Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Why was Amalek Chosen?

Toldot 5777
By HaRav Nachman Kahana

The Torah begins with the Creator establishing the basic “laws” of nature. On the first day the mineral world of water and all the other chemical elements and ingredients necessary for our world came into being. This was followed by the complex diverse world of flora, and the two trillion heavenly galaxies in our personal universe – each one with its over 100 billion stars. Then the multitudinous species of fauna, capped off with HaShem’s ultimate creative handiwork – the first man and woman. In the continuation of parashat Beraishiet, followed by parashat Noach we learn of the patriarchs from whom came forth the seventy basic races and nations which comprise humanity.

In the parshiot of Chayai Sarah and Toldot, the Torah takes a giant step forward and introduces the triangle of protagonists who will determine the future history of mankind.

At the triangle’s apex is Ya’akov the Jew, with the untamed Yishmael and murderous Aisav as the two angles at the triangle’s base, altogether making up the 180-degree straight line leading to the future fulfillment of HaShem’s ultimate plan for Am Yisrael and the world.

But unlike factors in a base that serve to enforce and enhance the apex, untamed Yishmael and murderous Aisav’s agenda is to demolish the apex, even at the expense of destroying themselves and the triangle.

It all began with murderous Aisav, who according to our tradition was the primogenitor of most of the European peoples. Aisav plotted to murder Ya’akov, but was prevented from doing so. Aisav sent his son, Elifaz, who was reared in the tradition of Ya’akov-hating, to kill Ya’akov when he was on his way to the house of Lavan. The Midrash (as quoted by Rashi in parashat Va’yai’tzai) describes how Ya’akov convinced Elifaz to desist from fulfilling his father’s request. Elifaz’s son, Amalek who was now the third generation of Ya’akov-haters. Amalek had to deal with more than one Ya’akov – with the twelve sons and their offspring. This required Amalek to make it a tribal, and later a national, goal to prevent the newly-emancipated Jews (who had escaped Egypt) from entering Eretz Yisrael (much like the British blockade in pre-Medina days) and eventually destroy the descendants of Ya’akov.

There is a Torah mitzva to destroy the nation of Amalek and obliterate them from all human memory. Why? It would not be wrong to conclude that there were righteous and moral people within Amalek. They must have had their medical personnel, social workers and “regular” good hard-working citizens who did not mix into politics. Why were they chosen to be totally destroyed?

The answer is: Indeed, there could have been decent people among them. However, the national ideology and practical goal of Amalek was to destroy the Jewish nation. Hence, whoever regards himself as a member of Amalek bears the collective responsibility of Aisav, Elifaz and Amalek. Just as all Germans today bear their national guilt by virtue of remaining part of the German nation. Auschwitz had a fine medical team under Mengele who treated the Germans and their allies professionally and with nice bed-side manners, but this did not prevent them from agreeing to the national goal of murdering all the Jews.

The followers of the untamed Yishmael who today are called Arabs, adopted the fascist, aggressive religion of Islam which uses God to further their very worldly desires. They have indelibly inscribed on their flag the destruction of Medinat Yisrael and eventually the murder of all the world’s Jews.

There are undoubtedly some “good” and even “well meaning” people among the Arabs in the Medina today, and perhaps even among some of the Arabs who dwell in the Shomron and Yehuda. However, they bear the collective responsibility of what their religious and political leaders have asserted in their name, with their total agreement. The hatred of Jews has been part and parcel of their educational and media systems for generations so there is no way to eradicate this from their consciousness.

When anti-Semitism and anti-Israel take center stage in universities, the media and in the public dialogue, there is no turning back and the quality of God’s justice comes forward to eradicate that society.

Their Failure is Inevitable

Untamed Yishmael and murderous Aisav, each one alone have demonstrated their inner hatred towards Ya’akov and to HaShem’s chosen people. However, when they function together against the Jewish nation, the dangers multiply exponentially, which arouses HaShem to act in His miraculous manner to save His chosen nation.

At the end of parashat Toldot, the murderous Aisav joins forces with the untamed Yishmael when Aisav marries Machalat, daughter of Yishmael.

In the Second World War the Yishmaeli Arabs headed by the Mufti Haj Amin Husseini actively backed the Aisavic Hitler, resulting in the Holocaust.

Opposition to the Medina’s establishment was inherent in the partnership of Aisivic England and the Arabs. England’s closure of the gates to the holy land prevented Jews who had escaped the Holocaust to enter, and was the tactical act of the Arabs’ strategic policy to “cleanse” the land of its Jewish population.

The Arab armies that invaded the land in the War of Independence, were armed and led by British officers and German volunteers.

The Six Day and Yom Kippur wars were the result of the backing provided by the Aisavic Soviet Union to the Yishmaelic Arabs.

And now the bonding of Aisav and Yishmael through the UN and its anti-Semitic members is continuing to try to weaken and destroy the Jewish State.

This will not happen, as the Torah testifies that neither Yishmael nor Aisav were individually able to destroy the Jewish nation – nor will they be able to do so even when functioning together.

Shabbat Shalom,
Nachman Kahana
Copyright © 5777/2016 Nachman Kahana

No comments: