Chazal instituted that on the first week of Chodesh Adar we read about the Shkalim. This small reading discusses how the Jews donated to the Mishkan. On the Shabbos Kodesh before Purim we read Parshas Zachor, a reminder of our eternal struggle with Amalek. This week, the week after Purim we read Parshas Para in which we learn about the Para Adumah the laws and details of a fully red cow which is completely burnt and whose ashes are used to purify those who are under the status of Tamei Meis, meaning that they have contracted a certain type of intense impurity via contact with a corpse. The ashes of the Para Adumah nullify this impurity. The week after Parshas Para, which is the week before Rosh Chodesh Nisan we read Parshas HaChodesh, in which Moshe Rabbeinu is commanded by HaKadosh Baruch Hu in regards to the first Mitzva given to the Jewish people - Kiddush HaChodesh, the obligation to organize the beginning of the months around the discovery of the new moon every thirty days or so.
These four special readings: Shkalim, Zachor, Para and HaChodesh are called the Arba Parshios.
If we can analyze each one by itself, maybe we will see how they work as a unit.
Parshas Shkalim represents the intrinsic holiness and pure intentions inherit to every Jew. The Jews were commanded to give the Shkalim to the Mishkan, but when they did so it wasn’t merely a monetary donation, it was an investment of self, of personal devotion to the cause of what the Mishkan represents. And the Mishkan stands for living with the reality that Hashem really dwells within our lives. How do we know? A possible hint is given to us by the Ba’al HaTurim who points out that Shekel is the same numerical value as the word Nefesh, which means soul. When the Jews gave to the Mishkan they were really giving of themselves.
Then comes Parshas Zachor which reminds us of our eternal battle with Amalek. Amalek is more than just a physical people who we are at odds with. Amalek embodies all of the struggles that the Jewish people as a whole go through and on a deeper level they are the spiritual source from which all of the struggles that every individual undergoes.
Rav Yitzchak Hutner Zatz’al explains this based on the Passuk which describes Amalek. The verse says, “Reishis Goyim Amalek” - Amalek is the first of the nations. What does it mean that they are the first of the nations? Every nation serves in some way as a counterforce to the growth of the Jewish people. Amalek was the first nation to attack the Jewish people, as the Torah describes their ambush upon our exodus from Mitzrayim. Therefore, them, being the Reishis - the first, they serve as the prototype to this counterforce. Thus, in both the physical and spiritual realm, they set the mold for all the challenges to spiritual growth.
Amalek contains a very intense spiritual impurity, and it leaves a mark on everything it comes in contact with. The same is true with their attack on the Jewish people when they left Egypt. The sources bring down that via spiritual-cause-and-effect, the ‘spiritual dirt’ that Amalek left behind eventually caused Cheit Ha’Egel - the sin of the golden calf, an offense which left a heavy claim in heaven against the Jewish people.
This is where Parshas Para comes in. The Midrash explains that the Para Adumah was a Tikun - a rectification for the Cheit Ha’Egel, and therefore it’s also a tool used to battle Amalek’s effects on us.
Amalek comes to sever our relationship with the Divine. They try to get us to believe that we don’t need the Torah and that really we can make it on our own. That’s where all our problems start. Para Adumah represents the opposite. The Torah describes the Para Adumah as a Chok, a Mitzvah without a rational explanation. As we explained, Para Adumah comes to extract a person from the deepest impurity - Tumas Meis. Says the Para Aduma - You think can get out of Tumas Meis with your own formula? That’s Amalek thinking. The only way to escape Tumas Meis is by forfeiting your knowledge to God. This is very anti-Amalek.
This brings us to the fourth stage. This is Parshas HaChodesh - HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem - This renewal shall be for you, the Sanctification of the new moon. The Sfas Emes explains that the hidden meaning. The moon whittles down and diminishes, and then just as it hits rock bottom it begins to grow back. But it’s not really that simple, because the moment that we notice its renewal it takes on a new identity, one step, one month higher in the cycle. It was the moon of Chodesh Adar, but now it’s the moon of Chodesh Nisan. Once a struggle is met and subsequently overcome, the combatant is not the same person he was before hand – he’s stronger, he’s more experienced, but most importantly he’s ready to take on a new, stronger adversary.
These four special readings are the path of how we grow: Shkalim - Things are going well. Zachor - A Challenge comes. Para - We grapple with the difficulty. HaChodesh - We overcome and take on a new, stronger persona; ready to repeat the process on a higher level.
When we are living in a Shkalim state of mind, we need to know that it’s possible to reach a level of HaChodesh if we just fight Zachor with Para. When we feel like we are cruising in our Avodas Hashem, and then a struggle hits the most inspiring thing that we can know is that we will be we won’t just be back to where when we started once we overcome, rather we will be exponentially stronger because of it.
This is really the depth of what Chazal say, “B’Makom She’Ba’alei Teshuva Omdim, Ain Tzadikim Gemurim Omdim.” – In the place where a Ba’al TeShuva stands, a complete Tzadik doesn’t reach a level. Because even though the Shkalim level is nice, he who falls and gets back up is even higher – and this what the process of Shkalim, Zachor, Para, HaChodesh is coming to teach us.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu should give us a Bracha that we should be able to live with the inspiration needed to overcome the challenges that He sends us, and that we should have the awareness to appreciate the growth that we do achieve. If we can do this, there is no doubt that we will live lives of Simcha and Shleimus, moving closer to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and ultimately the Geulah Sheleimah!
Showing posts with label Amalek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amalek. Show all posts
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Purim: Connect the Dots
The following is influenced in part by the Meor Einayim, Nefesh HaChayim Pachad Yitzchak, Maharal Sfas Emes, Ohr G’Dalyahu, Afikei Mayim, as well as conversations with Rav Avshi Weingott Shlit’a. Please feel free to print this out and read it over Shabbos, but please not during Tefilos.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu tells us that His fight with Amalek spans through all the generations - M’Dor Dor. We are commanded, “Timcheh Es Zecher Amalalek” – Wipe out any recollection of them. Clean the world of them.
Even more powerfully, the termination of Amalek comes hand-in-hand with the world reaching Tikun, a lofty spiritual term which simply means, “fixing” or “rectification.” The Passuk says, “Reishis Goyim Amalek V’Achariso Adei Oved” - Amalek is the Reishis, the start, the head of all the nations, but it’s Acharis, its end, its finality is destruction.
The meaning of V’Achriso Adei Oved is that Amalek’s final Tikun, their spiritual-fixing, is attained only via their nullification. V’Achriso: Their meeting with Acharis - as in Acharis HaYamim, the End of Days, where all things meet their Tikkun - is Adei Oveid, eternal destruction.
We see here Amalek’s association with the concept of being first, Resishis Goyim. Hashem always creates a balance between the holy and impure, and the contrast to Amalek’s Reishis, is that of Am Yisrael’s. As the Midrash says on the first word of the Torah, Bireishis, Bishvil Yisrael She’Nikra Reishis - What does the word Bireishis mean? For Am Yisrael who are called Reishis.
And so the stage is set for history’s most important battle, Reishis versus Reishis, withAchris HaYamim and Tikun Olam hanging in the balance.
Amalek has Koach HaPirud, the power Pirud - Disconnection. Amalek works like a pot-hole, seeping into the smallest crack, pushing and pushing until everything collapses. Amalek severs ties (last week we spoke about Amalek breaking up the Jewish people), between man and his fellow man, between man and his Maker, and between man and himself. Pirud, separation, divide and conquer. If we are trying to bring the world to Tikun, then Amalek is using Koach HaPirud to bring the world to farther and farther Kilkul, Spiritual Ruin.
The world of Tikun is described as a time where, VaYimaleh Ha’Aretz Da’as Hashem, the world will be filled with the truest form of Da’as, the Knowledge of God. If Da’as, specifically that of God represents Tikun, then logically Amalek is standing in the way of proper Da’as.
Da’as, as it is used first in the Torah, is an expression of connectedness. Va’Adam Yada Es Chava Ishto - And Adam ‘knew’ his wife. The verse goes on to tell us that this knowledge of one another caused Chava (Eve) to bear children. Clearly this wasn’t simply a deep conversation. The Torah is telling us that true knowledge means to be connected at the core.
This is the goal of VaYimaleh Ha’Aretz Da’as Hashem, for the world to live together with Hashem, to have a life infused with a deeply rooted consciousness of God – this is the Tikun of the universe.
Amalek therefore opposes this Da’as. Da’as leads connectedness, which leads to Tikun. Amalek brings Pirud - disconnection - and thereby Kilkul.
Haman, the main antagonist of the Purim-Story was a direct descendant of Amalek. And therefore he must have Pirud and Kilkul in his veins. (We’ve described how this is so in last week’s essay.) But to intensify this already startling information, Chazal trace Amalek’s roots back to the, Nachash HaKadmoni - the Snake in the Garden of Eden, thereby making Haman a reincarnation of everything that the Nachash HaKadmoni represents. Let’s see how this is so.
If we look carefully we see this Koach of anti-Da’as with the snake as well. For if we learned that Da’as is codeword for the intimate relationship between Adam and Chava, then it does not come as a shock that the Midrash tells us that the Nachash HaKadmoni actually slept with Chava (we don’t understand such things) in order to convince her to eat of the Eitz HaDa’as, which caused all of the problems that we experience for the rest of history. Thus, the Nachash, comes to desecrate the original Da’as in order to created the ultimate Kilkul.
What’s so bad about the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra? How does its consumption further the goals of Amalek? Until Adam ate from the tree he was living with Da’as Hashem, the way that God intended it. It part of his very nature to be totally in tune with Hashem’s will. A life of total Dveikus. But after he ate, he replaced this consciousness with a confusion of Tov V’Ra a confounding and fuddling blend of good and evil, right and wrong. Things were no longer clear as they once were. He was distracted away from that deep connection that he once possessed. Man’s clarity of mind allowed him to live on-on-one with the Creator, constantly. The consumption of the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra separated that connection, thereby creating the Pirud between man and maker, which opened the door to all sins - ever.
And this ultimate Kilkul, the eating of the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) is Chazal’s source of Haman in the Torah. “Haman Min HaTorah Minayin?” Where does Haman appear in the Torah? “HaMin Ha’Eitz.” This is where Hashem asks Adam if he ate of the tree. And as we know, he did.
We learn a very important fundamental concept here. If Haman’s Torah-root is found in the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra (Hamin HaEitz), then it means that he must be pulling his entire essence from the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra, and therefore we see that the Nachash, Amalek and Haman are seeking to replace Da’as Hashem with Kilkul via Pirud.
It’s written in the Zohar that Moshe Rabbeinu is the Raza D’Da’as, the Secret of Da’as and the Da’as of Am Yisrael. One shining example is when Am Yisrael was fighting Amalek on the way to Har Sinai (a classic display of the Pirud against Da’as Hashem by the hand of Amalek). Chazal tell us that when Moshe’s hands were lifted, the Jews would gain the upper hand. When he put his hands down, Amalek would gain the upper hand. Chazal ask: What, Moshe’s hands win wars? No! It means that when Moshe would raise his hands he would be reminding the Jews to keep focused on the One Above. Keep your thoughts on Him and you are invincible. Moshe shows us here how he is a vessel of Da’as Hashem.
It would thereby reason to say that in the Megilah, at every stage of Haman’s downfall, we should see an expression of Da’as to signify the occasion. And we do.
The first seed is planted for Mordechai’s eventual upheaval and rise to power was before any problems with Haman began. His incrimination of Bigsan and Seresh led to his entry into Achashverosh’s book of merits which eventually led to his total decimation of Haman’s pride. He overheard Bigsan and Seresh plotting to kill Achashverosh, and the verse says there, “VaYivada HaDavar L’Mordechai” – And the matter became known to Mordecha.
Then again, when Haman rises into power, and the decree is set forth againt the Jewish people, before Mordechai begins to pray, the Passuk says, “U’Mordechai Yada Es Kol Asher Na’asa” And Mordechai knew everything that was done.
And then, finally, things go really down hill for Haman when Ester is finally convinced to go into see Achashverosh. How does Mordechai convince her to go in? U’Mi Yodea Im L’Eis KaZos HiGa’at L’Malchus? Who knows? Maybe this is the reason that you were brought into royalty! Save us!
Thus it’s clear that at every stage– the precursor, the preperation and the coming into fruition - of Haman’s downfall, an expression of Da’as is present. And we understand fully why this needs to be so. Haman, Amalek, the Nachash, and anything else in the world that seeks to cause Kilkul, simply falls before true Da’as.
So how does this play into my life? The message for me is that no matter what challenge comes my way, no matter what confusing situation needs to be dealt with, if my am constantly thinking about God, If I am absorbed to the best of my abilities in contemplation with my relationship with the divine, then I become so deeply rooted, so intrinsically connected to Hashem, my enhanced state of Da’as will pull me through. If I put my mind in high places, if I think holy thoughts, if I sit and take the time to focus and meditate on the right things, to work on that deep inner connection – then I am doing my part to bring the whole world towards VaYimaleh HaAretz Da’as Hashem. We are where are thoughts are, and it’s that power that can fight off any Amalek.
As we move closer to Purim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu should give us a Brahca to live with such a lofty state of mind. If we can do so there is on doubt that we will live lives of true Simcha and Shleimus, moving closer to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and ultimately the Geulah Sheleimah!
HaKadosh Baruch Hu tells us that His fight with Amalek spans through all the generations - M’Dor Dor. We are commanded, “Timcheh Es Zecher Amalalek” – Wipe out any recollection of them. Clean the world of them.
Even more powerfully, the termination of Amalek comes hand-in-hand with the world reaching Tikun, a lofty spiritual term which simply means, “fixing” or “rectification.” The Passuk says, “Reishis Goyim Amalek V’Achariso Adei Oved” - Amalek is the Reishis, the start, the head of all the nations, but it’s Acharis, its end, its finality is destruction.
The meaning of V’Achriso Adei Oved is that Amalek’s final Tikun, their spiritual-fixing, is attained only via their nullification. V’Achriso: Their meeting with Acharis - as in Acharis HaYamim, the End of Days, where all things meet their Tikkun - is Adei Oveid, eternal destruction.
We see here Amalek’s association with the concept of being first, Resishis Goyim. Hashem always creates a balance between the holy and impure, and the contrast to Amalek’s Reishis, is that of Am Yisrael’s. As the Midrash says on the first word of the Torah, Bireishis, Bishvil Yisrael She’Nikra Reishis - What does the word Bireishis mean? For Am Yisrael who are called Reishis.
And so the stage is set for history’s most important battle, Reishis versus Reishis, withAchris HaYamim and Tikun Olam hanging in the balance.
Amalek has Koach HaPirud, the power Pirud - Disconnection. Amalek works like a pot-hole, seeping into the smallest crack, pushing and pushing until everything collapses. Amalek severs ties (last week we spoke about Amalek breaking up the Jewish people), between man and his fellow man, between man and his Maker, and between man and himself. Pirud, separation, divide and conquer. If we are trying to bring the world to Tikun, then Amalek is using Koach HaPirud to bring the world to farther and farther Kilkul, Spiritual Ruin.
The world of Tikun is described as a time where, VaYimaleh Ha’Aretz Da’as Hashem, the world will be filled with the truest form of Da’as, the Knowledge of God. If Da’as, specifically that of God represents Tikun, then logically Amalek is standing in the way of proper Da’as.
Da’as, as it is used first in the Torah, is an expression of connectedness. Va’Adam Yada Es Chava Ishto - And Adam ‘knew’ his wife. The verse goes on to tell us that this knowledge of one another caused Chava (Eve) to bear children. Clearly this wasn’t simply a deep conversation. The Torah is telling us that true knowledge means to be connected at the core.
This is the goal of VaYimaleh Ha’Aretz Da’as Hashem, for the world to live together with Hashem, to have a life infused with a deeply rooted consciousness of God – this is the Tikun of the universe.
Amalek therefore opposes this Da’as. Da’as leads connectedness, which leads to Tikun. Amalek brings Pirud - disconnection - and thereby Kilkul.
Haman, the main antagonist of the Purim-Story was a direct descendant of Amalek. And therefore he must have Pirud and Kilkul in his veins. (We’ve described how this is so in last week’s essay.) But to intensify this already startling information, Chazal trace Amalek’s roots back to the, Nachash HaKadmoni - the Snake in the Garden of Eden, thereby making Haman a reincarnation of everything that the Nachash HaKadmoni represents. Let’s see how this is so.
If we look carefully we see this Koach of anti-Da’as with the snake as well. For if we learned that Da’as is codeword for the intimate relationship between Adam and Chava, then it does not come as a shock that the Midrash tells us that the Nachash HaKadmoni actually slept with Chava (we don’t understand such things) in order to convince her to eat of the Eitz HaDa’as, which caused all of the problems that we experience for the rest of history. Thus, the Nachash, comes to desecrate the original Da’as in order to created the ultimate Kilkul.
What’s so bad about the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra? How does its consumption further the goals of Amalek? Until Adam ate from the tree he was living with Da’as Hashem, the way that God intended it. It part of his very nature to be totally in tune with Hashem’s will. A life of total Dveikus. But after he ate, he replaced this consciousness with a confusion of Tov V’Ra a confounding and fuddling blend of good and evil, right and wrong. Things were no longer clear as they once were. He was distracted away from that deep connection that he once possessed. Man’s clarity of mind allowed him to live on-on-one with the Creator, constantly. The consumption of the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra separated that connection, thereby creating the Pirud between man and maker, which opened the door to all sins - ever.
And this ultimate Kilkul, the eating of the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) is Chazal’s source of Haman in the Torah. “Haman Min HaTorah Minayin?” Where does Haman appear in the Torah? “HaMin Ha’Eitz.” This is where Hashem asks Adam if he ate of the tree. And as we know, he did.
We learn a very important fundamental concept here. If Haman’s Torah-root is found in the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra (Hamin HaEitz), then it means that he must be pulling his entire essence from the Eitz HaDa’as Tov V’Ra, and therefore we see that the Nachash, Amalek and Haman are seeking to replace Da’as Hashem with Kilkul via Pirud.
It’s written in the Zohar that Moshe Rabbeinu is the Raza D’Da’as, the Secret of Da’as and the Da’as of Am Yisrael. One shining example is when Am Yisrael was fighting Amalek on the way to Har Sinai (a classic display of the Pirud against Da’as Hashem by the hand of Amalek). Chazal tell us that when Moshe’s hands were lifted, the Jews would gain the upper hand. When he put his hands down, Amalek would gain the upper hand. Chazal ask: What, Moshe’s hands win wars? No! It means that when Moshe would raise his hands he would be reminding the Jews to keep focused on the One Above. Keep your thoughts on Him and you are invincible. Moshe shows us here how he is a vessel of Da’as Hashem.
It would thereby reason to say that in the Megilah, at every stage of Haman’s downfall, we should see an expression of Da’as to signify the occasion. And we do.
The first seed is planted for Mordechai’s eventual upheaval and rise to power was before any problems with Haman began. His incrimination of Bigsan and Seresh led to his entry into Achashverosh’s book of merits which eventually led to his total decimation of Haman’s pride. He overheard Bigsan and Seresh plotting to kill Achashverosh, and the verse says there, “VaYivada HaDavar L’Mordechai” – And the matter became known to Mordecha.
Then again, when Haman rises into power, and the decree is set forth againt the Jewish people, before Mordechai begins to pray, the Passuk says, “U’Mordechai Yada Es Kol Asher Na’asa” And Mordechai knew everything that was done.
And then, finally, things go really down hill for Haman when Ester is finally convinced to go into see Achashverosh. How does Mordechai convince her to go in? U’Mi Yodea Im L’Eis KaZos HiGa’at L’Malchus? Who knows? Maybe this is the reason that you were brought into royalty! Save us!
Thus it’s clear that at every stage– the precursor, the preperation and the coming into fruition - of Haman’s downfall, an expression of Da’as is present. And we understand fully why this needs to be so. Haman, Amalek, the Nachash, and anything else in the world that seeks to cause Kilkul, simply falls before true Da’as.
So how does this play into my life? The message for me is that no matter what challenge comes my way, no matter what confusing situation needs to be dealt with, if my am constantly thinking about God, If I am absorbed to the best of my abilities in contemplation with my relationship with the divine, then I become so deeply rooted, so intrinsically connected to Hashem, my enhanced state of Da’as will pull me through. If I put my mind in high places, if I think holy thoughts, if I sit and take the time to focus and meditate on the right things, to work on that deep inner connection – then I am doing my part to bring the whole world towards VaYimaleh HaAretz Da’as Hashem. We are where are thoughts are, and it’s that power that can fight off any Amalek.
As we move closer to Purim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu should give us a Brahca to live with such a lofty state of mind. If we can do so there is on doubt that we will live lives of true Simcha and Shleimus, moving closer to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and ultimately the Geulah Sheleimah!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Elul/Ki Seitzei: Purim, Shevet Dan and the lessons for a better Rosh HaShana
This week’s Parsha on the whole deals with the issue of Tikkun, rectification. Through a closer analysis of the Tikkun of Elul and the general Tikkun of the world we will be able to hopefully come away with a strong lesson on how to overcome that which prevents us from making the most of our experience on Rosh HaShana.
An apology is required in advance – this essay is longer than usual. This is due to a larger spectrum of factors that are dealt with. The connections are broad and beautiful. Enjoy.
The concepts we will hopefully discuss have been influenced by Emunas Itecha, Pachad Yitzchak Rav Reichman and Rav Sitorsky.
To put things in perspective let’s lay down a few examples as to how Ki Seitzei raises the issue of rectification. The first concept discussed is that of the Eishes Yefas To’ar. We are told that in the course of a battle, if a warrior sees a woman who catches his eye, then with certain regulations he can take her as his own. While on the simple level we see this as the Torah creating a leniency for our baser desires as the Gemara describes, the Ohr HaChayim takes a more esoteric approach:
When we go to war as a nation we are doing so on a much higher level, way above that which rests on the geo-political playing field. When Am Yisrael goes to war in a manner of holiness we are doing so do eliminate the forces of evil in the world. The very physical action of destroying that which opposes Hashem creates a massive spiritual Tikkun.
But even in the evil of that which we need to destroy exists small sparks of holiness that can be saved and salvaged. And with the careful eye of the Tzaddikim fighting in Hashem’s army they can pick out those sparks of holiness and release them from the evil which keeps them on lock-down.
So – when we go to war to destroy evil, where are those hidden sparks of holiness hidden? In the Eishes Yefas Toar. By destroying the evil of the enemy as a whole and simultaneously picking out the small bits of that which is good we can bring a Tikkun to the nation which we are batteling.
Another example that we see is found when we learn about Hashavas Aveida - returning a lost object. How is this a Tikkun? Bob has a certain amount of property to his name – his control extends over these objects. If he loses something, then that lost object extends beyond the reach of his control. He who returns the object to Bob has brought about a Tikkun to the wholeness of Bob’s property.
There are other examples, but that’s not our focus. We need to discuss the most important Tikkun of all, and that is how our Parsha ends. We need to delve into Mechias Amalek - the total decimation of Amalek.
The Jewish people were one fire. After inexplicable miracles they leave Egypt in full glory. They are on the way to Har Sinai. They are bound to receive the Torah. Everything is great.
But what happened to the Jewish people on the path? Amalek attacked. The Passuk in our Parsha says, “Asher Karcha BaDerech” they happened upon you on the Derech - the way. The Stutchiner Rebbe Shlita brings out the depth of the Passuk. Reb Tzadok HaKohen explains that in order to reach the most intrinsic meaning of what a word in Torah really means then the analysis must begin with how it is used the first time that it appears in Torah. So where is the first time that we Derech? Back in Parshas Bereishis. Let’s analyze.
Adam HaRishon is born on Rosh HaShana. He doesn’t even last a few short hours before sinning with the Eitz HaDa’as. He eats from the Tree of Knowledge and is forced to leave the Garden.
Hashem placed two angels with revolving, flaming swords to block the passage back into Gan Eden. This path is what the Torah calls the Derech Eitz HaChayim, the way (back) to the Tree of Life. And thus based on this we see that the Derech that Amalek interrupted when we were attacked in the desert was the Derech Eitz HaChayim.
How is the journey to Har Sinai the Derech Eitz HaChayim? The answer is that we call Torah, Eitz Chayim Hi LaMachazikim Ba, Torah is the Tree of life for those that cleave to it. We describe Torah as Chayeh Olam eternal life, exactly how the Torah described the potential results of eating from the original Eitz HaChayim situated in Gan Eden. The journey to Har Sinai where Amalek attacked is the Derech Eitz HaChayim. And destroying him (even if as a concept more than a physical nation) means clearing
That Derech.
To bring things a bit deeper, let’s introduce a concept about the Jewish cycle of the year. The Mishna tells us that the world really has two starting points: Nisan and Tishrei. If we see the Jewish calendar as a circle with twelve sections, then we would see these two months six months apart on exactly opposing parts of the year. What emerges is that these two starting points generate two different perspectives of the twelve months that make up the journey through the year.
Thus if both of these months are a “Rosh HaShana” of sorts that would mean that the processes leading up to them would also parallel on a certain level. So Elul, our month, which precedes the Rosh HaShana of Tisrei would chronologically line up with Adar, the month which precedes the “Rosh HaShana” that takes place in Nisan.
It takes little seeking to see how Adar is a month of the destruction of Amalek. Adar’s heavy-hitting holiday is Purim. Purim is the holiday where we battle and defeat Haman, both the biological and ideological outgrowth of Amalek. It is in this month where Amalek as an entity takes a tremendous blow. And Chazal tell us that our victory on Purim served as a re-acceptance of the Torah. All that which was lacking due to Amaleks attack on the way to Har Sinai was undone and was given a Tikkun when we overcame those same forces on Purim.
How does this connect back to Elul? As we have previously seen, Elul serves an acrostic, or Rashei Tevios for many different things, each of those different initials revealing another facet of the month. This week we can point out another, surprising Rashei Teivos for Elul. In Megilas Ester we are commanded to send gifts Ish L’Rei’eihu U’Matanos L’Evyonim - Gifts from man to his friend and presents to the poor. This Rashei Teivos of this phrase in the Megila also serve as the letters which spell Elul – thus connecting Adar to Elul and more specifically Purim to Ki Seitize.
A quick review before we go on: Adar and Elul are parallels on the two simultaneous cycles of the year. Adar, the month of Purim, which is a battle against Amalek lines up against our Parsha, the Parsha of Tikkun which comes to a peak with the biggest Tikkun of all which is Mechias Amalek. It is Amalek who is responsible for keeping us away from the national Tikkun of getting back to the Eitz HaChayim and out from the under the influence of the Eitz HaDa’as.
There is much discussion as to how the Original Snake which caused the sin of the Eitz HaDa’as later came to be revealed in human, then national, then ideological form of Amalek. In the same way that the Snake caused Chava (Eve) to doubt the totally unified dominance of Hashem, so too Amalek continues in this path trying to insert doubt into our Emunah - faith, and thus the Gematria, the numerical value of Amalek is Safek which is the Hebrew word for doubt. Both the Snake and Amalek prey on the loose ends, the sensitive areas, the weakest points, seeing as those would be the best choices for places to combat clear Emunah and replace it with Safek.
And that is exactly what Amalek did. When Amalek attacked, the Passuk says that he attacked “HaNecheshalim, the weak and the tired, those who straggled behind. The commentators tell us that these stragglers were the members of the Tribe of Dan who were forced to follow the rest of the camp from behind due to their issues with Emunah (shockingly, they got caught up in idol-worship upon the exodus from Egypt). So it makes a lot of sense that Amalek would strike here.
How is this relevant? We know that in the camp, each tribe was given a flag with an image that thematically described what that tribe was all about - Dan’s flag contained a picture of what? A Snake.
Dan in his ideal state represents the Nachash D’Kedusha the snake on the side of holiness, as displayed by his flag as well as the blessing which he receives from Yaakov Avinu. At the end of Sefer Bereishis where Yaakov Avinu blesses all the tribes, he says the following about Dan. “Dan Yadin Amo - Dan shall avenge his people… Yihi Dan Nachash Alei Derech - and Dan shall be a snake upon the Derech (the reader knows exactly which Derech is being referenced here!).
On the other hand, as we have explained, Amalek brings out the Nachash D’Tumah, the snake on the side of impurity. Thus had Amalek’s attack on the tribe of Dan been fully successful it would have been a decisive display of the dominance of the Nachash D’Tumah.
In the blessing we mentioned a moment ago Yaakov said that Dan will take revenge for his people. When does this happen? It happens in this week. Parshas Ki Seitzei always falls out in the week of the Ninth of Elul, which we are taught is the Yartzeit, the commemoration of the passing of Dan. (In Judaism, the day one dies marks the day that his life source came into its fullest fruitin and therefore nothing is left. And on that day, every year after an expression of that person’s soul re-enters the world. Thus Dan’s passing on in this week would mean that…) even though Amalek struck first, Parshas Ki Seitzei, which comes out in Dan’s week shows us that in the end the Nachas D’Kedusha of Dan will win out with the eventual Mechias Amalek.
Fine, so we need to go through this week’s Parsha with all of its connections to learn about the depth of destroying Amalek. But how is this going to give us a better Rosh HaShana?
We are told to destroy Amalek. How are we told to do this? Through the commandment of Zachor. Don’t forget what he did to you. How does remembering him help us wipe him out? Certainly the opposite is true! IF we forget all about Amalek that will lead to him eventually being swept away in the pages of history! Remebering him seems counter-intuitive to totally destroying him.
We can answer in the following way: We explained that Amalek’s key weapon is doubt. Doubt takes that which was clear to me originally and shakes things up so that I end up less certain of those same concepts. Thus it is the power of memory, constant review, a repetitive internalization of the fact the God runs the show that overcomes the doubt that Amalek uses to break our Emunah. Thus it is through Zachor that we overcome Safek.
The connection to Rosh HaShana is simple. Rosh Hashana is the day that we declare God as King. We drive the message of Emunah home like no other time of the year. And throughout our sources, Rosh HaShana is called many times by the name of Yom HaZicaron - the Day of Memory.
It is Amalek, the Snake, the Sin of the tree of knowledge and the doubt which comes with all three of them which keep us away from internalizing that God is King. But through destroying this doubt, through Mechias Amalek we can overcome these hurdles and truly celebrate our connection to the Divine.
It is a tremendous Avodah to constantly work on one’s Emunah. But it this task which will bring about Mechias Amalek and the eventual complete Tikkun of the world. Let’s start this week. The week of Dan, the week of the Parsha of Tikkun, when we connect back to Purim – now is the most opportune time to connect ourselves to our most powerful faculties of Zicaron.
If we can truly work on our Emunah, if we can truly drive home the point that God is king, then it will serve as a personal Tikkun for each one of personally. It is through this that we will be able to make the most of our time in Elul, eventually in Rosh HaShana and hopefully in our lives on the whole. If we can do this there is no doubt that we will live lives of happiness and meaning, moving closer to the Creator and ultimately to Tikkun Olam!
An apology is required in advance – this essay is longer than usual. This is due to a larger spectrum of factors that are dealt with. The connections are broad and beautiful. Enjoy.
The concepts we will hopefully discuss have been influenced by Emunas Itecha, Pachad Yitzchak Rav Reichman and Rav Sitorsky.
To put things in perspective let’s lay down a few examples as to how Ki Seitzei raises the issue of rectification. The first concept discussed is that of the Eishes Yefas To’ar. We are told that in the course of a battle, if a warrior sees a woman who catches his eye, then with certain regulations he can take her as his own. While on the simple level we see this as the Torah creating a leniency for our baser desires as the Gemara describes, the Ohr HaChayim takes a more esoteric approach:
When we go to war as a nation we are doing so on a much higher level, way above that which rests on the geo-political playing field. When Am Yisrael goes to war in a manner of holiness we are doing so do eliminate the forces of evil in the world. The very physical action of destroying that which opposes Hashem creates a massive spiritual Tikkun.
But even in the evil of that which we need to destroy exists small sparks of holiness that can be saved and salvaged. And with the careful eye of the Tzaddikim fighting in Hashem’s army they can pick out those sparks of holiness and release them from the evil which keeps them on lock-down.
So – when we go to war to destroy evil, where are those hidden sparks of holiness hidden? In the Eishes Yefas Toar. By destroying the evil of the enemy as a whole and simultaneously picking out the small bits of that which is good we can bring a Tikkun to the nation which we are batteling.
Another example that we see is found when we learn about Hashavas Aveida - returning a lost object. How is this a Tikkun? Bob has a certain amount of property to his name – his control extends over these objects. If he loses something, then that lost object extends beyond the reach of his control. He who returns the object to Bob has brought about a Tikkun to the wholeness of Bob’s property.
There are other examples, but that’s not our focus. We need to discuss the most important Tikkun of all, and that is how our Parsha ends. We need to delve into Mechias Amalek - the total decimation of Amalek.
The Jewish people were one fire. After inexplicable miracles they leave Egypt in full glory. They are on the way to Har Sinai. They are bound to receive the Torah. Everything is great.
But what happened to the Jewish people on the path? Amalek attacked. The Passuk in our Parsha says, “Asher Karcha BaDerech” they happened upon you on the Derech - the way. The Stutchiner Rebbe Shlita brings out the depth of the Passuk. Reb Tzadok HaKohen explains that in order to reach the most intrinsic meaning of what a word in Torah really means then the analysis must begin with how it is used the first time that it appears in Torah. So where is the first time that we Derech? Back in Parshas Bereishis. Let’s analyze.
Adam HaRishon is born on Rosh HaShana. He doesn’t even last a few short hours before sinning with the Eitz HaDa’as. He eats from the Tree of Knowledge and is forced to leave the Garden.
Hashem placed two angels with revolving, flaming swords to block the passage back into Gan Eden. This path is what the Torah calls the Derech Eitz HaChayim, the way (back) to the Tree of Life. And thus based on this we see that the Derech that Amalek interrupted when we were attacked in the desert was the Derech Eitz HaChayim.
How is the journey to Har Sinai the Derech Eitz HaChayim? The answer is that we call Torah, Eitz Chayim Hi LaMachazikim Ba, Torah is the Tree of life for those that cleave to it. We describe Torah as Chayeh Olam eternal life, exactly how the Torah described the potential results of eating from the original Eitz HaChayim situated in Gan Eden. The journey to Har Sinai where Amalek attacked is the Derech Eitz HaChayim. And destroying him (even if as a concept more than a physical nation) means clearing
That Derech.
To bring things a bit deeper, let’s introduce a concept about the Jewish cycle of the year. The Mishna tells us that the world really has two starting points: Nisan and Tishrei. If we see the Jewish calendar as a circle with twelve sections, then we would see these two months six months apart on exactly opposing parts of the year. What emerges is that these two starting points generate two different perspectives of the twelve months that make up the journey through the year.
Thus if both of these months are a “Rosh HaShana” of sorts that would mean that the processes leading up to them would also parallel on a certain level. So Elul, our month, which precedes the Rosh HaShana of Tisrei would chronologically line up with Adar, the month which precedes the “Rosh HaShana” that takes place in Nisan.
It takes little seeking to see how Adar is a month of the destruction of Amalek. Adar’s heavy-hitting holiday is Purim. Purim is the holiday where we battle and defeat Haman, both the biological and ideological outgrowth of Amalek. It is in this month where Amalek as an entity takes a tremendous blow. And Chazal tell us that our victory on Purim served as a re-acceptance of the Torah. All that which was lacking due to Amaleks attack on the way to Har Sinai was undone and was given a Tikkun when we overcame those same forces on Purim.
How does this connect back to Elul? As we have previously seen, Elul serves an acrostic, or Rashei Tevios for many different things, each of those different initials revealing another facet of the month. This week we can point out another, surprising Rashei Teivos for Elul. In Megilas Ester we are commanded to send gifts Ish L’Rei’eihu U’Matanos L’Evyonim - Gifts from man to his friend and presents to the poor. This Rashei Teivos of this phrase in the Megila also serve as the letters which spell Elul – thus connecting Adar to Elul and more specifically Purim to Ki Seitize.
A quick review before we go on: Adar and Elul are parallels on the two simultaneous cycles of the year. Adar, the month of Purim, which is a battle against Amalek lines up against our Parsha, the Parsha of Tikkun which comes to a peak with the biggest Tikkun of all which is Mechias Amalek. It is Amalek who is responsible for keeping us away from the national Tikkun of getting back to the Eitz HaChayim and out from the under the influence of the Eitz HaDa’as.
There is much discussion as to how the Original Snake which caused the sin of the Eitz HaDa’as later came to be revealed in human, then national, then ideological form of Amalek. In the same way that the Snake caused Chava (Eve) to doubt the totally unified dominance of Hashem, so too Amalek continues in this path trying to insert doubt into our Emunah - faith, and thus the Gematria, the numerical value of Amalek is Safek which is the Hebrew word for doubt. Both the Snake and Amalek prey on the loose ends, the sensitive areas, the weakest points, seeing as those would be the best choices for places to combat clear Emunah and replace it with Safek.
And that is exactly what Amalek did. When Amalek attacked, the Passuk says that he attacked “HaNecheshalim, the weak and the tired, those who straggled behind. The commentators tell us that these stragglers were the members of the Tribe of Dan who were forced to follow the rest of the camp from behind due to their issues with Emunah (shockingly, they got caught up in idol-worship upon the exodus from Egypt). So it makes a lot of sense that Amalek would strike here.
How is this relevant? We know that in the camp, each tribe was given a flag with an image that thematically described what that tribe was all about - Dan’s flag contained a picture of what? A Snake.
Dan in his ideal state represents the Nachash D’Kedusha the snake on the side of holiness, as displayed by his flag as well as the blessing which he receives from Yaakov Avinu. At the end of Sefer Bereishis where Yaakov Avinu blesses all the tribes, he says the following about Dan. “Dan Yadin Amo - Dan shall avenge his people… Yihi Dan Nachash Alei Derech - and Dan shall be a snake upon the Derech (the reader knows exactly which Derech is being referenced here!).
On the other hand, as we have explained, Amalek brings out the Nachash D’Tumah, the snake on the side of impurity. Thus had Amalek’s attack on the tribe of Dan been fully successful it would have been a decisive display of the dominance of the Nachash D’Tumah.
In the blessing we mentioned a moment ago Yaakov said that Dan will take revenge for his people. When does this happen? It happens in this week. Parshas Ki Seitzei always falls out in the week of the Ninth of Elul, which we are taught is the Yartzeit, the commemoration of the passing of Dan. (In Judaism, the day one dies marks the day that his life source came into its fullest fruitin and therefore nothing is left. And on that day, every year after an expression of that person’s soul re-enters the world. Thus Dan’s passing on in this week would mean that…) even though Amalek struck first, Parshas Ki Seitzei, which comes out in Dan’s week shows us that in the end the Nachas D’Kedusha of Dan will win out with the eventual Mechias Amalek.
Fine, so we need to go through this week’s Parsha with all of its connections to learn about the depth of destroying Amalek. But how is this going to give us a better Rosh HaShana?
We are told to destroy Amalek. How are we told to do this? Through the commandment of Zachor. Don’t forget what he did to you. How does remembering him help us wipe him out? Certainly the opposite is true! IF we forget all about Amalek that will lead to him eventually being swept away in the pages of history! Remebering him seems counter-intuitive to totally destroying him.
We can answer in the following way: We explained that Amalek’s key weapon is doubt. Doubt takes that which was clear to me originally and shakes things up so that I end up less certain of those same concepts. Thus it is the power of memory, constant review, a repetitive internalization of the fact the God runs the show that overcomes the doubt that Amalek uses to break our Emunah. Thus it is through Zachor that we overcome Safek.
The connection to Rosh HaShana is simple. Rosh Hashana is the day that we declare God as King. We drive the message of Emunah home like no other time of the year. And throughout our sources, Rosh HaShana is called many times by the name of Yom HaZicaron - the Day of Memory.
It is Amalek, the Snake, the Sin of the tree of knowledge and the doubt which comes with all three of them which keep us away from internalizing that God is King. But through destroying this doubt, through Mechias Amalek we can overcome these hurdles and truly celebrate our connection to the Divine.
It is a tremendous Avodah to constantly work on one’s Emunah. But it this task which will bring about Mechias Amalek and the eventual complete Tikkun of the world. Let’s start this week. The week of Dan, the week of the Parsha of Tikkun, when we connect back to Purim – now is the most opportune time to connect ourselves to our most powerful faculties of Zicaron.
If we can truly work on our Emunah, if we can truly drive home the point that God is king, then it will serve as a personal Tikkun for each one of personally. It is through this that we will be able to make the most of our time in Elul, eventually in Rosh HaShana and hopefully in our lives on the whole. If we can do this there is no doubt that we will live lives of happiness and meaning, moving closer to the Creator and ultimately to Tikkun Olam!
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