JOY CONTINUED - A REFLECTION ON AN OBSTACLE
Dear Family,
Hope everyone is well and had a Freilichen Purim,
Mazal Tov to Ariella on her upcoming birthday. Wishing you a Happy Year.
Mazal Tov to Shmuel and Rivky on their upcoming Anniversary.
Wishing Mommy arichus yomim on the upcoming Yohrtzeit of Simcha.
Looking back at the 2 months of Adar and Purim with all its aspects of Joy, I couldn't help thinking about its connection to AMALEK.
Amalek has historically been the main enemy of our Nation, and in the week before Purim we are commanded to 'Remember Amalek, and totally Destroy Amalek'
There was the original Nation of Amalek at the time of Moshe Rabeinu, and then throughout history its descendants keep surfacing.
In the story of Purim it is Haman, and more recently it was Hitler yimach shmam (may their names be destroyed)
Besides the Nation of Amalek, the Rebbe explains, that within each of us there is an aspect of Amalek in some form or another, which we need to address and destroy.
I heard a few aspects of the nature of Amalek this week from different Teachings of The Rebbe:
1. Amalek makes a separation at the neck between the Head and Body. Ie the person knows what is right to do, but 'Amalek' forces one to act contrary to this knowledge.. ie person may find themselves doing things they know are wrong, and are dismayed by this, and yet they carry on doing it!! ( Melika, which is the same letters as Amalek, refers to the procedure for the Bird Offering in the Temple where the Head of the bird was completely severed from its Body at the Neck)
2. Amalek has a nature which is totally 'destruction oriented.' His only object is to destroy, even at the expense of himself, for no reason.
3. He cools us off -asher karecha baderech (karecha has a dual meaning of 'meeting' on the way, or 'cooling' off). It is that aspect in ourselves which reduces or cools our enthusiasm for Torah and Mitzvos. I heard it said that Amalek will jump into a boiling bath of water and get burnt, as long as he cools this water so that others will not benefit.
4. Amalek fought with us in Refidim ( besides being the name of a place, the word refidim also implies weakness). He attacks us when we are feeling weak. (when we are weak in keeping Torah, Amalek comes and cools us further)
And so I was thinking how Adar and Purim and Amalek are connected, and it makes so much sense, that all the different energies of JOY that we have been exerting (even when it seems ridiculous), that these energies are needed to conquer the 'coldness and destructive nature' of Amalek within ourselves. And outside of ourselves - When I saw everyone yesterday out on the streets, celebrating Purim, I could not help compare this to the world news a few days before, of suicide bombers going out onto the streets and killing themselves and innocent people! Who has had a greater effect on the World?!
In Hayom Yom this week, the Rebbe explains the antidote to Amalek from the Posuk:
(Moshe commands Yehoshua to) 'Choose men for us, and go forth and fight Amalek' This is in the singular ( and should have been plural!) and is explained as follows.
In every generation there is the extension of Moshe ie Moshes Teachings, and Heads, who are faithful to the Teaching. And each individual has to take up this fight with Amalek in every time and place.
RAMBAM 5 minutes per week covering 7 Chaps
Sefer Avodah (Book 8), Hilchos Bias Hamikdash, Chaps 3,4,5,6,7,8,9. PAGE 12
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zFsu7TC1IXA57FKtBGM5CJ0aAJZOJdvwb8IdU8dD 89c/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18LCdtnMoOFsfxkxHjcW3nyVIjV-D3hX5S6oFAycC -cA/edit
Wishing all a Gut Shabbos and the strength to delight in our simple connection to Hashem without interference.