by Chaya Shuchat

A proud and mighty nation is riding upon an extraordinary wave of international awe and respect. Suddenly, a devastating, surprise blow is struck. A stunned people are left reeling in shock, groping for answers and for courage to overcome this mortal enemy.

The first terrorist attack in recorded history took place in the Rephidim desert, circa 2448. The Jewish people had recently left Egypt, where G-d had lavished an unprecedented display of open miracles upon them. Egypt, their erstwhile oppressor, was left decimated and vanquished. All the nations of the world watched breathlessly as the Jewish people streamed forth from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, which miraculously split for them, drowning their pursuers in its depths. The Jewish people were now on their way to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and from there, their destination was the land of Canaan. The land stretched wide open before them; no nation had the audacity to attempt to thwart their advance. Enter Amalek.

Amalek, who possessed an implacable hatred for the Jewish people, attempted to break the spell by initiating an attack. The sages compare their act to jumping into a boiling hot bath.[1] Although the first ones to enter will be severely scalded, they will cool the water sufficiently to allow others to enter safely. Similarly, no nation dared attack the Jewish people after their triumphant liberation from Egypt. Amalek made the first attempt, in an effort to pave the way for any future assaults.

Amalek did not launch a frontal attack on the Jewish people. The clouds of glory that surrounded the Jewish people rendered them impervious to their enemies.  Rather, Amalek targeted a small number of Jews who were "weak, at the rear."[2]  These were Jews who, due to their sins, were denied the protection of the clouds of glory.[3]

Following this attack, Moshe issued a command: Go forth, and fight against Amalek. Led by Moshe's trusted disciple, Joshua, a chosen group of men engaged the Amalekites in battle. While they fought, Moshe held up his hands in prayer, entreating G-d to strengthen His people. When his arms weakened, Moshe sat on a stone while his brother, Aaron, and his nephew Chur supported him on each side. A night passed this way, and by the time the sun rose, the Amalekites were defeated.[4]

However, the battle of Amalek was far from over. In fact, it was only just beginning. Had Amalek been a mere physical enemy, it would have been relatively simple to vanquish them completely. But the power of Amalek does not lie in numbers, or in physical might. Amalek represents a force far more insidious than any military entity and is thus both elusive and difficult to combat. Indeed, the command to do battle and eradicate the memory of Amalek is a constant one, given to each Jew in every generation.[5]

Terrorists do not aim to achieve a military victory on the battlefield. For there they know that they will be defeated. Their goal is to sow fear and panic and shatter morale. They strike at the most defenseless and vulnerable targets. Their attacks are often audacious and flamboyant, calculated to wreak the maximum physical damage. More importantly, they seek to inflict psychological torment. Through these tactics, terrorists hope to destroy their enemy from within, leaving them paralyzed emotionally and unable to mount a successful counter-attack.

Building Backbone

The numerical value of the Hebrew word Amalek is the same as the Hebrew word "safek," - doubt.[6]  Amalek does not have the power to defeat us militarily. However, by dealing harsh blows to our psyche, Amalek creates enough confusion and mayhem to cause us to lose sight of our goals and faith in our endeavors. The Jewish people were on their way to Mount Sinai. The blow struck by Amalek was intended to cast a pall over the people and cool their ardor for the imminent acceptance of the Torah at Mount Sinai.[7]

Amalek represents the psychological state of confusion or doubt that afflicts us when confronting a challenge or conflict. When we lack clarity regarding our values and goals, we are weakened in our response to intimidation. Terrorists are successful only as much as we allow ourselves to be terrorized. In order to fight back effectively, we must first ensure that we truly believe in our goals and aspirations, and that we are prepared and determined to fight for them. It requires confidence and strength to make such an unequivocal statement. In fighting the battle with Amalek, we must set aside our customary aversion to black and white judgments, adopting a firm and uncompromising stance.

There are times when doubt and hesitancy to pass judgment are both appropriate and necessary. It is important to exercise due caution in interpreting events in order to reach proper decisions. However, when lives are at stake, when the evil grows bolder and more audacious each day, there is no room for vacillation or timidity. Each instance of equivocation only emboldens the terrorists and leads to more acts of destruction (may G-d protect us). We can fight against evil only when we have supreme confidence that our purpose and intentions are indisputable, and we have the courage to pursue them without doubt or compromise. We must have certainty that we are fighting to uphold the sanctity of life that G-d has given us.

Calling forth Courage

Moshe commanded the war against the Amalekites and Moshe’s men under the leadership of his closest disciple, Joshua, carried it out. Nevertheless, Moshe's role is so important in the battle of Amalek that he is subtly faulted for not having entered the battlefield himself, and sending his student instead.[8] Moshe led the battle, albeit from a distance, at no time ceasing his prayers and supplications on behalf of the people. The army's success was directly dependent upon the strength of Moshe's arms raised in prayer. He refrained from joining the fight only because he felt that others were more suitable for the job at hand.[9] Yet, a stronger statement would have been made had Moshe himself demonstrated his unhesitating physical commitment to the battle.

Moshe is the faithful shepherd of the Jewish people, whose role is to instill faith and courage within them.[10] Amalek targeted those Jews who found themselves on the outskirts of the camp, denied the protection of the clouds of glory. The first to succumb to Amalek are those who have difficulty in remaining true to their convictions, lacking the protection afforded by a total commitment to absolute values and morality.

It was on behalf of these individuals that the very first war of Amalek was fought. But those who find themselves "within the clouds", serene and confident in the righteousness of their cause, must not grow complacent while their brethren are threatened. We all have the responsibility to reach out to those who feel less secure, to offer encouragement and hope, and to fortify them from falling prey to the dejection that Amalek seeks to instill. Each individual must be involved in this effort in person; it is not sufficient to delegate the task to others.

Arousal to Action

The war against Amalek is a spiritual one. Victory over the spiritual forces of Amalek is a critical step in restoring G-d's throne to its original dominance, as the verse states: "There is a hand against the throne of G-d; G-d maintains a war against Amalek, from generation to generation.”[11] On this verse, the sages say: "G-d's name is incomplete until the name of Amalek is eradicated.”[12] In the Hebrew verse, G-d is referred to by the name "Kah," the first two letters of the Tetragrammaton, yud and hey. The final two letters – vav and hey - are missing, challenged by Amalek's ascent. The physical battle against the actual nation of Amalek cannot be fought in our time. Yet, the spiritual battle is fought day after day, generation after generation, each time in a different form. The boldness and audacity of Amalek stems from the fact that its spiritual source is in Kesser of klippah, the crown of all impurities.[13] The source of all impurities is a rejection of the belief in the unity of G-d. Any doubt or lack of firmness in this area causes an overall weakening in our attachment and commitment to G-d. 

Amalek’s primary opposition is not to the letters "yud" and "hey" of G-d's name. These letters represent the powers of intellect and understanding.[14] The letters he challenges are the final two - vav and hey. The vav represents the emotional powers, and the final hey represents thought, speech, and action.[15] When we engage in intellectual cognition of G-dliness without this knowledge affecting our emotions and our thought, speech and action, Amalek is not so perturbed. However, Amalek is very much challenged when we channel that understanding into our emotions, especially when they, in turn, are then put into constructive action.

Study and theoretical discussion alone will do nothing to deter or eradicate Amalek. The Amalekites attacked the Jews on their way to Sinai to receive the Torah, an event that introduced an entirely new paradigm into the universe, by giving us the tools to transform the physical world into a place of G-dliness. This can only be done only by means of physical action.

Amalek represents the final obstacle to making the physical universe into a true home for G-d. We need to fortify ourselves with the strength of Moshe, with his unwavering and absolute faith in G-d and His Torah. We must engage in energetic and dedicated action to put the Torah's principles into effect in our campaign against Amalek. Faith and action are the two key ingredients in the war against all forms of Amalek in our lives.

Through battling the Amalek within ourselves, we will strengthen the forces fighting evil and terrorism from without. This concerted effort will surely bring its intended result, the re-unification of G-d's name and the restoration of His throne. G-d's anointed king, Moshiach, will then be able to finally erase the true Amalek permanently, so that we may never have to fight this battle again.

Based on a talk of the Rebbe on Shabbat Parshat Beshalach, 5741, and other occasions[16]

 

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe by Yanki Tauber