantly, tomorrow the Emuna group will be doing their
annual mishloach manot packing which she so enjoyed joining
in with.
Shlomo Hamelech wrote in Kohelet A time to
mourn and a time to dance. This seems to be a very harsh
apposition. Human beings cant just turn off their emotions at
will. But the Halacha asks us to do just that. There is even an
example in the Torah itself. When the Mishcan was dedicated
Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aaron HaCohen, died will bringing an
alien fire to Hashem. Moshe Rabbeinu calls to Mishael and
Eltzafan the sons of Uziel, the uncle of Aharon,

Rashi comments:
.
On the day of Am Yisraels simcha on the dedication of the
Mishkan, nothing was allowed to spoil the simcha for Aharon
and the people, not even the death of two of his sons.
We also have an example each year in the life of this country.
On Dalet Iyar we have Yom Hazikaron, surely a day of ,
yet immediately upon the setting of the sun we break out into
dancing separated only by the implied havdala
ceremony of the lighting of the national beacons.
Now nobody is asking you to break out into dance, but we hope
that this day of zikaron for Jane will mark the end of your year
of and we wish you and it is our fervent prayer to
Hasem Yitbarach that he give you the strength, the health and
the appetite for life to move on with a healed soul so that you
and Guyli can look forward to better times ahead.
!
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