Perashat Ki Tese: The War with Amalek

By Victor Bibi KiTeitzei

The Blemish - Root and Tikun in the War with Amalek

Less than 6 weeks after the miraculous exodus from Egypt - The nation of עמלק dared to instigate its fight with Israel in the Desert by Refidim. The narrative describing the war and the ensuing commandment to recall this event daily - appear respectively in Sefer Shemot (17) and at the close of our parasha (25). In each of these two places Rashi offers a reason whereby Israel had faulted - thereby allowing an opening for an attack by this enemy.

The reasons given can be found in the verses immediately preceding the עמלק narrative in both places. In Shemot the preceding verse  describes a blemish of Israel in making a statement questioning the whereabouts of God - היש ה׳ בקרבנו אם אין - Hence Rashi asserts that עמלק was sent in order to Bite Israel like a dog - to make Israel call on ה׳ and make them realize the whereabouts of God - that had been questioned. In Devarim the verse preceding the commandment to recall עמלק - is the one that restricts one from retaining in his possession inaccurate measures and scales.

Hence Rashi, based on the Midrash, asserts - "If you were deceitful with your measures and weights you should dread harassment by the enemy."(Tanhuma 8) -  In order to appreciate these blemishes of Israel and their relationship with giving power to עמלק to attack - we will learn that the faults parallel the spiritual roots of עמלק - Furthermore it behooves us to also learn the methods that Moshe used to fight עמלק in Israel's initial encounter against them. Hopefully we will notice that these methods served to counter the two blemishes that Rashi advanced in his comments to Shemot and Devarim as well as to counter the roots of the nation of Amalek.

Spiritual Roots of Amalek

Ramban in his comments to Sefer Shemot 17:9 teaches that the first and final wars against Israel were and will be waged from the same family - as Amalek is of the descendants of Esav (Ber 36:12) - It is from him who stood at the head of the nations - ראשית גוים עמלק - (Bem 24:20) that the first war was initiated against us. R. HaAri teaches (LT Balak) that the spiritual root of עמלק is in the stage of creation that preceded our current epoch of Tikun called שבירת הכלים - It was during this era that the lower seven of the ten total vessels that were to reveal and capture the light of creation were not in balance and hence spiritually broke.

These vessels were as measures or scales that were not balanced properly. The sparks of light of these lower seven vessels in total  which are expressed via the two final letters of ו״ה of the יהו״ה - are said to have been once again  captured by עמלק - in its war against Israel. Hence the verse describing the Light of the Creator in the war of עמלק is only expressed as י״ה as the lower aspects or seven lower sefirot are being held captive כי יד על כס י״ה - so to say by עמלק - The reason why עמלק was able to gain access to all seven sefirot is due to the fact that he is rooted in the ראשית of these vessels - As the verse teaches his root as ראשית גוים עמלק - The initial broken unbalanced vessel of the nations is rooted in עמלק - We as a people are the also the aspect of ראשית - but in a holy sense (Rashi - Ber 1:1) hence we have the task to redeem the sparks that have been captured by עמלק as they control these seven vessels.

To summarize, the nation of עמלק is rooted in the ראשית or head of the unbalanced spiritual vessels that broke - and hence were able to detain the holy sparks that are supposed to ascend back up into the holy celestial world - to complete the divine name from י״ה to the complete form of יהו״ה -

Ascend to the Head of the Mountain 

In order to view Amalek - Moshe ascended to the top of the hill - called ראש הגבעה - He had previously advised Yehoshua that this was a mandatory precondition in the war against Amalek. -  אבן עזרא writes that this hill that he would ascend was none other than חורב or הר סיני - located by רפידים as we learn in Bemidbar 33:15 - They left Refidim and camped in the Sinai Desert. (See Shemot 19:1).

It appears to me that in order to begin the Tikun against עמלק Moshe would have to spiritually ascend to the ראשית of holiness of הר סיני - It would only be from here which is parallel and counter to the position of the ראשית of unholiness or the roots of עמלק - It is only from this spiritual vantage point - where Moshe can stand and challenge עמלק - At the encounter of Israel called מסה ומריבה the Torah hints that the blemish of Israel occurred in this highest celestial level called אין - Ayin or Beyond a place - As in the verse - מאין יבוא עזרי - This is the secret behind their question - Is God revealed even at the highest level synonymous with ראשית called אין - ? It appears to me that Moshe needed to ascend to ראש הגבעה to rectify this blemish of Israel which is also associated with the root of עמלק -

The Initial War Finds Moshe, Aharon, and Hur Standing in Columns

We know from the writings of R. HaAri that one of the major causes of the breaking of the spiritual vessels during the epoch of שבירת הכלים was due to the fact that scales and measures of these channels / vessels were not balanced. This appears to have spiritually re-occurred once again - initiating an attack of עמלק - This nation could have only advanced during a "replay" of the original event which gave rise to their spiritual existence.

Namely they exist from the sparks of light that they had captured after the vessels broke as a result of an inherent imbalance. This is the secret as recorded in the words of Rashi as to why the commandment to only retain balanced weights and measures precedes the rule to remember עמלק - Citing the Midrash he writes that honesty in scales and measures is a prerequisite in keeping away this enemy in the form of עמלק - In order to correct this blemish Moshe instructed Aharon and Hur to flank him holding up his hands in Emunah.

It appears to me that this was done in order to reestablish the vessels in a balanced from of Right Left and Central columns. In this form the scales are said to be weighted properly reducing any effects from the attack of עמלק - Ramban adds that his hands were raised - in the secret of ברכת כהנים - This of course would raise the lower columns which had descended as a result of illegal measures - back up to a level of sanctity above any access of the negative forces expressed in the people of עמלק -

Yehoshua and Mashiah Ben Yosef

We have seen that these two blemishes of Israel are related to the spiritual roots of עמלק who are the ראשית or the level of אין of the broken spiritual vessels. עמלק gaines strength once again via the unbalanced weights and measures that Israel this time  caused prior to the war.

These blemishes would have to be rectified by Moshe's ascent to the ראש or head of the hill - and reestablishment of the unbalanced scales - with Aharon and Hur standing along with Moshe in the center - The three now in the form of balanced scales. We as a nation attained balance via this trinity of Holy men.

This follows the trinity in the form of the Avot - אברהם יצחק ויעקב - As well as that of the nation in the form of כהן לוי וישראל - and the consistent reminder of our Sages that there are three pillars upon which the world of Tikun stands - The rectification is still lacking in the form of a descendent of Yosef - who in his spiritual position of Yesod must still redeem the sparks of holiness from the clutches of עמלק - Rashi comments on the words ויזנב בך that עמלק struck against Israel - by severing and flinging their circumcision.

This connotes that עמלק reach even included the sparks of Yesod. Hence Moshe selected Yehoshua a descendant of Yosef (Spiritually associated with Yesod) - to lead the fight to redeem the sparks that עמלק had captured. These sparks which take the form as the final letters ו״ה of the יהו״ה must continually be brought up by Israel.

There are three parts of the Misva related to עמלק - The first via the daily זכור - The annual requirement of לא תשכח and the future מחה with the assistance of משיח בן יוסף - The latter considered the final war (Sukkah 52) against עמלק who is אדום - As the Ramban cites the verse in עובדיה - "And the saviors  shall come up from mount Zion to judge the mount of Esav and the kingdom shall be the eternal." And at this time the name of God will no longer be י״ה but rather as יהו״ה which is great and complete.