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Battling Our Enemies Within
Adapted by Moshe Wisnefsky from Likutei Sichot vol. 1, pp.
208-213; vol. 38; pp. 83-84
When [ Amalek] heard [that] Israel came the Atarim way.
(Num 21:1)
The route the spies had taken...or, preceded by the Ark of the Covenant." ( Rashi on 21:1)
Amalek attacked the Israelites when they first left Egypt and
were on their way to receive the Torah, and here again as they were preparing to
enter the Land of Israel. In the first skirmish, they did not disguise
themselves, but here they did.  | | " Our inner Amalek does not oppose receiving the Torah, only our excitement about it...." | | |
Allegorically, Amalek is the element of doubt that cools the
enthusiasm we are supposed to feel towards G-d and our divine mission. In this
sense, our inner Amalek does not oppose receiving the Torah, only our excitement
about it. After all, he argues, learning the Torah is an intellectual endeavor.
Reason requires a calm, seasoned attitude, not fiery enthusiasm. In particular,
he argues against our passionate commitment to
G-d's laws even before we have
learned what they are. "If the Torah is true," he contends, "we will eventually
commit to it even if we predicate action on study. Why be so impetuous and
irrational?"
In fact, however, the Amalekite attitude will eventually lead us
off the Torah's path. Unless we approach the Torah with the warmth and
enthusiasm that flow naturally from relating to it as G-d's will and wisdom, we
will lose interest in it and squander our energies on diversions and lifestyles
that offer more immediate gratification, whether material or spiritual.
If the inner Amalek fails to cool us off, he will disguise
himself as a Canaanite, an inhabitant of the land of material life we enter
after our daily prayers and studies. He will then argue, "I have no quarrel with
your acting holy and G-dly while you pray and study the Torah. But when you set
about to earn your living and deal with the physical world, you have to forget
all of that and live by my rules. You cannot expect to succeed in the
real world if you refuse to work on the Shabbat and festivals, if you donate any
significant amount of your hard-earned money to charity, if you insist on
providing your children with the best Jewish education, and so on. You must
focus on material success, not on elevating material reality and raising divine
consciousness wherever you go and whatever you do."
The inner Amalek behaves the way Amalek behaved in this
historical episode: "...[he] took a captive from them." Someone the Israelites had
originally captured from the Amalekites. "The material world," Amalek maintains,
"belongs to me. You are the one who - by transforming the material into the
spiritual - is stealing from me what is rightfully mine."
Just as Amalek attacked us at the beginning and end of our trek
in the desert, we engage him in the beginning and end of our post-desert
history. G-d commanded King Saul, the first king of Israel, to wipe out Amalek.
Because Saul did not follow G-d's instructions fully, a later descendant of
Amalek, Haman, almost wiped out the Jews completely. Now, as we stand at the end
of our post-desert history, on the eve of our final entry into the Land of
Israel, we must face Amalek once again. | | " When we remind ourselves of our intrinsic bond with G-d, Amalek is powerless to overcome us...." | | |
As before, Amalek disguises himself as the sophisticated
businessman, making light of our commitment to G-d's Torah. Once again, he
argues, "Forget what the Torah has to say about business ethics, honesty,
morality, and responsibility. Forget that G-d is guiding your steps and that you
need His help to succeed. No one believes this, much less acts on it. Your job
is to make money, and in the dog-eat-dog world of workaday reality, you have to
play by the rules if you expect to survive."
The Torah here tells us that even though it sounds like we're
talking to an astute businessman, we should recognize that it is really Amalek,
the archenemy of Israel, who is talking. Despite his concessions to our private
spiritual life, his goal is to wipe us out. Therefore, the only proper response
to this inner voice is to wipe it our first, by constantly renewing our
impetuous enthusiasm for G-d and His Torah, and our desire to see it assume its
rightful role as our guide in all aspects of life.
By the route the spies had taken...and when they saw the Ark
of the Covenant:
The inner Amalek attacks us in two ways. Sometimes he attacks
via the intellect, explaining why we should succumb to his suggestions and
ignore our commitments to G-d and our better selves. In such cases, it is often
enough to marshal our intellectual powers against him, pausing to contemplate
how unprofitable it is to follow his lead on the one hand, and how wise it is to
remain true to our higher calling on the other. This is "the route the spies had
taken" - seeking out the natural means of conquering the enemy and using them.
At other times, the inner Amalek brazenly defies logic,
insisting on our obedience without any regard to rhyme or reason. In such cases,
our logical resources are of no help; we can only fall back on our transcendent
relationship with G-d that also surpasses reason and intellect. When we remind
ourselves of our intrinsic bond with G-d, Amalek is powerless to overcome us.
This is relying on "the Ark of the Covenant", which scatters all our enemies
before us.
Copyright 2001 chabad of california /
www.lachumash.org
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