After Amalek attacked the Jewish people in Refidim, Hashem swore that He would fight a battle against them in every generation until they are ultimately defeated and completely obliterated, ויאמר כי יד על כס י-ה מלחמה לה' בעמלק מדר דר. This pasuk uses a shortened form of the Hebrew word for throne כס and the 2 lettered Name of Hashem י-ה rather than the full Name. Rashi (17:16) explains that the abbreviated forms indicate that the Name and Throne of Hashem are diminished so long as Amalek still exists.
With this in mind asks Reb Moshe Feinstein, the Gemara in Sotah (17a) seems at first perplexing. The Gemara says that Hashem placed the letter ‘yud’ in the Hebrew word for man – איש, and the letter ‘hei’ in the word for woman – אש ה , so that the name of Hashem (yud and hei) would be formed upon their union in marriage. If Hashem desired that the union of husband and wife be graced with His Name, why would he choose the incomplete two-letter name as the signature of His Presence?
The answer is that while it is true the Hashem graces each Jewish couple with His Name, He provides only a foundation, upon which the couple must build to make a true Jewish home. Whilst essential, Hashem’s contribution is only a beginning. It is only the good work of the young couple that can complete the Name that is present in their home. If they succeed in doing so then true the true blessing will surely follow – בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבוא אליך וברכתיך – “Any place that you mention my name, I will come and bless you”.
It is interesting to note that the name of Hashem formed by the union of husband and wife is not a product of the letters ‘aleph’ and ‘shin’ which they have in common. It is formed from the letters ‘yud’ and ‘hei’ which they do not have in common. Hashra’as HaShechinah, the resting of the Shechinah in a Jewish home stems from harmony – the dynamic harmonizing of their differing emotions and thought processes and perspectives.
The Aruch HaShulchan in his introduction (found at beginning of Choshen Mishpot, which was the first volume he published) writes: תפארת השיר כשהקולות משונים זה מזה – וזהו עיקר הנעימות – “The splendor of music is when the voices/sounds are different from each other and that is the essence of its beauty.”
What is the point of Reb Moshe’s vort? It says that a nice peaceful house is good but that’s only a beginning and that the people need to do more. Avodas Hashem never ends. One has to build on a good foundation. Is he providing any insight here or telling us anything we did not already know?
Reb Moshe never said platitudes! His mind worked on many levels and careful attention to what he wrote and said revealed some of that thought process. Here, Reb Moshe chose to emphasize the positive aspect of his observation – that if a person builds on the gift Hashem granted, then berachah will surely come to the house. But, he is teaching another implicit lesson here and it’s not a comfortable one. The lesson is that a person who fails to take advantage of an opportunity, a person who rests on his laurels, a person who has achieved but can achieve more and fails to do so because he is lazy, that man is the brother of Amalek!
Whether passively diminishing by failing to do Hashem’s work, or actively diminishing by doing wicked things – the result is the same. This person is guilty of the same diminution of the Name of Hashem as Amalek. This is expressed in Mishlei (18:9): גם מתרפה במלאכתו אח הוא לבעל משחית - “Also he who slackens in his work is a brother to the destroyer”.
The Mesillas Yesharim writes on this pasuk:כי הנה העצל אף על פי שאינו עושה רע בקום עשה הנה הוא מביא את הרעה עליו בשב ועל תעשה שלו ואמר גם מתרפה במלאכתו אח הוא לבעל משחית כי אף על פי שאינו המשחית העושה את הרעה בידיו לא תחשב שהוא רחוק ממנו אלא אחיו הוא ובן גילו הוא - “The lazy man, although not actively evil, produces evil through his very inactivity. It says: ‘Also he who slackens in his work is a brother to the destroyer’. Though he is not the destroyer who commits the evil with his own hands, let him not think he is far-removed from him – he is his blood-brother.”
So, Reb Moshe’s vort, properly understood, has a very strong message. A couple might say, our home is so pleasant and holy why look outwards? Why get involved in things outside of the house? A person might say, “look what I have achieved! I’ve accomplished enough, I can relax, let others do the work.” These people need to know WHO is really talking. That is the Amalek in our sub-conscious mind talking. When you start thinking that way, remember that the mitzvah of mechiyas Amalek, the mitzvah of restoring the Name and Throne of Hashem, doesn’t always involve taking a weapon in hand and physically doing battle.
