Page 12 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag
AMALEK

GENETIC OR GENERIC?

any nations have attacked It is precisely now that Amalek attacks: understand this as a description of
and oppressed Am Yisrael “Amalek came, and attacked Israel at ethical behavior.
M throughout its history. Yet Refidim...” (see 17:8). But who is in
Amalek is singled out as Israel’s arch Refidim? Only a remnant of the camp – The Torah also describes how the
enemy. What was so terrible about the weak and tired. midwives feared G-d by not obeying
Amalek’s attack that requires a battle Pharaoh’s command to kill the male
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“for all generations”? Our interpretation thus far has been babies.
based on conjecture and reading
“And Amalek came, and attacked Israel between the lines. However, in the All of these examples support our
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at Refidim...” From this verse alone, it parallel account, we find these missing interpretation of v’lo yarei Elokim by
Amalek as reflective of their unethical
would seem as though all of Bnei Yisrael details: “Remember what Amalek did behavior, waging war on the weak and
are encamped in Refidim when Amalek to you baderech (on your journey) when unprotected. Therefore, a possible
attacked. However, when we consider you left Egypt, for he surprised you answer to our original question is that
what took place during the previous baderech [i.e. while you were traveling] the Torah singled out Amalek as Israel’s
event (i.e. the story of “massa u’meriva”), and cut down all the stragglers at your arch enemy not merely because they
a very different picture emerges: “And rear, while you were famished and were the first nation to attack Israel, but
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Bnei Yisrael traveled from the desert weary...” due to the unethical nature of that attack.
of Zin... and encamped in Refidim, Amalek capitalizes on Bnei Yisrael’s
and there was no water for the people disadvantage. Even in war there are In this sense, one could possibly suggest
to drink... and they quarreled with accepted norms of conduct; men fight that zecher Amalek (the remembrance
Moshe...” (17:1-3) of Amalek) could be understood as a
men, armies engage armies. Amalek’s generic term describing any aggressive
To solve this water shortage, G-d attack is outright unethical, even by nation that acts in a similar unethical
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instructs Moshe to take his staff and hit those standards. manner, and not necessarily a genetic
the rock. However, where is that rock? Further support of this interpretation term, describing any descendant of those
“G-d said to Moshe, pass before the may be drawn from the conclusion of people who attacked Israel at Refidim. 8
people, take with you some of the elders, the verse: “...v'lo yarei Elokim” – and
and take the staff... I will be standing he (Amalek) did not fear G-d. This
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before you at the rock at Chorev; strike phrase – yarei Elokim (fear of G-d) – in 1 See Exodus 17:8, after 17:1-7.
the rock [there] and water will issue the context of unethical (or immoral) 2
from it...” (17:5-6) behavior, is found numerous times in 3 See Deuteronomy 25:17-18.
See Rashi and Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy
Chumash. For example, Avraham offers
The rock is not in Refidim; it’s at Mount 25:18.
Sinai! Imagine the situation: the entire Avimelech the following explanation 4 Deuteronomy 25:18.
nation, after suffering days of thirst in for lying about his wife: “And Avraham 5 Genesis 20:11.
explained (to Avimelech), for I said (to
a hot desert, must now first quench its myself) there is no yirat Elokim in this 6 Genesis 42:15-18.
immediate thirst, and then move its place, and therefore they will kill me (to 7 Exodus 1:21. See also the shiur at www.tanach.
camp to the new water source. Those take my wife).” org/breishit/vayera.doc, which discusses this
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who still had strength probably went phrase in greater detail.
8 For a deeper examination of this topic, see
first, to bring supplies back to those too Similarly, Yosef, pretending to be an
weak to travel. One could also assume Egyptian official, tells his brothers he www.tanach.org/shmot/bshal2.htm.
this journey was not very organized, will release them from jail, allowing Rabbi Menachem Leibtag is an
with the stronger men advancing to set them a chance to prove they are not internationally acclaimed Tanach
up the new campsite, leaving the “weak spies. He prefaces this with the phrase: scholar and online Jewish education
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and tired” behind. “... et Ha’Elokim ani yarei...”. Again we pioneer

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