This Shabbas is called  Shabbat Zachor as we read the episode in which Amalek attacked the Jewish People. We are commanded to remember what the wicked Amalekites did to the Jewish People and by reading this in shul we fulfill our obligation. This is in preparation for Purim which we will celebrate G-d Willing this coming week.

In the Megillah we read about how Mordechai saved the king Achasverosh from assassination. This good deed of Mordechai was written down in the king's history book and this was eventually recalled precisely at the moment when Haman HaRasha was scheming to secure Achashverosh's approval to kill Mordechai. One would think that after Mordechai saved Achasverosh he would have immediately been rewarded and given gifts and praise for saving the king. Strangely though this isn't what happened. Instead the entire episode was basically ignored and written down in the history books. The merit and reward that was due to Mordechai was instead preserved and when the time arrived that it was most useful that act was remembered.

We can learn a tremendous lesson from this story. Sometimes we pray, repent, act virtuously etc. and we don't see a response from G-d. We think that our actions were ignored and that they had no impact. The truth is though everything is remembered and everything is written down in G-d's "history book", when the appropriate time comes those actions and prayers will certainly be repaid.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim,

Heath