Chazal ordained that Parshas Zachor be read on the Shabbos preceding Purim. Haman, a descendant of Amaleik, and his allies were defeated during the Purim miracle. This defeat was a partial fulfillment of the Divine command and promise to eradicate Amaleik.
Rav Shmuel Bornstein of Sochatchov in his Sheim MiShmuel provides an important insight as to the nature of Amaleik, what this nation represents, and how its defeat highlights a crucial aspect of Avodas Hashem. Based on his approach, we will attempt to find an additional connection between Purim and the - at least partial - elimination of Amaleik which occurred then.
B'reishis Rabba (63:8), comments on Eisav's name, (ESV): "Hai shav she'barasi b'olami - behold falsehood which I created in My world." Eisav used deception to have Yitzchak think highly of him (Toldos 25:28, and Rashi there). He is compared to the swine, who proudly displays his "Kosher" split-hooves, while inwardly remaining "non-Kosher" (Rashi ibid. 26:34). Eisav married at the age of forty just as his righteous father did pretending to be like him, but engaged in intensely sinful behavior beforehand. But, asks Sheim MiShmuel, lying and deception had already been introduced into the world with the snake who slandered G-d himself to Eve stating that He had eaten from the Tree of Knowldege and created the world and that they too could be like G-d by doing so! (Rashi to B'raishis 3:5)
Sheim MiShmuel answers by distinguishing between sheker and shav. Sheker refers to lying to others, but the liar knows the truth. This was the case concerning the snake. Shav here refers to lying where the liar thinks that he is being truthful - self-deception. In Eisav's view, he was deserving of the blessings and the birthright. Based on this self-deception, after Yitzchak warns Ya'akov not to marry Cana'anite women, Eisav marries Yishma'el's daughter, but he did not divorce his previous two Cana'anite wives! This was because he attributed his not being worthy of the blessings not to his sinful behavior but to his Cana'anite children who were not fit for blessing. This would be corrected by his fathering non-Cana'anite children from Yishma'el's descendants. There was no need to divorce his previous wives.
This quality of deception and self-deception was taken to a new height by Eisav's son, Amaleik, whose very name indicates m'ukal, crooked and deceiving, the opposite of Yaakov who is called Yeshurun, from yashar, straight (quoted from Rav Shmuel's father, the Avnei Neizer). Midrashim comment on how Amaleik used deception to wage war against the Jews by dressing like Cana'anites (Rashi to Chukas 21:1) and by pretending to want to engage in trade with the Jewish people and then killing them (Tanchuma Ki Teitzei 9). His quality is to implant within others deception and self-deception, to obscure truth and clarity of vision.
The ultimate elimination of Amaleik is brought about by Melech HaMashiach Chazal (Midrash Tehillim 43) indicate that there is an allusion to him and Eliyahu HaNavi, his harbinger, in the verse: "sh'lach or'cha va'amitcha - send your light and truth." "Your light" refers to Mashiach; "your truth" refers to Eliyahu. Light, representing clarity, and truth are the antitheses of deception and self-deception. Hence, Mashiach will fulfill the commandment to eliminate Amaleik.
The original war with Amaleik recorded in Parshas B'Shalach, read on Purim day, speaks of Hashem destroying Amaleik, "Macho Emche es zeicher Amaleik - I will blot out the memory of Amaleik." Parshas Ki Teitzei speaks of Hashem's commandment to Bnei Yisrael - "timche es zeicher Amaleik - you should blot out the memory of Amaleik." Rav Shmuel suggests that the latter refers to our commandment not only to war against the nation Amaleik, but against the concept represented by him, that of deception where the person knows the truth but lies. But self-deception is extremely difficult to break out of. Hashem, therefore, swears that he will eliminate this scourge of self-deception.
Based on this idea of Sheim MiShmuel, perhaps we can suggest a connection between Amaleik and Purim. Rav Chaim Ya'akov Goldwicht, former Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, explained that Haman's plot to destroy the Jewish people was seemingly brought about by Mordechai's intransigent stance at refusing to bow to Haman. Indeed, on a simple level, his actions seem suicidal and endangered the Jewish nation! On the surface, the Jews could have, and perhaps did, engage in self-deception attributing Haman's plot to Mordechai's behavior. But yet, Chazal (Megilla 12a) teach us: "Why were the Jews of that generation deserving of destruction? Because they benefited from the feast of that wicked one, Achashveirosh!" The salvation came only when Klal Yisrael heeded Mordechai's adjurations that it was their participation in the assimilationist feast of Achashveirosh - which attempted to cause the Jews to forget about return to Eretz Yisrael, the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, and their connection to Torah - which caused this decree and not his actions in not bowing to Haman. When the Jewish people overcame self-deception, Haman, a descendant of Amaleik, and his plot were destroyed. This led to a renewed Kabbalat HaTorah re-accepting the truths of Torah to illuminate the darkness and confusion of this world. Many note that perhaps this explains the custom of wearing costumes on Purim to indicate that the not everything is the way it appears.
The modern Hamans of the world constantly engage in deception attempting to fool the world and themselves with lies about the Jewish people, its history and purpose, threatening the destruction, chas v'shalom, of the Jewish nation. The ultimate solution to their defeat includes our ascertaining that we are not engaging in self-deception justifying incorrect actions and thoughts inconsistent with Torah values and our internalizing and recommitting to the message of Purim to see the truth of HaKadosh Baruch Hu's existence and presence in the world and the absolute truth of His Torah designed to illuminate every aspect of our lives. We will then, iy"H, be blessed with the "light and truth" of the final redemption.