Echoes of Amalek: Torah, Teshuva, and Triumph

כִּ י־תֵ צֵא לַמִּ לְ חָ מָ ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ יך - וּנְתָ נוֹ ה‘ אֱ לֹהֶ יךָ בְּ יָדֶ ךָ וְשָׁ בִ יתָ שִׁ בְ יוֹ׃

When you should go to war against your enemies, and the Lord, your G-d, delivers them in your hand, and you capture prisoners from them;

Prior to diving into the main topic of our shiur, I’d like to quickly focus on the opening words of our Parsha. The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh and Kli Yakar, amongst others, ask why we open in the singular – כִּ י־תֵ צֵא – then switch to plural – אֹיְבֶ יךָ – before reverting to singular – וּנְתָ נוֹ. The conventional answer given is the battle in question is not against any enemy nation but rather our individual battles with the Yetzer Hara – the evil inclination. I would like to share an approach from the Chida (Pnei David), based on a Gemara (Chagigah 15a) which cites the story of Elisha ben Avuya – Acher – who violated Shabbat and then rejected all calls to perform Teshuva. The excuse he provided to Rabbi Meir was that he heard a Bat Kol declare: ”שׁוּבוּ בָּנִים שׁוֹבָבִים, חוּץ מֵאַחֵר“ – “Return, rebellious children, apart from Acḥer.” He made a grievous error, however. He heard the voice and concluded that he stood no chance of returning through Teshuva, but the Chida says, Elisha ben Avuya could have made the requisite effort and been successful. While the Bat Kol was not inviting or encouraging him to engage, he was free to do so on his own volition. Our Parsha’s opening words hint at this idea. Even if you reach a low point where Hakadosh Baruch Hu is no longer calling you, nonetheless, go out on your own and engage in this war. Even such a person will have their enemies delivered in their hand.

There are 74 mitzvot in our Parsha, the most of any in the Torah. This number is represented by the letters ע'ד, which are the two letters appearing enlarged in the Pasuk and Tefillah of: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה‘ אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ ה‘ אֶחָ ד. The Chida explains, in the ongoing battle between Yaakov and Eisav, each have an instance of the letter ע which represents their essence. The ayin in Shema is that of Yaakov Avinu, while the ayin of Eisav hangs in the Pasuk יְכַרְסְמֶנָּה חֲזִיר מִיַּעַר וְזִיז שָׂדַי יִרְעֶנָּה – The swine out of the wood ravages it, and the wild beast of the field devours it. Eisav’s ayin is an ayin ra – an evil eye, whereas Yaakov’s is a tov ayin – an eye of goodness (see Rav Rosenblum English Shiur – Shoftim 5783). With this foundation, I would like to focus on the four final Mitzvot of the Parsha – the 'ד of ע'ד, three which pertain to the war against Amalek:

זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם׃ אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱ-לֹהִים׃ וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ ה‘ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל־אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה‘ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ תִּמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח׃

Remember what Amalek perpetrated against you on the way when you were going out of Egypt. When they chanced upon you en route struck down all the feeble ones behind you, and you were exhausted and wearied, and they had no fear of G-d. When Hashem, your G-d, has given you repose from all your enemies around, in the land that Hashem, your G-d, is giving you as territory to inherit, you shall obliterate the memory of Amalek from beneath the sky; do not forget.

The three Mitzvot we are given with regards to Amalek are to remember what Amalek did to us after we left Egypt, to obliterate the memory of Amalek, and not to forget what Amalek did to us. Chazal ask what the difference is between the first and last – remembering and not forgetting, and the Sifrei answers (Devarim 296): זָכוֹר בַּפֶּה לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח בַּלֵּב – remember through your words, and do not forget in your heart.

The Mitzvah appearing just prior to these Amalekian commands is to possess only accurate weights and measures for use in commerce:

לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה׃ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה׃ אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ׃ כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה‘ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ כָּל־עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה כֹּל עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל׃

You are not to have for yourself in your pouch varying weight-stones, large and small. You shall not have in your house varying measures, large and small. A fully accurate, just weight, you shall have, you are to have whole and honest measures; in order that you live long on the land that your Hashem, your G-d, is giving you. Because Hashem, your G-d’s abomination, are all who do these; all who do falsehood.

Rashi and others question why this seemingly unrelated command juxtaposes those related to Amalek, and answers that Amalek specifically arrives when we cheat with our weights – i.e., we do not deal honestly with one another in business. HaEmek Davar pokes at this commentary, wondering what its true meaning is, given we’re never told the punishment for stealing is an attack by our enemies, and Amalek is not mentioned within the commandment not to steal. The Netziv expands his question and asks why the Gemara (Bava Batra 88b) says the punishment for using false measures is more severe than that for conducting illicit relations. Why is this act so extreme and reproachful?

To pursue these answers, we’ll now travel back to the story of Amalek and see what took place as Bnei Yisrael left Egypt. After being attacked by Amalek – וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם – Moshe instructed Yehoshua to select men strong in the middot of fearing Heaven and fearing sin (יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם and יִרְאַת חֵטְא) to battle back. Those attributes were of importance because Amalek had no such fear of Heaven and is referred to as אֵל אַחֵר as a result. A very strange battle then took place. Moshe Rabbeinu climbed to the mountain top and held up his arms – with the support of Aharon and Chur due to their heaviness – and Bnei Yisrael were victorious as long as his hands remained stretched high. Never before or after did battle plans feature this maneuver of holding up the leader’s hands. Moshe did not raise his hands high during the wars with Sichon or Og, and it did not seem to impact the outcome. What was special about this battle with Amalek that required hands to be held high? Two more Pesukim, detailing what took place after the battle, will help us understand this subject:

וַיֹּאמֶר ה‘ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי־מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ ... וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יָד עַל־כֵּס יָ-הּ מִלְחָמָה לַה' בַּעֲמָלֵק מִדֹּר דֹּר׃

Hashem said to Moshe, “Write this as a remembrance in the Book, and repeat it in Yehoshua’s ears, for I will totally obliterate the memory of Amalek from under the heavens… He [Moshe] said, “The hand is on G-d’s throne, Hashem will be at war with Amalek for all generations.”

In just over two weeks’ time, we will have arrived at Rosh Hashanah – Yom HaDin. The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 29a), amid dealing with numerous matters related to blowing the Shofar, brings forth a seemingly disjointed Mishna:

Did the hands of Moshe make war when he raised them or break war when he lowered them? Rather, the verse comes to tell you that as long as the Jewish people turned their eyes upward and subjected their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed, but if not, they fell.

The connection between this Mishna and the sugya within which it is inserted is bizarre, and its placement leads us to conclude that the battle of Amalek is directly tied to Rosh Hashanah. The essence of this connection is what we’ll now explore in depth. Furthermore, from the final Pasuk of the story, we learn neither the name nor kiseh (chair) of Hakadosh Baruch Hu is complete as long as Amalek is present. It is for this reason the final Pasuk contains כֵּס – kiseh without its alef; and יָ-הּ – the name of Hakadosh Baruch Hu missing its vav and heh. When Melech HaMashiach comes, His name and kiseh will return to their full form – כִּי־בָחַר ה' בְּצִיוֹן אִוָּהּ לְמוֹשָׁב לוֹ: the three missing letters, א'ו'ה, will return to their rightful place.

Why am I bringing this up here? Because we’ll soon reach the pinnacle moment of proclaiming הַמֶּלֶך – יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא – The King Who sits on a throne exalted and uplifted. This display is apparently only achievable with the eradication of Amalek, and therefore there must also be a connection between our Avodah leading up to Rosh Hashanah and the desired state of the King sitting exalted on His throne.

There are several pieces to now learn together, following which a clear picture will be painted, and answers to the above questions will reveal themselves in a wonderful manner.

The Ba’al HaTurim comments on the instruction given to Moshe after defeating Amalek. The first letter in the words זִ'כָּרוֹן בַּ'סֵּפֶר וְ'שִׂים בְּ'אָזְנֵי form the word זְבוּב (fly). Amalek pounced on the wounds of Bnei Yisrael like a fly targets a fresh gash. Generally, when comparing Amalek to an animal, Chazal opt for the dog, but here, the Ba’al HaTurim chooses the fly as his parallel. There is large significance to this small fly, and we’ll uncover it through a Gemara (Sotah 20a) which recounts the sayings of Rabbi Meir, a sofer stam (scribe):

כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי לָמֵד תּוֹרָה אֵצֶל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, הָיִיתִי מֵטִיל קַנְקַנְתּוֹם לְתוֹךְ הַדְּיוֹ, וְלֹא אָמַר לִי דָּבָר. כְּשֶׁבָּאתִי אֵצֶל רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, אָמַר לִי: בְּנִי מָה מְלַאכְתֶּךָ? אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: לַבְלָר אֲנִי. אָמַר לִי: בְּנִי, הֱוֵי זָהִיר, שֶׁמְּלַאכְתְּךָ מְלַאכֶת שָׁמַיִם הִיא, שֶׁמָּא תַּחְסִיר אוֹת אַחַת אוֹ תּוֹתִיר אוֹת אַחַת, נִמְצֵאתָ אַתָּה מַחְרִיב אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ.

When I was studying Torah before Rabbi Akiva, I used to put iron sulfate into the ink with which I wrote Torah scrolls, and he did not protest. When I then came before Rabbi Yishmael, he said: My son, what is your vocation? I said: I am a scribe. He said: My son, be careful, as your work is the work of Heaven, lest you omit a single letter or add a single letter, and you are thus found to be destroying the entire world.

Rabbi Meir added a substance to his ink so it would dry faster, preventing the wet ink from being smudged or unintentionally altered. Rashi provides examples of how worlds can be destroyed with either the removal or addition of a single letter. The first one he brings is ה' אֱ-לֹהִים אֱמֶת – where removing the א in emet yields an unspeakable phrase representing the end of G-d; Secondly, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱ-לֹהִים – where adding the letter ו to בָּרָא produces בָּרְאוּ – a plural form of involvement in Creation.

The discussion continues in the Gemara, and Rabbi Meir responded that while well-versed in not removing or adding a letter, his concern was a fly causing similar damage by landing on a newly inked letter that was still wet and then moving around on the parchment, shifting the ink in the process. Rashi explains, his concern was with regards to the dalet rabbati – the enlarged dalet in the word אֶחָד, which has more ink and thus takes longer to dry than other letters. If a fly were to land on the [top-right] tip of the dalet it would absorb ink, and when it then flies off, it could transform the dalet into a reish, changing אֶחָד (Echad) into אַחֵר (Acher). So, Rabbi Meir added a substance to his ink so that his letters firmed up quicker and he avoided that transformation.

There are other instances where a tiny ink shift within a letter can change the meaning of a word and pasuk drastically, and which would also lead to the destruction of the world. The Midrash (Tanchuma) brings two such examples where a ה becomes a ח, or vice versa, in the verses כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָ-הּ, and וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי. Why does Rabbi Meir specifically bring the case of the dalet in Echad as the impetus to modifying his ink like no sofer had done before? This is a question asked by the Ateret Yeshua, who says, the Gemara in Chagigah speaks of Rabbi Meir’s rebbe – none other than Elisha ben Avuya, who was one of four people who entered Pardes. There, he saw the angel מטטרו'ן writing down the merits of Bnei Yisrael, leading him to exclaim, “How can it be that someone other than Hakadosh Baruch Hu sits in Heaven?” It is said of him: קִצֵּץ בִּנְטִיעוֹת – literally translated as the thinning of seedlings but figuratively meaning to deny the oneness of G-d and embrace polytheism. He changed his reading of the pasuk Hashem Echad to hashem acher – another god in Heaven. It was then that the Bat Kol proclaimed שׁוּבוּ בָּנִים שׁוֹבָבִים חוּץ מֵאַחֵר, and Elisha ben Avuya decided he was now free to go off the derech entirely, and he proceeded to commit egregious sins, after which he was known as a ‘different man’ – Acher.

Ateret Yeshua says, the numerical value of Amalek is 240, the same as אֵל אַחֵר. Amalek is the power behind the drive for one to move from אֵ-ל אֶחָד to אֵל אַחֵר. Amalek is the fly who steps in our fresh ink and transforms Echad into acher. This is why the Ba’al HaTurim refers to Amalek as a zevuv. Chazal say this is meaning behind מִלְחָמָה לַה' בַּעֲמָלֵק. It is an ongoing battle with Amalek, who continuously pushes us to turn Echad into acher and abandon our belief and faith in Hakadosh Baruch Hu. With that, we can now move onto the next stage.

I will try to explain the next chapter as best I can, as it is sourced in Kabbalah and difficult in nature to grasp. Sefer Zera Bareich (Bereshit) says, when Adam HaRishon ate from the Eitz HaDa’at, two instances of the letter ד in the names of Hakadosh Baruch Hu were damaged. The two names containing a dalet are ש-די and א-דני, and when Adam ate from the tree’s fruit, these two letters dropped from their respective names. The significance of this transformation is based on the role of the letter ד, as explained in Sefer Yetzira. The letter dalet serves as a door or gate; and everything in the universe has a gate. As we see in the Tefillah of רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים recited or sung by many during their Melaveh Malka each Motzei Shabbat, there is an alphabetically arranged list of asks we have for the coming week, each prefaced with the word שַׁעֲרֵי – the gates of. Examples include: שַׁעֲרֵי יְשׁוּעָה, שַׁעֲרֵי פַרְנָסָה טוֹבָה, שַׁעֲרֵי רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה. Even our Teshuva has a designated gate: הַפּוֹתֵחַ שַׁעַר לְדוֹפְקֵי בִתְשׁוּבָה. In the two names of Hakadosh Baruch Hu mentioned above, there are also gates, and the powers or influences of the name channel themselves through their dalet. When the act of eating from the Eitz HaDa’at took place – at the 10th hour on Rosh Hashanah – these names of Hakadosh Baruch Hu were damaged, and the result was the introduction of doubt in G-d. Doubt is the simultaneous combination of יֵשׁ and אַיִן (there is and there is not) and it can be found in Chava’s excuse of הַנָּחָשׁ הִשִּׁיאַנִי וָאֹכֵל – The serpent deceived me, and I ate. Removing the letter dalet from the names ש-די and א-דני results in the words יֵשׁ and אַיִן. It was this same doubt that crept up once again and led to Amalek attacking Bnei Yisrael, as seen in the pasuk that immediately precedes the attack:

וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה עַל־רִיב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל נַסֹּתָם אֶת־ה' לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ ה' בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם־אָיִן׃

He [Moshe] named the place Massah and Merivah because Bnei Yisrael had quarreled and because they had tested Hashem, saying, “Is Hashem among us or not?”

If you have a solid grasp on ש-די and א-דני, you have no doubt in Hakadosh Baruch Hu and no lack of faith. However, with the dalets removed, doubt enters the equation, creating ideal conditions for Amalek to jump in and steal the spotlight. Amalek and סָפֵק both equal 240, and that is Amalek’s job – to insert doubt into our heads. Haman fits into this story as well. The Gemara says (Chulin 139b), Haman, from the offspring of Amalek, is found in the Torah within this same story of the sin in Gan Eden – הֲמִן הָעֵץ. He, too, reared his ugly head from that tree – i.e., at a time of doubt and lack of faith.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu told Adam, because he listened to his wife, who listened to the snake, the earth would be cursed: וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ – [It the earth] will grow thorns and thistles for you. Their whole lives they will need to deal with the קוֹץ – the thorn of doubt between the dalet and reish. What is that קוֹץ? It is the top-right tip of the letter ד – the same tip Rabbi Meir feared would be stomped on and distorted by the fly, rendering Echad into Acher. The Bnei Yissaschar says, the numerical difference between the letters reish (200) and dalet (4) is 196 – the same value as the word קוֹץ. From the moment Adam sinned, doubt entered our world. הֲיֵשׁ ה‘ בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם־אָיִן is not merely a historical question Bnei Yisrael asked in the desert, but one we are challenged with every day as the Yetzer Hara pulls incessantly at our faith and seeks to chip away at our Echad until it becomes Acher.

How is this fixed? How did Bnei Yisrael overcome the loss of the two dalets and the introduction of doubt, which in turn triggered Amalek’s attack? They looked upwards to Heaven. The Gemara asks (Rosh Hashanah 29a):

וְכִ י יָדָ יו שֶׁ ל מֹשֶׁ ה עוֹשׂוֹת מִ לְחָ מָ ה אוֹ שׁ וֹבְ רוֹת מִ לְחָ מָ ה? אֶ לָּא לוֹמַ ר לָךְ: כָּל זְמַ ן שֶׁ הָ יוּ יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל מִ סְ תַּ כְּ לִין כְּ לַפֵּ י מַ עְ לָה וּמְ שַׁ עְ בְּ דִ ין אֶ ת לִבָּ ם לַאֲבִ יהֶ ם שֶׁ בַּ שָּׁ מַ יִם — הָ יוּ מִ תְ גַּבְּ רִ ים, וְאִ ם לָאו — הָ יוּ נוֹפְ לִים.

Did the hands of Moshe make war when he raised them or break war when he lowered them? Rather, the verse comes to tell you that as long as the Jewish people turned their eyes upward and subjected their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed, but if not, they fell.

Had Bnei Yisrael not begun to doubt, there would have been no episode with Amalek to contend with! Eliminating the doubt injected by Amalek is performed by removing the question of הֲיֵשׁ ה‘ בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ, which in turn restores the names of Hakadosh Baruch Hu to their proper form. This was, and still is, the key to victory. This is also why we do not find the act of Moshe Rabbeinu raising his arms in any subsequent war. Those wars were not caused by doubt and a lack of faith. Only the battle with the זְבוּב, the fly, involved such dynamics.

The Ra'avad adds, since the dalets of the two names of Hakadosh Baruch Hu were damaged, Chazal instituted that we recite Shema twice daily. In the pasuk of Shema, the dalet is Rabbati – enlarged, and one must emphasize that final letter as part of accepting Ol Malchut Shamayim and removing all doubt (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 61:2). A second dalet is then recited at the end of בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, corresponding to the second dalet being repaired. The Ra’avad then quotes the following pasuk from Mishlei (8:34):

אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַ לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל־דַּלְתֹתַי יוֹם יוֹם לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָי׃

Happy is the man who listens to me, coming early to my gates each day, waiting outside my doors.

We typically find the term אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ used, so why this time do we find אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם? The Ra’avad doesn’t state this, but I believe it may be due to the origins of such doubt – namely, the sin of Adam HaRishon and the ensuing punishment of וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר. The tikkun for that sin is שֹׁמֵעַ לִי – recitation of Shema Yisrael, where דַּלְתֹתַי, two gates, are corrected through our returning of the two dalets to their rightful positions twice each day.

The Ben Ish Chai asks (Ha’azinu), what does בָּדָד mean in the pasuk ה' בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר – Hashem conducted them alone, without [opposition by] alien gods. At first, he says it refers to the eight classifications of Oral Law: kasher and pasul; tamei and tahor; chayav and zakai, and asur and mutar. He then adds another explanation, related to our track of learning. It refers to the two dalets damaged during the sin of Gan Eden, after the snake set into motion thoughts of doubt in Hakadosh Baruch Hu. In the future, these two letters will be permanently corrected, and we will be in a time of ה' בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ, which will also result in a state of וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר – a time where there will be no more flies and no more transformation of Echad to Acher.

We can now progress one more step, after which we’ll be ready to begin the shiur. Yaacov Avinu was the one who established Shema Yisrael, when he wished to reveal the redemption schedule to his sons but had his Ruach Hakodesh temporarily halted. Suspecting one of his children may be unfit – as was the case with Avraham Avinu and Yitzchak Avinu – they reassured him by proclaiming in unison: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, to which Yaacov Avinu replied: בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

The Gemara (Bava Batra 58a) discusses the dimensions and layout of Ma’arat HaMachpela, including where each of our Patriarchs are buried within. The first one buried, on the perimeter of the structure, is Yaacov Avinu, who is referred to as דְּיוֹקְנִין – the first person, because his beauty was equal to that of Adam HaRishon. The Zohar says, Adam’s sin in Gan Eden involved aspects of all three cardinal sins. Avraham corrected the aspect of Avodah Zara, Yitzchak Avinu corrected the aspect of Shfichut Damim, and Yaacov Avinu corrected the aspect of Gilui Arayot. Yaacov’s final step restored the beauty present with Adam HaRishon before his sin. Yaacov was thus the one to introduce Shema Yisrael, and the act of removing all doubt and returning Shem Hashem to Its previous glory.

A brilliant addition to this idea is brought by Shvilei Pinchas. The Gemara (Berachot 7b) asks why Ruth was called Ruth. Her birthname, prior to conversion, was Gilit. The Gemara says: שֶׁזָּכְתָה וְיָצָא מִמֶּנָּה דָּוִד שֶׁרִוָּהוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּשִׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת – That she had the privilege that David, who inundated Hakadosh Baruch Hu with songs and praises, would descend from her. Shvilei Pinchas asks a follow-up question: Why was David Hamelech called David? He says, it is because David HaMelech received life from Adam HaRishon, who gave seventy years of his life to the future Melech Yisrael. If so, he had to continue fixing what Adam broke – namely, the two dalets. How do we pronounce two dalets? David!

Following this introduction, we can now head out to battle. The next words of our first Pasuk are וּנְתָנוֹ ה‘ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ. Hakadosh Baruch Hu instructs us to go out to battle, and, of course, the literal meaning of these words belong to the physical wars we fight. But those wars are never fought by an individual. They are fought by armies and groups of many people. Here, however, the Torah presents the instruction in the singular. The Ohr HaChaim, Kli Yakar, Alsheich HaKadosh, and others, all point to the individual battle we wage against our Yetzer Hara, and especially during the month of Elul. That Yetzer Hara is plural, as it has many names (Succah 52a) and disguises itself as our enemy in many ways. We are being told that if we set out to battle our אוֹיְבֶיךָ, we will not only win but also reclaim all our sins which represented the army that outnumbered us – עַם רַב מִמֶּךָּ. Teshuva Mi’Ahava – repentance from love, results in our sins begin transformed into full-fledged merits.

I would like to ask you all – we’re instructed to go out and battle the Yetzer Hara. Wonderful. Tomorrow morning, the battle begins. But how do we fight? Are we to pick up a gun? Perhaps an old-fashioned slingshot? Who fires first? Do we need maps and a compass, or binoculars? What are the actual actions that comprise such a battle? It is not simple, as the Gemara doesn’t provide any of those answers or give us any precise directions. Rashi says (Sanhedrin 111b), when approached by the Yetzer Hara to perform a sin, respond by first carrying out a Mitzvah. צֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק... מָחָר – Tell the Yetzer Hara, “No problem. I’ll do as you’d like… tomorrow! What’s the rush? It shouldn’t make any difference if I defer a bit. I just have a couple of urgent Mitzvot to take care of first!” Start by pushing off the aveira and focusing on a Mitzvah in its place. The Yetzer Hara may eventually forget to follow-up with you, or you’ll gain enough power in the interim to fend it off even further.

The Ohr HaChaim says our starting point is different, and hinges on demonstrating self-restraint in our food consumption. Upon feeling the presence and influence of the Yetzer Hara, engage in fasting and crying, because the Yetzer Hara dresses itself up in food and an abundance of food is the source of harmful impulses and desires. There is a concept called תענית הראב"ד – the Fast of the Ra’avad (Mishnah Berurah 571:2). In the middle of eating, simply stop and leave food on your plate. The leftovers don’t need to be thrown out – they can be put back in the fridge or freezer for a later date, or they can be given to someone else. Stopping in the middle ensures you receive the sustenance you need while avoiding all risks of over-indulgence and gluttony. I was once at a wedding and witnessed someone walk up to the buffet and load his plate with seven pieces of schnitzel – a Great Wall of chicken breast! I turned to him and quietly asked, “Are you bringing that for the entire table?” He replied, “No, no, no. This is my private plate!” I asked, “Are you going to eat that entire Eifel Tower of schnitzel?” He said, “Of course, not. I’m going to leave some of it for the Ra’avad!” Clearly, that isn’t the intended theory or execution, or what the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh had in mind when suggesting the first act in our war be to show self-restraint in eating.

The Gemara teaches us with respect to our battle (Berachot 5a):

לְעוֹלָם יַרְגִּיז אָדָם יֵצֶר טוֹב עַל יֵצֶר הָרַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”רִגְזוּ וְאַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ“ אִם נִצְחוֹ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — יַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”אִמְרוּ בִלְבַבְכֶם“. אִם נִצְחוֹ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — יִקְרָא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”עַל מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם“. אִם נִצְחוֹ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — יִזְכּוֹר לוֹ יוֹם הַמִּיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”וְדֹמּוּ סֶלָה“.

One should always invoke his good inclination against his evil inclination, as it is stated: "Tremble, and do not sin." If one succeeds and subdues his evil inclination, excellent, but if not, study Torah, as the verse says: “Say to your heart.” If he subdues his evil inclination, excellent; if not, he should recite Shema, as it is stated: “Upon your bed,” which alludes to Shema, where it says: “When you lie down.” If he subdues his evil inclination, excellent; if not, he should remind himself of the day of death, whose silence is alluded to in the continuation of the verse: “And be still, Selah.”

Rabbotai, what in that sequence is the strongest weapon at our disposal? Torah! If so, why does it appear early on, and as a tactic that may not succeed? Why not list it last, as our final resort? We learn:

כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: בָּנַי, בָּרָאתִי יֵצֶר הָרָע וּבָרָאתִי לוֹ תּוֹרָה תַּבְלִין. וְאִם אַתֶּם עוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה – אֵין אַתֶּם נִמְסָרִים בְּיָדוֹ.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to Israel: My children, I created an evil inclination, which is the wound, and I created Torah as its antidote. If you are engaged in Torah study, you will not be given over into the hand of the evil inclination.

Torah is targeted therapy, a precision medicine to counter the Yetzer Hara. Furthermore, the Gemara says, if the menuval (the Satan) attacks you, drag him by force to the Beit Midrash. The Ramchal in Mesilat Yesharim also says (Chapter 5):

וְהִנֵּה פָּשׁוּט הוּא, שֶׁאִם הַבּוֹרֵא לֹא בָּרָא לְמַכָּה זוֹ אֶלָּא רְפוּאָה זוֹ, אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּתְרַפֵּא הָאָדָם מִזֹּאת הַמַּכָּה בִּלְתִּי זֹאת הָרְפוּאָה, וּמִי שֶׁיַּחְשֹׁב לְהִנָּצֵל זוּלָתָהּ, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה, וְיִרְאֶה טָעוּתוֹ לְבַסּוֹף כְּשֶׁיָּמוּת בְּחֶטְאוֹ... וְהוּא הִזְהִירָנוּ שֶׁהָרְפוּאָה לוֹ הִיא הַתּוֹרָה.

Behold, it is obvious that if the Creator created for this affliction only this remedy, then it is impossible under any circumstances for a man to heal himself from this affliction without employing this treatment. One who thinks to save himself without Torah study is only mistaken, and will see his error only in the end, when he dies in sin… and He Himself cautioned us that the only remedy for it is Torah.

Rabbotai, given all these statements – including from Hakadosh Baruch Hu Himself! – why is the solution of Torah buried deep inside this battle plan? Why isn’t it first and last? Chazal answer, Torah certainly helps, but do Talmidei Chachamim not also have a Yetzer Hara? Of course, they do, and from this reality we can learn a tremendous yesod. Torah helps those who learn lishma – for its own sake, and to become closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu by Torah influencing and correcting their ways. It serves as an antidote and negates the Yetzer Hara for these pure individuals. But for those who learn for the sake of honor or a myriad of other selfish reasons – it will not complete the task. This is why reciting Shema comes after the failure of Torah to defeat the Yetzer Hara. The recitation of Shema will help one recalibrate and take upon themselves עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם – the yoke of Heaven along with the concept of reward and punishment – following which their learning will return to where it needs to be – lishma.

This is the reason for the Gemara (Berachot 10b) stating: Greater is one who recites Shema at its appropriate time than one who engages in Torah study. Sefer Likutei Batar Likutei (Vayigash), in the name of R’ David Moshe of Chortkov, says this idea found in the Gemara was already introduced by Yaacov Avinu, when he descended to Egypt, the most impure location on earth. How did he proceed? He first sent Yehuda to Goshen, to set up a Beit Midrash and a foundation of Torah. And upon his arrival, the first thing Yaacov Avinu did when meeting Yosef was to recite Kriyat Shema. Afterwards he said: אָמוּתָה הַפָּעַם. He followed the three-stage battle plan found in the Gemara: learning Torah, reciting Kriyat Shema, and reminding oneself of death – Yom HaMitah. The Ben Yehoyada adds (Berachot 5), David HaMelech eulogized Yonatan and Shaul with the following words (Shmuel II 1:18):

וַיֹּאמֶר לְלַמֵּד בְּנֵי־יְהוּדָה קָשֶׁת הִנֵּה כְתוּבָה עַל־סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר׃

And he said: To teach the children of Yehuda the use of the bow; behold, it is written in the book, Yashar.

After Shaul was killed in battle together with his son – David’s close friend – he said, “If these two gedolim died in war, there are enough reminders of death in front of us. What is needed to defeat the Yetzer Hara, is to teach the people קֶשֶׁת – Kriyat Shema and Torah.”

I’d like to focus on one final question before we conclude with our main learning and yesod. The above formula suggests that reminding oneself of Yom HaMitah is the strongest weapon available. If it doesn’t work – that’s it, you’re toast. This is similar to someone who visits their doctor via Zoom, as that is the new way of the world these days, and the doctor requests, “Place the camera in front of your mouth, open wide and say ahhh.” Upon seeing white spots, the doctor says, “There’s no need to come in, I see your infection and have already sent over a prescription to the pharmacy. Start with Moxypen twice daily for a week; if that doesn’t work, we’ll switch to Zinnat for ten days; and if that doesn’t work, we’ll put you on Augmentin 850.” As a patient, I would respond, “Doctor, if you’re telling me Augmentin is the Tomahawk missile here, let’s cut to the chase and start with it!” And I’d surely receive a response of, “Sir, I do not prescribe Augmentin from the get-go. It leads to side-effects of dizziness, upset stomach, and hallucination. Do you really want to be hearing Beethoven all day long? Forget about it for now. We’ll use it at the end, but only if needed.”

The Chafetz Chaim says, we should utilize inspiration and reinvigoration ahead of fear of punishment. Torah and Kriyat Shema inspire one to improve and gives them energy to keep at their battle and make steady progress. Reminding someone of Yom HaMitah will scare them and drive them to depression, when their Avodah is meant to be with simcha. Use the Tomahawk only sporadically, when all else fails or the situation is extreme and requires extreme measures.

Another answer is provided by the Ktav Sofer. Akavya ben Mahalalel says in Pirkei Avot (3:1), “Look towards three things and you will not bring yourself to sin”:

עֲקַבְיָא בֶן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאֵי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה. וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:

Akavya ben Mahalalel said: mark well three things and you will not come into the power of sin: know from where you come, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning. From where do you come? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot. Before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning? Before the King of the kings of kings, Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

The Ktav Sofer says there are two components in his directions: a component for the guf – the body, and a component for the neshama – the soul. לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה is a message for the body who will go to a place of dust, worms and maggots. לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא is a message for the neshama, who will be required to answer for itself in Din. Each message pertains to what concerns its recipient, and what will spur corrective action. Delivering an incompatible message won’t achieve the desired outcome.

I will add further, that continuously delivering a message of Yom HaMitah – death – will often achieve the opposite effects, driving one to run even faster towards sin. Car manufacturers used to place advertisements above their rear license plates in the form of short, poetic, and often overly dramatic slogans hinting at the brand’s superpowers in adding meaning to life and delivering bliss. I recall slogans such as, “Honda ignites the imagination,” and “Peugeot, the lion of transportation.” I thought about it at length but could never figure out what was hiding behind these slogans. The best one was most definitely, “Audi, because you only live once.” I guarantee that one of the questions we will not be asked when arriving at the gates to Heaven is, “Did you drive an Audi in this life given to you? No? Go back!” But if asked, someone gave me a ride in an Audi last week, and I’m now fully prepared to answer in the affirmative. What are these slogans all about? If you give them any honest thought, you’ll realize how ludicrous and foreign they are, and they’ll end up pushing you even further away from their goal.

The same is true of messages aimed at driving us to Teshuva, and why there is a slow progression of such messaging. Yom HaMitah is the nuclear option, used only as a last resort in extreme cases. Torah is no-doubt the most powerful of all, but Kriyat Shema is the most central. Recitation of, and focusing on, the words of Kriyat Shema serves not only as an act of learning Torah in itself, but also leads one to Torah in the correct mindset – lishma.

There is one final point I’d like to focus on. The peak of our Rosh Hashanah Avodah is with the sounding of the Shofar, yet we all know the Gemara detailing Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s instructions (Rosh Hashana 16a):

וְאִמְרוּ לְפָנַי בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מַלְכִיּוֹת זִכְרוֹנוֹת וְשׁוֹפָרוֹת. מַלְכִיּוֹת — כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּמְלִיכוּנִי עֲלֵיכֶם, זִכְרוֹנוֹת — כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה זִכְרוֹנְיכֶם לְפָנַי לְטוֹבָה, וּבַמֶּה — בְּשׁוֹפָר.

And recite before Me on Rosh Hashana verses that mention Kingships, Remembrances, and Shofarot: Kingships so that you will crown Me as King over you; Remembrances so that your remembrance will rise before Me for good; and with what will the remembrance rise? It will rise with the shofar.

What do we recite for Malchuyot? Chazal set a framework of three Pesukim from the Torah, followed by three from Nevi’im, three from Ketuvim, and a concluding pasuk from Torah. How does this section declaring Hakadosh Baruch Hu as Melech begin and end? It starts with עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל and ends וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת אֵין עוֹד. The section begins with the letter ayin and ends with the letter dalet. The same is true for the paragraph that follows, which begins with עַל כֵּן נְקַוֶּה לְךָ, and ends with ה‘ יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד.

עֵד – we testify as witnesses that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created all and is the Master of all. Our Parsha and its ע'ד Mitzvot serve as witness, and the eradication of Amalek removes all doubt from that testimony and restores the Throne of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Twice each day we restore the ד and ד in Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s names, to strengthen our Emunah and reach the pinnacle of HaMelech. The section of Malchuyot contains verses reflecting the Oneness of Hakadosh Baruch Hu: אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱ-לֹהִים. There should be no doubt, despite the constant efforts of Eisav, Amalek, and the Yetzer Hara to corrupt our thoughts and actions. The question of הֲיֵשׁ ה' בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם־אָיִן should never enter our minds. אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד – our dalet can never become a reish, and our Echad can never become Acher. The section of Malchuyot concludes:

וּבְתוֹרָתְךָ כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה‘ אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ ה‘ אֶחָד:

On Rosh Hashanah we anoint Hakadosh Baruch Hu as Melech through our recitation of Shema Yisrael, a Pasuk that brings us closer to Him and closer to Torah.

The final Selichot recited by Ashkenazim prior to Yom Kippur contains the verse:

בַּמֶּה אֲקַדֵּם וְאִכַּף פְּנֵי לֹא יִקַּח שֹׁחַד. וּבְיָדִי אֵין מַעַשׂ וְעַל־זֹאת לִבִּי יִפְחַד. אֲבָל עַתָּה בְּזָכְרִי מַלְכוּת שֵׁם הַמְיֻחָד. וְעַל זֹאת אֲנִי בוֹטֵחַ בְּאוֹמְרִים ה‘ אֶחָד. וּמוֹשְׁכִים כֻּלָּם יַחַד מִזֶּה אֶחָד וּמִזֶּה: מָחָר יִהְיֶה הָאוֹת הַזֶּה:

How shall I greet, approach, the One Who takes no bribe? I have no deed in hand, and my heart is therefore afraid. But now that I mention the kingship of Your unique Name, on this I rely, when we say “Hashem is One” in unison as one, one on that side and one on this. This sign will take place tomorrow.

We arrive at Yom Kippur empty-handed, with nothing significant or valuable enough to give Hakadosh Baruch Hu in exchange for forgiveness and a new lease on life. However, we also go to Yom Kippur with Shema Yisrael in our hands. This is our strength and our answer! There are but a small number of days left, but we can all do Teshuva in one flash of a moment. Even Elisha ben Avuya could have returned.

May Hakadosh Baruch Hu accept our Teshuva and our Tefillot, and may we merit seeing the arrival of Mashiach Tzidkeinu to restore His name and fix His Kiseh HaKavod for the entire world to see.