A nefarious enemy, Amalek materializes sporadically in the Bible, sowing evil, warfare, and havoc. Much has been written about these elusive nomads, the avowed adversaries of God. Amalek is said to be godless, opprobrious, and insidious. For many, Amalek symbolizes a nihilistic approach to life, an itinerant band of marauders who believe in happenstance, in a world where there is no divine plan and no meaning. This worldview is often cited when linking Haman the Aggagi to Amalek; Haman, after all, is a proponent of lotteries, a casual toss of the cards that determines the genocide of a nation.
Amalekites are also abject cowards who shamelessly attack the weak, rather than engage in direct combat. This cowardice is evident from their initial act, where they attack the exhausted travelers, cutting off those who have dropped to the rear of the camp: the children, the feeble, the sick, and the elderly (see Shemot 17; Devarim 25). Fairness in battle is not a factor in their estimation; all means necessary are employed to achieve their wicked aims. An early midrash offers an insight into Amalek’s insidious tactics.
“Who met you on the roadway” – The word “meet” always indicates deliberate planning. This teaches that Amalek made for himself tunnels under the roadway, from where he would come upon [Israel] and kill them. (Midrash Tana’im Devarim 25:18)
Amalek strikes again in I Samuel 30, when David leaves Tziklag with his men for battle; spotting weakness, the Amalekite marauders raid the vulnerable city, despoiling it and burning it to the ground, while making off with woman and children captives. Amalek’s vile attitude toward the weak is especially evident in the continuation of this episode, when David – on his way to find the elusive Amalekites who have plundered his city and absconded with his family – spies a frail, starving man in the fields. Upon inquiry, David discovers that the Amalekites abandoned this man, an Amalekite slave, when he fell ill. From a purely utilitarian perspective, there is no reason to invest in a frail servant. He may not recover, and even if he does, he is useless in the interim. Better to toss him to his death than invest in an unknown future.
Devoid of moral compunctions, Amalek cares nothing for those who are not useful at the moment. Young or old, male or female, Amalek treats people only in accordance with their expediency. One wonders how children survive to adulthood in Amalekite society. One thing seems certain: Amalek does not care to invest in the future, nor do they believe in building to improve tomorrow. When David finds the Amalekites, they are in the midst of greedily consuming the spoils of their raid on Tziklag, without regard for what they will eat the next day (I Samuel 30:16). And so, why should they invest in the feeble or the sick? Living in the present, the Amalekites assess every person with the question: Of what good is this person to me today? This utilitarian attitude precludes morality. More significantly, it prevents Amalek from building an enduring and stable society, one that aspires toward decency, a society that protects the weak and secures a better tomorrow for all humankind.
Amalek’s perspective is their weakness, and correspondingly, Israel’s strength. One insightful midrash questions why Esther invites the king to come with Haman to her party “tomorrow,” and not immediately.
What did Esther see when she said, “And tomorrow, I will do what the king has commanded” [Esther 5:8]? Because all the descendants of Amalek are designated to fall “tomorrow.” That is why it says [when Joshua fights Amalek], “Tomorrow I will stand upon the top of the mountain” (Shemot 17:9), and with regard to Saul [who will fight Amalek]: “At this time tomorrow, I will send you a man” (I Samuel 9:16). And here as well: “And tomorrow, I will do what the king has commanded.” (Sifrei De’Aggadeta Esther – Midrash Panim Acherim [Buber] Nussach bet, Parasha 5)
This midrash observes that Amalek will surely fall when the battle takes place on the morrow. Notably, David’s battle with Amalek also takes place “tomorrow” (I Samuel 30:17: “And he struck them from dawn until dusk on the morrow”), further corroborating the Midrash’s astute observation. Battles with Amalek are won by those who believe in tomorrow, by those who aspire to build a good future.
What, in fact, does Israel do “tomorrow,” when the battle is over? Following his military victory over Amalek, David uses the word shalom when greeting his men who did not go into battle: “He inquired after their shalom (peace)” (I Samuel 30:21). Unlike Amalek, who thrives on the spoils of war, Israel is a nation that does not aspire toward warfare. David understands that sometimes he must wage war, but his ideal vision is of peace.
Another lesson that we learn from David is that the aftermath of war does not guarantee a cohesive or decent society. Upon returning from this victory, accompanied by the freed hostages, David faces a divide among his men, one that threatens to upend the solidarity of the group. David recognizes the terrible danger of disunity, and here too, David looks toward tomorrow, recognizing the critical importance of uniting his men and creating social cohesion (I Samuel 30:22-25). David is successful in this endeavor as well, securing a better tomorrow for his men and for the nation of Israel.
It is the regard for tomorrow that will enable Israel to triumph over the Amalekite enemies who surface throughout history in varying forms. Those who believe in tomorrow, in the future of our children, and in the meaningfulness of existence and societal cohesion, will always be victorious.
May God give us victory over our cruel enemies and may we have the wisdom and the humility to properly utilize “tomorrow” to build a future of social cohesion and peace.
יברכך ה' מציון וראה בטוב ירושלים וראה בנים לבניך שלום על ישראל.