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Shmuel I 15:2
This week’s haftorah,
read in conjunction with Parshas Zachor, opens with Hashem’s command to
Shaul Hamelech to annihilate the nation of Amalek. The time had finally
come to repay the Jewish people’s archenemy for all the torture and
indignation they suffered because of his wickedness. Shaul Hamelech
faithfully responded to this command and destroyed the entire nation of
Amalek, save one soul, the Amalekite King Agag. In addition, Shaul killed
almost all of their animals but acquiesced in the Jewish nation’s request
and spared certain choice sheep for sacrificial purposes. Hashem responded
immediately and instructed the prophet Shmuel to travel to Shaul and
reprimand him. Hashem told Shmuel to inform Shaul of the severity of his
failings and that his laxity would cause him to forfeit the kingdom.
Shmuel fulfilled his
charge and then immediately summoned Agag and executed him in a most
gruesome way. But the Talmud (see Megilla 13A) informs us that Shmuel’s act
came after Agag had been momentarily spared and that during those crucial
moments the Amalekite king managed to take full advantage of his
predicament. In a most peculiar turn of events Agag utilized his last hours
of life in attempt to procure the nation of Amalek. Although Agag was held
under heavy scrutiny, he somehow met success and, against all odds, the
entire nation of Amalek was reborn. This nearly impossible feat seems to
suggest that it was now the master plan of Hashem for Amalek to remain.
Although moments earlier Hashem had decreed Amalek’s destruction, this
privilege could no longer be granted the Jewish people. The recent error of
Shaul and his people warranted that Amalek, the epitome of anti-Semitism,
must continue to exist.
In order to properly
digest this thought it is worthwhile to explore Hashem’s purpose for the
nation of Amalek and what benefit, if any, could these wicked people bring to
mankind. To accomplish this, we refer to the first time the Jewish people
encountered Amalek and to the strategy used in defeating him. In describing
the progress of this war the Torah states, “And when Moshe raised his hands
the Jewish people overpowered Amalek and when Moshe lowered his hand Amalek
overpowered the Jews.” (Shemos 17:11) These words, taken at face value,
seem to suggest that the success and defeat of the Jewish people depended
heavily on the actual position of Moshe Rabbeinu’s hand. In fact, the
Mishna in Tractate Rosh Hashanah (chapter 3 Mishna 8) raises this problem
and asks, “Did Moshe Rabbeinu’s hands possess the supernatural power of
determining and controlling war?” “But,” answers the Mishna, “Moshe
Rabbeinu’s hands served as a vehicle and gauge for the Jewish people. As
long as the Jewish people gazed upward and subjected their hearts to
Hashem, they were triumphant.” In actuality, it wasn’t the hands of Moshe
that affected the war but rather the total devotion and dedication of the
Jewish people to Hashem. As long as their hearts were totally focused on
Hashem’s salvation, Hashem was there to rescue them. But the moment the
Jewish people lost that focus Hashem’s assistance was no longer rendered to
them. Apparently, in order to defeat Amalek our total subjection to the
will of Hashem is necessary and even the slightest deviation from this
could prove fatal. Moshe Rabbeinu’s hand served as an accurate gauge for
this subjugation. If his hand began lowering it was an indication that the
Jewish people were losing focus on Hashem, but if Moshe’s hand remained
raised it was indicative of their total subjugation to Hashem.
This initial
encounter reveals to us the function of Amalek and with this we gain
insight into the Heavenly purpose for Amalek’s existence and continuous
threat to the Jewish nation. Our Chazal, in addressing this point (see
Rashi Shemos 17:8) explain that Amalek’s early attack was, in fact brought
about by the Jewish people’s laxity in their focus upon Hashem. They cite for
proof the incident mentioned in the Torah immediately before Amalek’s
arrival. The Torah states, (Shemos 17:7) “…..for your testing Hashem and
questioning, ‘Does Hashem dwell in our midst or not?'” Our Chazal explain
that the Jewish people had grown accustomed to their new way of life. All
of their needs were miraculously provided for by Hashem. This lifestyle
became so natural that they lessened their focus on their true provider,
Hashem, and began questioning if Hashem truly remained amongst them. This demonstrated
a lack of subjugation to Hashem and their lack of recognition of Hashem’s
constant assistance. This unacceptable behavior demanded immediate
rectification and Hashem sent Amalek to shock the Jewish people into
reality. Amalek was notoriously infamous for his unwillingness to recognize
Hashem or to subjugate himself to any superior power. In essence, Amalek
reflected, in very extreme dimensions, the subtle attitude of the Jewish
people. The Jewish people learned their lesson properly and focused totally
upon Hashem’s salvation, thus rectifying their earlier shortcomings. Hashem
responded to their teshuva and delivered them from the hands of Amalek.
In view of this
insight we return to Shaul’s seemingly trivial but, in truth, serious
deviation from Hashem’s command. The Talmud in Mesichta Yoma (22B) reveals
that Shaul Hamelech found it difficult to accept his command to annihilate
an entire nation. He reasoned with compassion, “If the Amalekite men are
sinful why must the children perish; why must their cattle be killed?”
These concerns demonstrated a lack of acceptance of Hashem’s will and a
faint trace of unwillingness to subjugate himself to Hashem. They gave rise
to a weakness of character and a willingness of the king to follow the
whims of his nation. When they found it difficult to destroy the choice
sheep Shaul followed their lead with a rationalization that the sheep could
be spared for sacrificial purposes. This error reinstated the earlier
problem of the Jewish people in the desert and set the stage for the
Amalekite nation to reappear on the scene. Through this error, the Jewish
people demonstrated their need to remain in check. From this point, Amalek
and anti-Semitism would have to remain and the Jewish people would be
constantly reminded to retain their focus on Hashem. Therefore, almost
miraculously the nation of Amalek was procured and the vehicle to secure
the Jewish people’s constant focus on Hashem was restored.
This similar pattern
reoccurred in the days of Purim. The Jewish people in the darkness of exile
became acclimated to their lifestyle and lessened their focus on Hashem.
Once again, Hashem sent a descendent of Amalek, Haman, to wage war with the
Jews and introduce his merciless decree of decimation. The Jewish people
responded immediately with three consecutive days of fasting and after
totally subjugating themselves to Hashem, Amalek was defeated once again.
May we merit soon to witness the final and total defeat of Amalek and the
restoration of Hashem’s perfect glory in this world.
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