“Then the L-rd said to Moses: ‘Inscribe this as a reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven… The L-rd will wage war against Amalek throughout the generations.”’
These are the verses that were read this past Shabbat morning in all of the synagogues around the world. Hamas, the epitome of absolute evil, is not only the enemy of Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami, and Or Levy, the hostages that returned to Israel yesterday and for whom our hearts ache. Hamas is not only the enemy of the Jewish people. The Amalekites of every generation are the enemies of G-d Himself: the enemies of all that is good and holy in this world and of life itself.
We just received a stark reminder of what we experienced on October 7 and what happens whenever absolute evil is able to carry out its schemes.
How do we respond? Pay attention to the circumstances under which Amalek attacks us. Immediately before their ambush, the parasha describes the bitter discord among our people, our lack of faith, despondency and inertia. It is stunning to read the verse that immediately precedes Amalek’s attack:
“The place was named Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tried the L-rd, saying, “Is the L-rd present among us or not?”
As a result of our internal strife and doubting of G-d’s presence, Amalek takes advantage of the situation and attacks us. From this we learn that the only way to defeat Amalek is through our faith, unity, and strength.
It is these qualities that made possible the Exodus from Egypt and the Splitting of the Sea. Let us pray for a similar situation today, for the Jewish people to overcome all their obstacles and limitations and work together towards a brighter future when all the evil of the world will disappear and drown at sea, and we will sing a new song with one voice, ushering in an era of redemption and abundant blessing.
How Do You Respond To A Changing Reality?
I’m writing this piece on a plane as I head to New York to meet with more “October 8th Jews,” those Jews who were awakened and transformed by the cataclysmic events of October 7.
We notice a similar phenomenon taking place at the beginning of this week’s parasha, Parashat Yitro. All over the world, people had heard about the exodus of the nation of Israel from Egypt. But there was one individual who woke up and took action.
Parashat Yitro opens with these words:
“Now Moshe’ father-in-law Yitro, the chieftain of Midian, heard all that G-d had done for Moshe and for Israel, His people that the L-rd had taken Israel out of Egypt.”
Yitro hears about the miraculous liberation of the Israelites from Egypt – about a radical transformation that has taken place in the world – and cannot remain indifferent:
“Yitro, father-in-law of Moshe, came….”
Yitro leaves his home and joins the nation of Israel.
Many of our commentators discuss Yitro’s unique ability to hear a personal message in the events taking place around him. The Torah relates how many nations heard about the exodus from Egypt and responded with shock and fear. Millions of people in the Middle East followed the unfolding drama. Did this inspire them to make any changes? To take action? No, it did not. Only Yitro reflected on the significance of these monumental events and decided to change the course of his life.
We are constantly being bombarded with information demanding our attention. Every day, we are exposed to so much news. Yitro’s story reminds us to ask ourselves this critical question: How do we respond to everything we hear?
Translated by Janine Muller Sherr.
