Beshalach, Amalek and Shabbat Shira

Most people see this week’s Torah portion, Beshellach as  a celebration of the defeat of Pharaoh and Egypt. While the text of Shirat Hayam – the song of the sea – is triumphalist in its tone and tenor, it also provides us with a stark message: a warning against the worship of power and self-aggrandizement.  BeShellach is the grand culmination of the conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. If you recall, the events that brought us to the shore of the Sea of Reeds are powered by two very different figures:

• Moses – the reluctant prophet – called by God to challenge Pharaoh
• Pharaoh – the power-drunk absolute ruler of Egypt

If we look at the Meta-theme of this story, however, it is more than simply a power struggle between Moses and Pharaoh.  It is a clash between two world views: one in which morality and compassion are pre-eminent, and one where power, oppression, and inequality reign.

Looking closely at our narrative, we see that Moses and Pharaoh are not the main protagonists – rather it is a story of the triumph of Righteousness over Idolatry. It is God and Pharaoh who are fighting – even though we know and understand that it is not a fair fight. Moses is God’s proxy. Pharaoh’s hardened heart is his downfall.  Many commentators write about the ethical quandary posed by God deliberately “hardening” Pharaoh’s heart and how this ultimately led to his downfall. But, as the Midrash points out – and is later emphasized by Rabbeynu Bachya and the Ramban - looking carefully at the text, we will see that, for the first 5 of the ten plagues, it is Pharaoh, himself, who hardens his own heart.  Only after he has demonstrated a lack of remorse, compassion, or the ability to see that his cause is lost, does God ensure his total humiliation and defeat on the shores of the Sea of Reeds.

We sing the triumphant song of redemption as we cross the Sea of Reeds and watch Pharoah’s armies succumb to God’s power.  If this was the end of our parasha – it would be so satisfying, wouldn’t it?  And yet, immediately after this wondrous event, the Israelites, instead of celebrating victory and placing their trust in God and Moses, start to complain and rebel. They kvetch  - they are thirsty and hungry.  Even when Moses, following God’s command, strikes the Rock at Marah and water pours out for them to drink, even when God provides them with Manna, and quail rains down from the heavens, they are not satisfied. You would think that the miraculous nature of their redemption would give them faith and trust that theirs is a sacred journey, and yet the self-centered mundaneness of everyday life takes over.

Our parasha concludes with the introduction of a new enemy.  Pharaoh has been replaced by Amalek – the one who attacked the Israelites from behind – killing the women and children. The Torah teaches us to both “remember” and “blot out the memory of Amalek” – two seemingly contradictory commands.

In Deuteronomy 25:17, we find the following, we find the words:  Zachor et asher asah lecha Amalek” – which literally translated means:  “Remember what Amalek did to you. – how he cut down the weakest from behind…”

The commandment to wipe out Amalek follows this remembrance.

But I recently learned another, powerful way to understand this passage. 

In the Zohar, the central text of Jewish mysticism, we learn that the Hebrew words:  “Zachor et Asher asa lecha Amalek” can be reinterpreted by taking the world lecha –which we usually translate as meaning –“TO YOU,” and turning it around and translating it as meaning – “within you”. Similarly, in parashat Lech Lecha – when God charges Abraham to “Lech Lecha” – go forth – go within yourself and learn”.  In this light – Remember what Amalek did WITHIN you.” Teaches us that we all have some Amalek within us – we all have the potential to strike out against the good and fragile in our world.

Our story of Redemption is both ancient and evergreen. The clash between good and evil, Right and Wrong, the oppressed and the oppressor is never-ending. Similarly, we, as a nation and as individuals, are susceptible to the same self-centered narrow-minded world view as that of our ancient ancestors who complained in the wilderness. We forget so quickly! In today’s world, the need to remember, sanctify and teach the injustices of the past still plays out in the halls of Congress, in our nation’s long history of distrust and demonization of people of color, in the callous and nefarious attempt to block essential aspects of our nation’s history – especially in regards to the racism in our midst – born out of the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, in the reconning taking place in our cities around police brutality; in the banning of books; the disinformation that is callously used to manipulate the masses around election fraud, Vaccination disinformation, Climate Change, attacks on women’s health, demonize immigrants, and a myriad of other campaigns designed to intimidate and manipulate vulnerable populations. 

One would think that, given the long lens of history, we would learn from our mistakes and refrain from succumbing to the temptation to think only of ourselves and use power to subjugate others – but, as our people know all too well, the lessons of the past are not easily learned.  The Amalek within us is a powerful force.  It urges us to ignore the evils around us and focus on our own narrow-minded perceptions of the world around us – often at our own peril.

The act of liberation – be it from Egyptian Bondage, American Slavery, Jim Crow or centuries of fear, prejudice and aggression  - is an essential part of our moral compass and daily living. As we are witnessing on a daily basis, there are too many opportunities to forget our mission and allow the Amaleks – from within and without – to rise to prominence. This is a constant danger that we all face.

May we each find the strength and courage to fight the battle within ourselves and our nation to call out injustice, evil and oppression whenever and wherever we see it.  Then and only then, will our song at the sea be fulfilled.

Shabbat shalom