Rabbi Roodyn

The Bnei Yisrael are riding the wave; liberated from the ghettoes and forced labour camps of Egypt in the most miraculous fashion, they appear invincible. They have left the world’s superpower in shreds, Egypt is in disarray and Pharaoh is the lone survivor of his once mighty army. It seems that nothing can stop them on their journey of destiny to the Promised Land. It seems too good to be true…

“The entire community of the children of Israel journeyed from the desert of Sin to their travels by the mandate of Hashem. They encamped in Rephidim and there was no water for the people to drink. So the people quarrelled with Moses, and they said, Give us water that we may drink Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Hashem?” (Shemos 16:1-2)

What starts as a logistical problem ends up as a theological one of the highest order. The Jewish people were in a predicament in Rephidim; instead of focusing on Hashem’s track record of providing for them and taking them out of Mitzrayim, they complained and articulated those doubts. They had a golden opportunity to strengthen their faith in Hashem, but instead they doubted his ability to look after them.

“He (Moshe) named the place Massah [testing] and Meribah [quarreling] because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because of their testing Hashem, saying, Is Hashem in our midst or not?” (Shemos 16:7)

The Midrash points out that the name Rephidim is extremely important, she rafu yedeihem midivrei Torah, that they weakened their hands from the words of Torah.  The trauma of being left in the desert with no means of support caused them to lose confidence in Hashem. It is no coincidence that at this critical juncture that we are introduced to the tribe that have been the nemesis of the Jewish nation ever since.

“Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.” (Shemos 16:8)

The Bnei Yisrael express doubt in Hashem and those doubts become incarnate in Amalek  -עמלק whose gematria is equal to the word ספק, doubt!

We also read about Amalek in Parshas Zachor which is taken from the end of Ki Seitzei. In that Parsha Amalek is described as asher karecha baderech. This is generally translated as ‘who happened upon you on the way’.  Amalek stands for the world view that everything is mikreh, by chance. That is why his descendant, Haman, draws lots to decide the date on which the Jewish people are to be exterminated, as it to tell them, it’s all by chance.

Rashi gives his famous mashal of the fool who jumps into the hot bath, burning himself but cooling it down for everyone else. Amalek is the fool who gets burnt in battle time after time, but does succeed in cooling down the Jewish people in the process. At Amalek’s spiritual root is the ability to cool us down and take the energy, passion and motivation out of our Avodas Hashem, as we ask ourselves “Is Hashem in our midst or not?”.

The word mikreh therefore also associated with tumah impurity, to tell us that the belief that everything is random is the opposite of a life of kedusha, of walking with Hashem on the path that He has mapped out for us. Of course the way we walk with Hashem is therefore through Halacha where everything is mapped out for us and nothing is left to chance.

Amalek and his world view are the antithesis of the Jewish mission to bring Hashem into both our inner world and the wider world as well. The way to combat this negative force and all that it represents it to strengthen our own emunah as well as the emunah of others that this world has a master plan, perfectly designed and orchestrated by the Creator, and that nothing is by chance.

wishing you a good shabbos!