FOR BETTER AND FOR WORSE

“Remember that which Amalek did to you on the way, upon your exodus from Egypt. That he encountered you on the way, and he attacked from behind you all the stragglers behind you, when you were faint and weary and he did not fear God. It shall be when the Lord your God gives your rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land that the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance to take possession of it, you shall expunge the memory of Amalek from under the heavens, you shall not forget.” (Devarim 25:17-19)

The battle with Amalek was the first major setback that the Israelites experienced after leaving Egypt. Until that fateful day in Refidim, not long before the Revelation at Sinai, they were taken by surprise. Without provocation and seemingly for no reason, Amalek attacked. The Israelites were not in their land and did not pose any sort of threat. The Amalekites displayed an incredible amount of brazenness when they chose to take up arms against the Children of Israel. Had they not heard how Hashem had brought Egypt to her knees during the ten plagues? Were they not aware that the army of Pharaoh had been drowned in the Red Sea?  Did they fail to notice that the nation was protected by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? Why would anyone take such a risk against a seemingly untouchable enemy? And yet they did – because they did not fear God. Facts and history meant nothing to Amalek and their ilk. Miracles could be explained away. Unfortunately, Amalek exposed a weakness in the Israelite camps and exploited it. Moshe dispatched Joshua the next day to lead a counter-attack. The army was only able “to weaken” Amalek but not defeat them. They would remain a thorn in the side of Israel for generations and they still lurk in the shadows, albeit with new identities.

The Torah portion that follows the battle of Amalek (Shmot 17:8-16) is Yitro. It begins by telling us that “Yitro, priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that God had done to Moshe, and to Israel His people, that the Lord took Israel out of Egypt.” Rashi comments: “What did Yitro hear that prompted him to come [to the wilderness where the Israelites were camped]? The splitting of the sea and the battle with Amalek.” This is a most curious comment. It makes perfect sense that Yitro heard about the splitting of the sea and as a result, left Midian and set out for Mt Sinai. Who would not want to join a nation that had experienced such a supernatural salvation? But why would the battle with Amalek be a catalyst for leaving his home and casting in his lot with the Children of Israel? If anything, the battle with Amalek was an embarrassment. It proved that the nation was not untouchable. It exposed the vulnerability of the Israelites for all to see. It was a sign of weakness, not strength. It should have given Yitro pause and yet it did not.

There are those who offer a practical solution (see Chizkuni, Shmot 18:1). They point out that Yitro actually lived close to the nation of Amalek (see, for example, I Samuel 15:6). In which case, Yitro would have heard about the splitting of the sea and the battle with Amalek from refugees from that selfsame conflict. Simply put, Amalek was Yitro’s news source! I would like to suggest another explanation based on a passage from the Talmud (Yevamot 47a) in its discussion of how one must speak to a potential convert: “The Sages taught: With regard to a potential convert who comes to a court in order to convert, at the present time, when the Jews are in exile, the judges of the court say to him: What did you see that motivated you to come to convert? Don’t you know that the Jewish people at the present time are anguished, suppressed, despised, and harassed, and hardships are frequently visited upon them? If he says: I know, and although I am unworthy of joining the Jewish people and sharing in their sorrow, I nevertheless desire to do so, then the court accepts him immediately to begin the conversion process.”

There were rare times in our history, such as during the reigns of King David and King Solomon (ibid 24b), when converts were not accepted. The Jewish people were at the top of the world. They were wealthy, powerful and respected. Any gentile who sought to join them had an ulterior motive – whether it was a desire for wealth, power or prestige. A convert must join the Jewish people for altruistic reasons because he or she is motivated to perform mitzvoth, study Torah and serve Hashem. The same will be true in the era of the Messiah – converts will be turned away. But when the Jewish people are beleaguered and despised, as they are today, we must inform all potential converts that they are joining a ‘pariah’ people. We must inform them of the possible consequences of their choice – that they too might become hated and reviled. I found myself in such a situation several months ago. A young man came to see me with his non-Jewish girlfriend to discuss the feasibility of her conversion to Judaism. After some pleasant chit-chat during which I enquired about the couple’s background and relationship, I turned the conversation in a serious direction. I said to the young lady, “I am sure your boyfriend is a wonderful man and you are very much in love. But why in heaven’s name would you want to become Jewish? Have you not seen how, since the 7^th of October, anti-Semitism has sky-rocketed and the hatred against Jews and the State of Israel is at an all-time high?” She mumbled an answer but my point was well made: it may seem all rosy now but when you are a Jew, you will be part of a people that are often “on the other side” and have to fend for themselves.

This, I believe, is what Rashi is telling us about Yitro – he was prepared to join the people regardless of whether they were experiencing “the splitting of the sea”, a great high, or “the battle of Amalek”, a dreadful low. He was not a fair-weather friend. He was a true convert who was prepared to attach himself to the Jewish people no matter the consequences.

Lee, Chani Merryl & Naomi join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Liebenberg

Rabbi’s YouTube message:  https://youtu.be/hX6qoBIKuNw?si=OCVN0XEPpQpm-Vdw

On the Shabbat before Purim, we read a special maftir called Parshat Zachor (The Passage of Remembrance).  In this section, we are commanded to remember that the Nation of Amalek attacked the Children of Israel shortly after the Exodus and killed those who were tired from the long journey. Our sages instituted this public reading on the Shabbat before Purim as it was then that Haman, a descendant of Amalek, was vanquished. Please be in shul no later than 10:00 am to ensure that you hear this important portion.