Blotting out Amalek through elevation and Shabbos

במדרש עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו.

In the Midrash: "those who do His word, to hearken to the voice of His word."

The Midrash expounds the verse from Tehillim about the angels who "do His word" and then "hearken to the voice of His word," reading the order — doing, then hearing — as significant.

שמקודם היו בני ישראל מוכנים תמיד אל דבר ה' כמלאכי השרת.

That at first Bnei Yisrael were always prepared for the word of Hashem, like the ministering angels.

Originally, at Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael were perpetually ready to receive Hashem's word directly, like the malachim who instantly do His will.

ואח"כ שנפלו ע"י החטא א"י לקבל הדברות רק ע"י הכנה במעשה.

And afterward, when they fell through the sin (of the Golden Calf), they could no longer receive the Divine words except through preparation by means of action.

After the sin of the Calf, they lost that immediate readiness and could receive Hashem's word only after preparing themselves through concrete deeds.

וז"ש ויקרא שהוצרך הזמנה וקריאה וע"י עשיית המשכן חזרו לשמוע דבר ה'.

And this is the meaning of "Vayikra" (And He called) — that an invitation and a calling became necessary; and through the building of the Mishkan they returned to hearing the word of Hashem.

Now Hashem had to "call" Moshe first (Vayikra), an act of invitation that had not been needed before. Building the Mishkan — an act of doing — restored their ability to hear His word.

דאיתא הראשונות היו בקולות ובפרהסיא כו' אין לך יפה מן הצניעות.

For it is stated: the first ones (the first Tablets) were given amid thunder and in public, etc.; (yet) there is nothing more beautiful than tzni'us (modesty/concealment).

The first Luchos were given publicly, amid great fanfare, and were broken; the second were given quietly. Chazal teach that the modest, concealed mode is in fact the more beautiful and enduring one.

כי בני ישראל היו מוכנים לתקן כל העולם כמו שיהי' לעתיד שיתגלה כבוד שמו ית'.

For Bnei Yisrael were prepared to rectify the entire world, as it will be in the future, when the glory of His blessed Name will be revealed.

At Sinai, Bnei Yisrael stood ready to bring the whole world to its final tikkun, the future state in which Hashem's glory is openly revealed.

אכן ע"י עמלק הרשע שבא להלחם עם בני ישראל עם ה'.

However, through the wicked Amalek, who came to wage war against Bnei Yisrael, the people of Hashem.

This readiness was disrupted by wicked Amalek, who came to attack Bnei Yisrael, the nation of Hashem.

והאמת כי בעבור כי אין אותו הרשע ראוי להיות לו חלק בשמים כמ"ש אמחה את זכר עמלק.

And the truth is that because that wicked one is not fit to have any portion in Heaven, as it is written, "I will blot out the remembrance of Amalek."

Amalek is so utterly evil that he has no share in holiness at all — hence the decree "I will erase the memory of Amalek."

ונשבע ה' שאין שמו שלם עד שימחה זרעו כו'.

And Hashem swore that His Name is not complete until Amalek's seed is blotted out, etc.

Hashem took an oath that His Name remains incomplete so long as Amalek's offspring endure.

כי אם הי' רצונו ית' לגלות כבוד שמו.

For if it were His will, may He be blessed, to reveal the glory of His Name.

If Hashem wished to reveal His full glory openly in the world.

כרגע ימסו כל הרשעים.

In an instant all the wicked would melt away.

Such a revelation would instantly dissolve all wicked forces.

אך מרוב רשעות שלו אינו כדאי שיתבטל ויתכפיא להקדושה רק לאבדו ולמחות זכרו.

But because of the greatness of his wickedness, he is not worthy to be nullified and subjugated to holiness — only to be destroyed and his memory blotted out.

Amalek's evil is so extreme that he cannot be rectified or absorbed into holiness through bittul, as other forces can be; he can only be utterly destroyed and erased.

ולכן הוא מעכב גילוי שמו ית' בעולם.

And therefore he obstructs the revelation of His Name in the world.

For this reason Amalek's continued existence holds back the full revelation of Hashem's glory.

ולכן צריכין אנחנו לזכור שנאה ואיבה תמיד לזרע עמלק.

And therefore we must remember hatred and enmity toward Amalek's seed always.

This is why we are commanded to perpetually remember our enmity for Amalek — because his eradication is bound up with the revelation of Hashem's Name.

והנה מקודם היה ג"כ ענן שכיסה את בנ"י והי' כמו פרוכתא קלישא.

And behold, beforehand there was also a cloud that covered Bnei Yisrael, and it was like a thin curtain (parochta kelisha).

Initially there was only a slight concealment between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem — like a thin veil — represented by the protective cloud.

וגרם החטא שנשפח הצרעת וכחו של עמלק עד שהוצרך להיות צמצום ע"י המשכן וכן ביהמ"ק.

And the sin caused the "tzaraas" to spread, and the power of Amalek, until a contraction (tzimtzum) became necessary by means of the Mishkan and likewise the Beis HaMikdash.

Sin caused a spiritual "leprosy" and Amalek's power to spread, so that a tzimtzum — a contracted, structured vessel like the Mishkan and later the Beis HaMikdash — became necessary to contain holiness.

ולכן דרשו חז"ל כי להרשעים הי' טובה המשכן וביהמ"ק.

And therefore Chazal expounded that the Mishkan and the Beis HaMikdash were, in a sense, a benefit "for the wicked."

Chazal note that the very need for a contained dwelling-place was itself a concession occasioned by the wicked — the structure was a tzimtzum made necessary because open revelation could not be sustained.

ואח"כ גרם עוד החטא עד שעשו פרצות בביהמ"ק עצמו.

And afterward sin caused further deterioration, until breaches were made in the Beis HaMikdash itself.

Continued sin caused even this contained holiness to be breached, with damage to the Beis HaMikdash itself.

ועד שחרבו המקדש שהי' בנין וחומה.

And until the Mikdash, which was a building with a wall, was destroyed.

Eventually the Mikdash, with its protective walls, was destroyed entirely.

וכל זה הרמז על הצמצום והבדלות שנעשו שלא יוכלו הרשעים להתקרב.

And all of this alludes to the contraction and the separations that were made so that the wicked could not draw near.

This whole progression of contraction symbolizes the protective barriers erected to keep wicked forces from approaching holiness.

לכן עתה צריכין עבודה ויגיעה גדולה ע"י תיקון העשי' עד לזכות לאיזה הארה מהקדושה.

Therefore now we require avodah and great labor, through the rectification of action (the realm of "doing"), in order to merit some illumination of kedushah.

Because of these barriers, we now must toil greatly through the refinement of our deeds in order to merit even a glimmer of holiness.

וזה עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו.

And this is "those who do His word, to hearken to the voice of His word."

This is the meaning of doing first and then hearing: through the deeds we perform, we earn the ability to hear Hashem's word.

כי הכל במאמר עשה והכל נברא ע"י אותיות התורה.

For everything was made through utterance, and all was created through the letters of the Torah.

All of creation came into being through Divine speech and the letters of the Torah, so the "word" of Hashem is hidden within every created thing and every deed.

רק כפי הזדככות המעשה יכולין להעלותן עד כח המאמר ודבר ה' שבו.

Only that, according to the refinement of the deed, one is able to elevate them up to the power of the utterance and the word of Hashem within it.

The purer our actions, the more we can raise them back up to the Divine "speech" — the word of Hashem concealed within each act.

וכמו כן ע"י המעשה בימי המעשה כראוי זוכין בשבת לשמוע בקול דברו.

And likewise, through proper action during the days of work, one merits on Shabbos "to hearken to the voice of His word."

So too, when the weekday deeds are done properly, one is granted on Shabbos the ability to truly hear Hashem's word.

כמ"ש בשבת יעשה כולו תורה.

As it is written, that on Shabbos one should make it entirely Torah.

On Shabbos, freed from labor, one's whole day can be devoted to Torah and to hearing Hashem's word.

ועמלק אין לו מגע רק בעשי'.

And Amalek has a grip only in the realm of "doing" (asiyah).

Amalek's power extends only into the realm of action and physical doing, not into the higher realms.

לכן כשיש ביטול המעשה נמחה זכר עמלק.

Therefore, when there is a cessation (bittul) of action, the remembrance of Amalek is blotted out.

Hence, when action is suspended — as on Shabbos — Amalek loses his foothold and his memory is erased.

כמו שיהי' לעתיד ליום שכולו שבת.

As it will be in the future, on the day that is entirely Shabbos.

This foreshadows the future era described as "the day that is wholly Shabbos," when Amalek will be utterly gone.

ובכל שבת קודש מעין עוה"ב.

And every holy Shabbos is a foretaste of the World to Come.

Each Shabbos provides a taste of that future, Amalek-free reality.

ואיתא אילו שמרו ישראל שבת ראשונה לא שלטה בהם אומה ולשון.

And it is stated: had Bnei Yisrael kept the first Shabbos, no nation or tongue would have ruled over them.

Chazal teach that if Bnei Yisrael had properly observed the very first Shabbos, no foreign nation would ever have had dominion over them.

דכ' יצאו כו' ללקוט אח"כ ויבוא עמלק ע"ש במס' שבת.

For it is written, "they went out to gather" (on Shabbos), and afterward "Amalek came" — see there in Maseches Shabbos.

The Gemara in Shabbos links the people going out to gather manna on Shabbos with Amalek's subsequent attack — the breach of Shabbos opened the door to Amalek.

וענין שבת ראשונה כי יש שבת למעלה משבת.

And the matter of the "first Shabbos" is that there is a Shabbos above Shabbos.

The "first Shabbos" alludes to a higher, transcendent level of Shabbos beyond the ordinary one.

כי מנוחת שבת דבר שאין לו הפסק.

For the rest of Shabbos is something that has no interruption.

The true menuchah of Shabbos is unbroken and unending — an enduring rest with no cessation.

כי ענין שבת הוא החזרת המעשים להשורש.

For the matter of Shabbos is the returning of all deeds to their root.

Shabbos is the process of restoring all the week's deeds back to their Source.

וזה המנוחה.

And this is the rest (menuchah).

This return to the root is the essence of Shabbos rest.

לכן כ' והיה בהניח כו' תמחה כו' זכר עמלק.

Therefore it is written, "And it shall be, when He grants you rest (b'haniach)... you shall blot out... the remembrance of Amalek."

The mitzvah to erase Amalek is tied to "rest" (b'haniach) — for it is precisely the menuchah of returning to the root that wipes out Amalek.

כי כשבנ"י הם באמת במקום המיוחד להם אין לעמלק שום מקום.

For when Bnei Yisrael are truly in the place designated for them, Amalek has no place at all.

When Bnei Yisrael occupy their proper, designated spiritual place, there is simply no room left for Amalek to exist.

כמ"ש לא נתמלאה צור רק מחורבנה של ירושלים.

As it is written: Tyre was filled only from the destruction of Yerushalayim.

Chazal teach that the rise of Tyre (representing the impure forces) came only through Yerushalayim's downfall — the two are inversely related, one rises only as the other falls.

לכן כפי התרוממות בנ"י למקומם מתבטל זכר עמלק ימ"ש וזכרו.

Therefore, in accordance with the elevation of Bnei Yisrael to their place, the remembrance of Amalek — may his name and memory be blotted out — is nullified.

The more Bnei Yisrael rise to their rightful place, the more Amalek's memory is correspondingly erased.

וכ' כאשר ירים משה ידו.

And it is written, "when Moshe raised his hand."

During the war with Amalek, victory depended on Moshe raising his hand heavenward.

פי' כפי ההתרוממות כך הוא הנצחון לעמלק.

The meaning is: in accordance with the elevation (hisromemus), so is the victory over Amalek.

Moshe's raised hand signifies that the degree of spiritual elevation directly determines the degree of victory over Amalek.

ולכן אחר פ' שקלים שזוקף ראשן של ישראל.

And therefore, after Parshas Shekalim, which "lifts up the head" of Yisrael.

This is why Parshas Zachor follows Parshas Shekalim, whose "ki sisa es rosh" (lifting the head via the half-shekel) raises up Bnei Yisrael.

כי מחצית השקל נק' תרומה וכמ"ש צדקה תרומם גוי.

For the half-shekel is called "terumah" (an uplifting/offering), as it is written, "tzedakah uplifts a nation."

The half-shekel is termed terumah, from the root "to raise" — and as the pasuk says, "tzedakah uplifts a nation," it elevates Bnei Yisrael.

וכמ"ש בפ' הקודמת מענין זה שהוא התרוממת המעשה להמחשבה והראש.

And as is written in the previous week's piece concerning this matter — that it is the elevation of action up to thought and to the "head."

As explained the prior week, this terumah represents raising the realm of action up to the higher realms of thought and the "head."

וזה ירים ידו.

And this is "he raised his hand."

Moshe's raised hand expresses this very elevation of the lower (the "hand," action) toward the higher.

אז וגבר ישראל.

Then "Yisrael prevailed."

Through that elevation, Bnei Yisrael overcame Amalek.

ואם היו שומרין שבת ראשונה היא העליה למקום המיוחד לבנ"י.

And had they kept the "first Shabbos," which is the ascent to the place designated for Bnei Yisrael.

Keeping that first Shabbos would have meant ascending fully to Bnei Yisrael's designated spiritual place.

אז לא שלט עמלק.

Then Amalek would not have ruled.

Had they reached that place, Amalek would have had no dominion at all.

וממילא לא שום אומה.

And consequently, no nation would have ruled either.

And since all subjugation stems from Amalek, no other nation would have had power over them.

דראשית גוים עמלק.

For "Amalek is the first of the nations."

Amalek is the head and source of all the hostile nations, so defeating him removes the root of all subjugation.

ולכן קבעו פ' זכור בשבת.

And therefore they fixed Parshas Zachor (to be read) on Shabbos.

This is why Chazal established the reading of Zachor specifically on Shabbos — the day whose elevation blots out Amalek.

גם לפי מ"ש לעיל כי כשיש פריסת שלום על בנ"י אין לעמלק מגע שם.

Also according to what was written above, that when there is a "spreading of peace" over Bnei Yisrael, Amalek has no grip there.

As explained, when the "shelter of peace" is spread over Bnei Yisrael (on Shabbos), Amalek can find no hold among them.

דכ' הנחשלים אחריך שפלטן הענן.

For it is written, "the stragglers behind you" — those whom the cloud cast out.

Amalek attacked specifically "the stragglers," whom the protective cloud had expelled — those who had fallen outside the encompassing protection.

ומכלל שנאמר אין שם וכסא שלם עד שימחה שם עמלק.

And from the rule stated, that the Name and the Throne are not complete until the name of Amalek is blotted out.

This reflects the teaching that Hashem's Name and Throne remain incomplete until Amalek is erased.

ממילא כשיש השלימות יש מחיית עמלק.

Consequently, when there is completeness (shleimus), there is the blotting out of Amalek.

Therefore, wherever wholeness and completeness are present, Amalek is automatically wiped out.

רק בעוה"ז אין השלימות נמצא כראוי.

Only that in this world, completeness is not found as it should be.

In our world, however, true and full completeness is not yet attainable.

רק בשבת קודש הקב"ה נותן מעט שלימות לבנ"י.

Only on the holy Shabbos does the Holy One, blessed be He, give a measure of completeness to Bnei Yisrael.

Only on Shabbos does Hashem grant Bnei Yisrael a partial taste of that completeness.

פורס לשון פרוסה.

"Pores" (He spreads) is from the word "perusah" (a portion/piece).

The word pores in "He spreads the shelter of peace" hints at perusah, a mere "piece" — indicating that on Shabbos we receive only a portion, not the full measure.

לכן יש מחיית עמלק.

Therefore there is (a measure of) the blotting out of Amalek.

Because Shabbos grants this partial completeness, it brings about a corresponding partial erasure of Amalek.

גם דכתיב עושה שלום במרומיו.

Also, as it is written, "He makes peace in His heights."

The verse "He makes peace in His heights" further connects peace/wholeness with the heavenly realms.

לכן אחר תרומת שקלים זוכין לשלימות:

Therefore, after the terumah of the shekalim, one merits completeness.

Hence after Parshas Shekalim, which raises and unifies Bnei Yisrael, they merit the completeness through which Amalek is blotted out — fittingly leading into Parshas Zachor.

Summary: After the sin of the Calf, Bnei Yisrael could no longer receive Hashem's word directly but only through the rectification of action — "doing" in order "to hear." Amalek, too evil to be rectified through bittul and only to be erased, grips solely the realm of action and obstructs the revelation of Hashem's Name, which remains incomplete until Amalek is blotted out. Therefore the more Bnei Yisrael are elevated to their rightful place — through Shekalim's uplift and especially through Shabbos, when action ceases and all deeds return to their root — the more Amalek's memory is wiped away, a foretaste of the future "day that is wholly Shabbos."