Shabbat Zachor 2026

Shabbat Zachor (Shabbat of Remembrance) is the Shabbat immediately before Purim. A special maftir from Deuteronomy 25:17-19 is read, commanding the Jewish people to remember the attack by Amalek upon leaving Egypt. Hearing this reading is considered a Torah obligation by many authorities, and synagogues are typically filled to capacity.

Haman, the villain of the Purim story, was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. Reading about the commandment to remember and blot out the memory of Amalek immediately before Purim connects the ancient enemy with the Purim narrative. The haftarah tells of King Saul's battle against Agag and the Amalekites.