Conquering Amalek by sanctifying deed

במדרש ברכו ה' מלאכיו גבורי כח כו'.

In the Midrash: "Bless Hashem, His angels, mighty in strength…" (Tehillim 103:20).

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash on the verse praising the angels who are "mighty in strength" and who do Hashem's word.

תחתונים שאינם יכולין לעמוד בתפקידיו של הקב"ה לא נאמר כל מלאכיו כו' עושי דברו שהקדימו נעשה כו'.

The lower beings, who cannot withstand the charges of the Holy One, blessed is He — it does not say "all His angels"… "those who do His word" refers to those who placed "we will do" first.

The Midrash distinguishes higher angels from "lower beings," and identifies "those who do His word" with Bnei Yisrael, who at Sinai said "na'aseh" (we will do) before "nishma" (we will hear).

פשוט כוונת המדרש שבני ישראל זכו במעשה המשכן לשמוע דבר ה'.

The plain intent of the Midrash is that Bnei Yisrael merited, through the building of the Mishkan, to hear the word of Hashem.

Through the avodah of the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael earned the level of "hearing Hashem's word" like the angels.

כמאמר ויקרא כו' לציותן על מצות הקרבנות.

As it says, "And He called…" — to command them concerning the mitzvos of the korbanos.

This is reflected in "Vayikra" — Hashem calling to Moshe to convey the commands of the offerings, a direct hearing of the Divine word.

וקודם החטא היו למעלה מבחי' עשי'.

And before the sin they were above the level of "doing" (asiyah).

Before the sin of the Golden Calf, Bnei Yisrael stood above the realm of physical action — they did not need to struggle through deed.

ממש כמלאכים עליונים.

Literally like the supernal angels.

They were on the elevated plane of the upper angels themselves.

כמאמר חרות חירות.

As in the teaching: read not "charus" (engraved) but "cheirus" (freedom).

Chazal's pun on the Luchos — "engraved" / "freedom" — describes that pre-sin state of liberation from the yetzer hara.

ואחר החטא היו צריכין למעשה בפועל.

And after the sin they needed action in actual deed.

Once they sinned, they were demoted to needing to serve Hashem through concrete physical action.

וזה דבר קשה ביותר.

And this is an exceedingly difficult thing.

Serving through physical deed is far harder than the angelic level they had lost.

וכתיב והידים ידי עשו.

And it is written, "and the hands are the hands of Esav."

The realm of "hands" — physical action — is associated with Esav, the domain where evil has its grip.

ובמעשה יש רוב כח לסט"א להחטיא.

And in the realm of deed the sitra achra has great power to cause one to sin.

In physical action, the forces of evil have much room to trip a person up and lead him to sin.

ונקראו גבורי כח שע"י הגבורה שכובשין יצרם מושכין כח.

And they are called "mighty in strength," for through the gevurah of conquering their yetzer they draw down power.

Precisely because action is so hard, when Bnei Yisrael subdue their yetzer hara through gevurah (strength), they draw down great spiritual power — earning the title "mighty in strength."

כדכתיב כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו.

As it is written, "The strength of His works He told to His people."

The verse hints that this "strength" is given over to Hashem's people through their deeds.

וזה ההפרש בין עליונים שנקראו עומדים ותחתונים מהלכים.

And this is the difference between the higher beings, who are called "standers" (omdim), and the lower beings, who are "walkers" (mehalchim).

Angels are "standing" — static and fixed at their level — while human beings are "walking," capable of movement and growth.

בבחי' רצוא ושוב.

In the mode of "running and returning" (ratzo va-shov).

Human avodah moves in waves — surging upward and falling back — a constant dynamic of ratzo va-shov.

ע"י שכל הכח בא מהגבורה של כבישת היצר.

Because all the power comes from the gevurah of subduing the yetzer.

Since the power is generated specifically by conquering the yetzer hara, it is inherently bound up with struggle and fluctuation.

לכן בהכרח להיות עולה ויורד תמיד.

Therefore one must necessarily be always rising and falling.

This is why a person inevitably experiences ups and downs in his avodah.

שמזה הירידה בא הכח.

For it is from this descent that the power comes.

The descents are not failures but the very source of strength — the struggle to rise again is what generates the power.

וז"ש גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו.

And this is "mighty in strength, who do His word, to hearken to the voice of His word."

The verse's sequence teaches that only by being "mighty in strength" through deed does one then merit "to hearken to the voice of His word."

שא"י עתה לבוא לבחי' קול יעקב עד שגוברין במעשה הידים של עשו כאמור.

For one cannot now reach the level of the "voice of Yaakov" until he prevails in the deed of the "hands of Esav," as stated.

After the sin, the only route back to the "kol Yaakov" (the voice of Torah and prayer) runs through first conquering the physical realm of the "hands of Esav."

ובוודאי חטא העגל בא ע"י הקדמת עמלק הרשע.

And certainly the sin of the Golden Calf came about through the prior assault of the wicked Amalek.

Amalek's earlier attack is what opened the door to the sin of the Eigel.

שהוא גרם זה שיצטרכו בנ"י לברר העשי' בפועל.

For he caused this — that Bnei Yisrael would need to refine the realm of deed in actuality.

Amalek is the cause of Bnei Yisrael's having to do the hard work of sorting out and elevating the physical realm of action.

וא"א לגבור נגדו רק ע"י המעשה שבא מכח ידי עשו.

And it is impossible to prevail against him except through the deed that comes from the power of the "hands of Esav."

Amalek can only be defeated on his own ground — by mastering and sanctifying the realm of physical action.

וכתיב בית יעקב אש ובית יוסף להבה ובית עשו לקש.

And it is written, "the house of Yaakov shall be fire, and the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Esav straw" (Ovadiah 1:18).

The Sefas Emes now distinguishes three images — fire, flame, and straw — to map out this avodah.

כי מדתו של יעקב הוא התורה שנק' אש.

For the attribute of Yaakov is the Torah, which is called fire.

Yaakov represents Torah, compared to fire — the inner spiritual blaze.

והוא בחי' לוחות הראשונות.

And this is the aspect of the first Luchos.

This "fire" corresponds to the level of the first Tablets — the pre-sin, angelic plane.

וזה ענין פ' שקלים שהוא ההתלהבות בלב איש ישראל להשי"ת בכלות הנפש.

And this is the matter of Parshas Shekalim, which is the burning enthusiasm in the heart of a Jew toward Hashem, with longing of the soul (kelos hanefesh).

Parshas Shekalim embodies this inner fire — the soul's intense yearning and self-expending devotion toward Hashem.

וכמ"ש מטבע של אש הראה לו.

As it is said, "He showed him a coin of fire."

Chazal's image of the machatzis hashekel as a "coin of fire" reinforces that the shekalim express this fiery devotion.

אבל לגבור כח עמלק צריכין לבחי' זכור והוא להמשיך קדושה במעשה.

But to overpower the strength of Amalek, one needs the aspect of "Zachor," which is to draw holiness into deed.

Inner fire alone cannot defeat Amalek; that requires "Zachor" (Parshas Zachor) — drawing kedushah down into concrete action.

וזה להבה.

And this is "flame" (lehavah).

This drawing of holiness into deed is the "flame" of the house of Yosef.

שע"י שנדבק האור יותר בהפתילה שהוא גוף האדם.

For when the light cleaves more closely to the wick — which is the body of man.

A flame, unlike abstract fire, clings to a wick; here the wick is the human body, into which the spiritual light must be brought.

עי"ז מוסיף הלהב לעלות.

Through this the flame increases and rises higher.

Precisely by being bound to the physical "wick" of the body, the flame grows and ascends even higher than bare fire could.

ועי"ז בית עשו לקש הוא שריפת פרה אדומה.

And through this, "the house of Esav is straw" — this is the burning of the parah adumah (red heifer).

When holiness is drawn into deed, Esav/Amalek becomes mere "straw" to be consumed — alluded to by the burning of the parah adumah read at this season.

ובשבת קודש יש הארה לבני ישראל מהקדמת נעשה לנשמע.

And on the holy Shabbos there is an illumination for Bnei Yisrael from the placing of "na'aseh" before "nishma."

On Shabbos Kodesh, Bnei Yisrael receive a glimmer of that original level of "na'aseh before nishma" — the pre-sin state.

כמו שהי' קודם החטא.

Just as it was before the sin.

Shabbos restores something of the elevated, angelic standing they had before the Eigel.

לכן נאמר והיה בהניח.

Therefore it says, "And it shall be when He gives you rest" (regarding wiping out Amalek).

The command to erase Amalek is tied to "when He gives you rest" — alluding to the rest of Shabbos.

שהוא שבת יום מנוחה.

Which is Shabbos, the day of rest.

The "rest" hinted at is the menuchah of Shabbos.

שבאין למקומם שהוא הקול קול יעקב.

That they come to their proper place, which is "the voice, the voice of Yaakov."

On Shabbos they return to their true place — the "kol Yaakov," the realm of Torah and the inner voice, above the hands of Esav.

יכולין למחות שם עמלק.

There they are able to blot out the name of Amalek.

From within that restored level of kol Yaakov, Bnei Yisrael have the power to erase Amalek.

וכן פי' והיה כאשר ירים משה ידו שהוא התרוממות הידים לבטל המעשה אל החכמה.

And so is the meaning of "And it was, when Moshe raised his hand" — that it is the lifting up of the hands, to nullify the deed toward the chochmah (wisdom).

Moshe raising his hands in the battle with Amalek symbolizes elevating the realm of "hands"/deed and subordinating it (bittul) to the higher wisdom.

וממילא אין לעמלק אחיזה.

And automatically Amalek has no grip.

Once deed is lifted up and bound to wisdom, Amalek loses any foothold.

ויש בידים ב' בחי'.

And there are two aspects to the hands.

The "hands" can function in two opposite ways, depending on their orientation.

כשהם למטה נאמר והידים ידי עשו.

When they are below, it is said "and the hands are the hands of Esav."

Lowered hands — deed pursued for its own sake — belong to the domain of Esav.

אבל יש נשיאות כפים שיכולין להגביהם למעלה מהראש.

But there is the lifting of the hands (nesias kapayim), whereby one can raise them above the head.

The other aspect is raising the hands above the head — as in the priestly blessing — elevating action above the intellect.

והוא בחי' הקדמת נעשה לנשמע.

And this is the aspect of placing "na'aseh" before "nishma."

Lifting the hands above the head embodies "na'aseh before nishma" — deed taking precedence over, and rising above, understanding.

וזהו כאשר ירים כו' ידו וגבר ישראל.

And this is "when he raised… his hand, and Yisrael prevailed."

When the hands are raised in this way, Yisrael overcomes Amalek.

שמשה רע"ה הוא כלל הדעת של בנ"י.

For Moshe Rabbeinu is the collective da'as (knowledge) of Bnei Yisrael.

Moshe embodies the unified da'as of all Israel, the inner awareness that binds deed to wisdom.

כמ"ש ז"ל כשישראל מסתכלין כלפי מעלה כו':

As Chazal said: when Bnei Yisrael looked upward (and subjected their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed)…

Chazal teach that Moshe's raised hands worked only insofar as Bnei Yisrael "looked upward" and subjugated their hearts to Hashem — the true source of victory over Amalek.

Summary: Before the sin of the Eigel, Bnei Yisrael stood like angels, above the realm of deed ("charus/cheirus," the first Luchos). After the sin they were thrust into the hard world of physical action — the "hands of Esav," where the sitra achra has its grip — yet precisely by conquering the yetzer there through gevurah they become "mighty in strength," drawing down power. Unlike the static "standing" angels, man is a "walker," rising and falling, for the very descents generate his strength. Amalek, who caused this fall, can only be defeated on the plane of deed: not by Yaakov's inner fire alone (Shekalim) but by "Zachor," drawing holiness into action — the "flame" clinging to the wick of the body, which rises higher than bare fire. On Shabbos, and through raising the hands above the head (na'aseh before nishma, nesias kapayim, Moshe as the collective da'as), deed is nullified to wisdom, Bnei Yisrael return to the "voice of Yaakov," and Amalek loses all foothold.