Teens Question, Ki Seitze 2025

Question

Why is קריאת התורה this week sometimes דאורייתא and sometimes דרבנן? 

Answer 

כי תצא ends with פרשת זכור - the commandment to remember how Amalek attacked us as we left Egypt. We make a special reading of that parsha once a year to fulfill the commandment. The mitzvah to remember what Amalek did is דאורייתא, so the special קריאה is also דאורייתא.

You might think that's the entire answer. When we read the words of פרשת זכור as part of the weekly reading in כי תצא, it's דרבנן, but when we make a special reading it's דאורייתא. That's true. But, there's a better answer. There are actually times when reading כי תצא itself is דאורייתא!

Understanding the answer starts by understanding what exactly we're commanded. The Torah tells us

זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק בדרך בצאתכם ממצרים

Remember what Amalek did to you on your way as you left Egypt

Devarim 25:17

We need to remember what Amalek. But there are a lot of other mitzvos to remember. For example, we're told to remember what Hashem did to Miriam as a punishment for speaking loshon hara about Moshe Rabbeinu

זכור את אשר עשה ד' אלקיך למרים בדרך בצאתכם ממצרים

Remember what Hashem your Gd did to Miriam on your way as you left Egypt

Devarim 24:9

We have a mitzva to remember Miriam... but we don't make a special yearly קריאה of פרשת מרים...

Why not?

The difference is, there's actually a second half to the mitzva with Amalek. We're told to remember, the same as we are with Miriam. But with Amalek, we're also told don't forget.

תמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים לא תשכח

Erase the memory of Amalek from under the Heavens. Do not forget.

Devarim 25:19

It's because of this second half of the mitzvah that we're so careful to have a special קריאה. Forgetting starts after a year. Chaza"l learn this from the pain of losing a close relative. After a year, the pain starts to fade as you start to forget. Based on that pattern, Chaza"l teach we need to verbally remind ourselves of Amalek every single year so we don't forget.

The מהר''ם שיק highlights an interesting דיוק in the name of his רבי, the חתם סופר. The גמרא that teaches us we forget after a year doesn't actually say "a year". It says "12 months". That creates a question during an uber yohr. When there are 13 months in a year, more than 12 months will pass between reading פרשת זכור!

The חתם סופר resolves the problem with פרשת כי תצא. He says a person can be יוצא the mitzva not to forget Amalek during an uber yohr by listening to the words of פרשת זכור during the leining for פרשת כי תצא.