Purim 5758
The final Pasuk in Parshas Beshalach contains a number of anomalies. "VaYomer, 'Ki Yad Al Keis Kah, Milchemes LaHashem BeAmalek MiDor Dor (Shmos 17:16).'" - The literal translation of this Pasuk is: "And he said, 'Because the hand is on the throne of G-d, [there is a] war to Hashem with/through Amalek from generation to generation.'"
The two things that immediately grab your attention are:
1) The Pasuk is missing letters all over the place. The word for G-d's throne is missing the final letter, Alef, and G-d's name is missing it's final two letters, Vav and Heh.
2) What does it mean that there will be a war to Hashem, with or through Amalek?
Another question, on a more philosophical level, is how to understand the final words of the Pasuk: "From generation to generation." We cannot presently fulfill the Mitzvah of erasing Amalek, so how is the war with Amalek from generation to generation?
In the mystical writings, Amalek is called the "gap" between man and G-d. Let's see if we can understand a little bit of the depth in this idea.
Rav Tatz has explained many times that every word in the Torah is a real concept. That is to say that a word in the Torah is not just a linguistic way to impart information, but the word actually has a metaphysical reality behind it. Other languages are simply agreed upon words to be able to speak intelligently about something - a way to communicate. However, Loshon HaKodesh is a description of a higher reality.
This being true, it is interesting that the word "doubt" never appears in the Torah. The word "Safek," is a word that was developed later in history; it is not a real metaphysical concept. How could it be? In the world of clarity, the world of truth, there can be no doubt. Torah is Emes, it represents clarity. From that perspective, there can be no doubt. Of course, the word "certain - Vadai" never occurs in the Torah either, because there can only be certainty when there is doubt. "I'm sure I left my keys here!" If you say that, then the truth is, you are not so sure! When you are truly sure of something, you just say it matter-of-factly. You only say "I'm sure," when there is some sort of doubt involved.
However, there is doubt in the world. So lets see if we can trace a bit of it's beginnings in the world.
Rav Dessler, in Michtav MiEliyahu explains that giving to someone creates love. We normally think that since we already love someone, we give to them. But, Rav Dessler explains that the truth is, the more you give to them, the more you will love them. However, in order to truly give, one must have the free choice to give or not. If I am coerced into giving you something, then that will not create love, because that is not true giving. If there is no choice involved, then the relationship can only be one of fear - Yeera, which is the relationship that the Angels have with G-d. They perceive Hashem so clearly that in effect they have no free choice. That is why whenever we speak about their relationship with G-d, it is always with the word Yeera, and never the word Ahava (In Nusach Sefard, in the Brachos before Shema, when we say. "Venosnim BeAhava Reshus Ze LaZeh," the word Ahava is referring to their relationship to each other - Achdus, not their relationship to Hashem). Adam HaRishon had a very low level of free choice. He only had one Mitzvah. He distinguished between truth and falsehood, objective concepts. However, Adam was not satisfied with this situation. He wanted to have a closer relationship with G-d; he wanted a relationship of Ahava. So, he increased his level of free choice. That was the sin (this is what the Ari Z"L meant when he said that the sin was a Cheit Lishma). The "tree of knowledge" that Adam and Chava were forbidden to eat from, is called the Eitz HaDaas Tov VeRa. We know that Daas doesn't only mean "knowledge," but, intimate knowledge; knowledge that connects with you. The word Daas means a connection to someone, or something else in the deepest sense ("VeHaAdam Yada Es Chava Eeshto." Bereishis 4:1). What eating from the tree did, was "connect" Tov VeRa - it mixed up good and bad. Before they ate from the tree, the world was pretty clear. There was Emes and Sheker. However, eating from the tree mixed up the two, and brought a subjective reality into the world. Emes and Sheker are objective concepts, but good and bad are subjective. Something can only be said to be "good" in relation to it's intended goal. Instead of distinguishing between Emes and Sheker, Adam increased his level of free choice. Now the world was cloudy, good and bad was mixed up; doubt had entered the world.
Numerically, Amalek adds up to 240. The word Safek, also equals 240.
The Gemara (Chulin 139b) asks, "Where is a hint to Haman in the Torah?" Obviously, Haman doesn't appear in the Torah; he wasn't around then. The Gemara's question is: "where conceptually is Haman in the Torah?" The Gemara answers, "HaMiN HaEitz Asher Tzivisicha Livilty Achal Mimenu Achalta? - Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from (Bereishis 3:11)?" What's Pshat?
After eating from the tree, Adam hears G-d "coming," so he hides. Hides!!?? Five minutes ago, Adam was speaking to G-d, now he thinks that he can hide from him? What's going on?
Adam is so confused, that the world becomes confusing. Hashem relates to man measure for measure. Since Adam related to Hashem by creating doubt, G-d relates to Adam with doubt:
"Where are you?" Asks Hashem (Ber. 3:9). What!? G-d doesn't know where he is?
"I heard you coming, but I was afraid, because I wasn't dressed properly, so I am hiding." Answers Adam.
"Who told you that you aren't dressed? Did you eat from the tree? (Bereishis 3:11)" Hashem speaks to him, as we would speak to a toddler, "Did you make a mess? Did you?"
And that is where Haman is in the Torah - in the question itself. Amalek is that doubt which causes a perceived distance between man and G-d. Adam no longer saw G-d clearly in the world; there was now a perceived gap between man and G-d. Amalek is this gap; Amalek is Safek.
Adam made this gap, so that he could close it, and become "closer" to Hashem. He figured that if he could close this gap, he could relate to Hashem through Ahava. If only he would have realized the gap that existed even in the Garden of Eden.
Bnei Yisrael and Amalek are polar opposites. The Pasuk says that there will be a war between Bnei Yisrael and Amalek from generation to generation. One aspect of this idea, is that there will always be a struggle between what Bnei Yisrael is conceptually and what Amalek is conceptually. Rav Hutner in Pachad Yitzchok quotes the Mechilta, "Leitz Takeh, Upesee Yaarim. - the joker will be smitten and the fool enlightened," this is Amalek and Yisro. Amalek is called a Leitz - a joker. Bnei Yisrael beat down Amalek in their battle in the end of Parshas Beshalach, and yet Amalek learned no lesson from that experience. Yisro, however, saw this battle, and did learn from it (which explains the Smichus of the two Parshios, and what Yisro "heard"). It says in Mesillas Yesharim that one joke can push away one hundred reprimands. A person's first reaction when he is being reproached, is to laugh it off. Before the Mussar takes hold, we laugh it off to prevent it from ever attaining reality. Leitzanus prevents seriousness, or importance (Chashivus) from ever entering the world.
How could Amalek attack the Jews after all the tremendous miracles and plagues that occurred in Egypt? Are they crazy?! However, based on what we have said, it makes a lot of sense. Torah is Emes. It represents Chashivus. G-d was about to be revealed in the world forever, through his wisdom. The Jews were on their way to get the Torah. The perceived gap between man and G-d was soon to be closed. Amalek is that gap of Sfeikus that tries to keep Hashem out of the world. If the gap was closed, then there would automatically be no more Amalek! So of course they were willing to risk their lives to attack Bnei Yisrael; they had no choice, it was now or never.
The Torah goes out of its way to tell us where this battle was: "VaYavo Amalek, VaYelachem Im Yisrael BeRefidim. - And Amalek came, and fought with Yisrael in Refidim." Why do we care where it was?! It's a fun trivia fact, but why should the Torah bother to tell us something so mundane?
The Midrash says, "She Rafu Yedeihem Min HaTorah - That they weakened their hands from Torah." The battle was is a state of Refidim - the battle was over the expression of Hashem in the world. Amalek attacked the hands, which hold on to, and actualize G-d in the world. Amalek is that gap which tries to prevent Hashem from being expressed in mundane reality.
Now we should be able to answer all of our questions.
"Ki Yad Al Keis Kah..." The Pasuk is missing the Alef of Keesei, and the Vav and Heh of Hashem's name. This Pasuk is describing the war with Amalek. The final two letters of Hashem's name represent the actualization of Hashem in the world. The word "Vav" means a hook, which is an object that connects two things. Numerically, Vav is six, which is all of the lower Sefiros which make up a conceptual body (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod). Heh is the seventh Sefirah, Malchus. It is the actualization of all the others. It is the womb, it is Shabbos, it is King David, it is Olam Haba, etc. The Heh is the Keesei for all the other Sefiros. It is that which the six Sefiros sit on; that which actualizes them. Now it should also be obvious why the Alef of Keesei is missing. A throne is what the King sits on. Hashem is Melech HaOlam, but his throne, his actualization, or acceptance in the world is lacking as long as there is Amalek.
"...war to Hashem with/through Amalek from generation to generation." The Pasuk can be read quite literally. There will be a war towards Hashem through the battles with Amalek, because the war with Amalek is to close the perceived gap between us and G-d. By warring with Amalek, we are moving "to Hashem."
It says in Bamidbar (24:20), "First among nations is Amalek, but in the end he will be destroyed forever." At the end of the day, when things will be clear; when Mashiach will come, Hashem's throne will be established in the world. When Hashem's throne is actualized in the world, there will automatically cease to be a concept of Amalek. There will be no perceived gap, and therefore no Amalek.
Sometimes, the physical expression of a Mitzvah is taken away from us, for various different reasons. That doesn't mean that we can no longer fulfill the Mitzvah, however. We still have a Mitzvah of erasing Amalek. We cannot fulfill it in the physical sense, but we can surely fulfill it in the conceptual sense.
The Gemara (Megilla 18a) says that the remembering of Amalek has to be done BePeh - with the mouth, and cannot be done BeLev. A sensitive ear will pick up on an extra dimension to this Halacha. The war with Amalek is to express Hashem in the world. We cannot be satisfied with a cerebral, or emotional service of Hashem. It is not enough that we serve Hashem with our heart. There has to be an actualization in the world; it has to be BePeh. The hidden dimension of thought, has to find expression in the world. Today, the war with Amalek can be found on television, in the movies, on billboards, etc. Anywhere we find an argument of superficiality, anyone who tries to convince us not to look past the skin, anytime we encounter the philosophy of "coincidence," there is a conceptual battle with Amalek.
It says in Kidushin (57b) that the descendants of Haman learned Torah in Bnei Brak. Among other things, this Gemara is telling us that the same gap which allows for a Haman, creates the opportunity for Torah as well. It is because there is a perceived gap, that we have Talmidei Chochomim teaching Torah to narrow it.
May we all be Zoche to be successful in our personal Milchamos with Amalek, and witness the destruction of Amalek with the coming of the Moshiach, BeMiheira BeYameinu.
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