Last Shabbos we discussed the significance of the nation of Amalek. Why are the people so bad that-- as pointed out by the Ramban--we must continually tell our children the story of how they attacked us right after we left Mitzarayim? Rashi explains that no other nation dared to attack us; Amalek was the first and it is because of this that we need to eradicate its name and memories. There is, however, an inherent problem here. If we are forced to review this act each year, how are we erasing its memory? Aren’t we in fact keeping the memory alive and well? It must be that by eradicating the name we are actually expunging from within ourselves a deep trait that their name evokes.
The midrash explains that Amalek is called a letz, a scoffer, a clown. What is wrong with a being referred to as a joker? Plenty of kids have been called clowns by their teachers. Do they deserve a terrible punishment? The pasuk says that the main problem with Amalek was that they ‘cooled us off’ – asher karcha baderech. Rashi provides three explanations as to what this word ‘karcha’ means. The simple pshat is that Klal Yisrael were hot and parched from their journey. This was the nation that everyone respected and revered after being showered with the miracles that took place in Mitzaryim and Amalek cooled everyone off by illustrating that this esteemed nation could also be attacked and that damage can be inflicted on those stragglers in the back of the crowd.
My friend R Dovid Gurwitz told me an amazing gematria: The name Yisrael is 541 minus the gematria of fire-aish- which is 301 and you’re left with 240 which is the gematria of Amalek. So we can say that on a deeper level, Klal Yisrael’s power is their passion and this is represented by fire. Amalek, it would seem, has the ability to cool off that fire. What is that power? The gematria of Amalek is also sefek — doubt. The power of Amalek was to demonstrate that things that happen are not to be taken at face value. Don’t be so sure that Hashem runs the world. It is not so clear that Klal Yisrael is special and that Hashem glorifies himself in the Jewish people and has a special hashgachah on every Jewish soul.
The critical aspect of Amalek is its power of taking something significant and diluting it. Amalek removed the most significant feature of the Jewish people – its pride and specialness – thereby created a division between them and Hashem. There is nothing more important in life than living each day with the goal of being committed to and aware of Hashem.
So how does this tie into bikkurim?
The first fruit that a person sees budding in his field represents all the hard work he put into its growth the previous year. When a person takes that fruit and brings it to Hashem he is saying, “I recognize that everything comes from you” and by doing so he is removing the memory of Amalek from this world. He is showing that he is aware of Hashem’s presence and that His constant hashgachah was needed so that this first fruit was able to bud and grow. How many miracles must take place in order for fruits to ripen? This is the power of bikkurim and the connection between Amalek, who fights hashgachah, as opposed to the act of giving bikkurim which celebrates and trains us to constantly be aware of Hashem’s chesed in this world – olam chesed yibane.
by Rabbi Daniel Coren
