Amalek

Moses’ hands

An appreciation of the function of Moses’ staff provides useful insights into the transition between the miraculous events surrounding the Exodus and the more natural post-Exodus events that would follow in the desert.1

Many of the miracles that occurred during the Exodus, and subsequently at the Reed Sea, were introduced by Moses’ staff.  This is true for at least half of the Ten Plagues.  These miracles would demonstrate to Israel, as well as to the Egyptians, God’s complete control over all aspects of nature and His ability to manipulate the natural world to His will.  

At the Reed Sea, God commanded Moses to stretch his staff over the water for it to part.  The people had to do nothing but step into the water.  God would fight on their behalf:

Moses said to the people: ‘ …… KVK will do battle on your behalf, and you shall remain silent.’  And YKVK said to Moses: ‘…….. And you – lift up your staff and stretch out your arms over the sea and split it …..’ (Exodus 17:14-16)

Also, during the strife with the people at Refidim regarding lack of water, Moses was told to hit the rock with his staff for it to issue forth water.2 

In all these instances, Moses’ staff was an external manifestation of God’s power to manipulate the forces of nature. 

It was logical, therefore, that when confronted with the challenge of Amalek’s attack, Moses’ first thought would be to fetch his staff.  As at the Reed Sea, God would battle on the people’s behalf and Moses would herald His intervention with his staff:

“And Moses said unto Joshua: 'Choose men for us, and go out, do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of Elokim in my hand.’” (Exodus 17:9) 

And yet at no time did Moses receive a specific command to raise his staff.  In fact, it is by no means clear from the Bible that he used it.  Rather, Moses soon discovered that the act of raising his hand, with or without his staff, made Israel stronger while lowering his hands led to Amalek prevailing.  Moses’ staff had become irrelevant or at the least insufficient.3 

The format of the story also draws attention to the importance of Moses’ hands in determining the results of this battle.

The Amalek story consists of 9 verses.  The first three describe the coming of Amalek and Moses’ immediate preparations for war.4  The final three sentences describe God’s response to the battle and His oath to wage a perpetual fight against this people.  The middle three sentences detail the battle with Amalek: 

And it came to pass that when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed; and when he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.  But Moses' hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on this side, and one on that side; and he was with his hands in faith (literally: and he was his hands faith) until the setting of the sun.

And Joshua weakened Amalek and its people with the edge of the sword.” (Exodus 17:11-13) 

The predominant subject of this middle section is the movement of Moses’ hand and how this became a decisive factor in the outcome of the battle.   

The question is an obvious one and is first raised in Mishna Rosh Hashanah.  How was it possible for Moses’ hands to influence this battle?   

This is the Mishna’s answer: 

“Was it Moses hands that won the battle or lost the battle?  Rather, as long as Israel looked heavenward and subjected their heart to their Father in heaven, they would prevail; but when they did not, they would fall.” 5 

God would continue to fight for them, just as He did at the Reed Sea; but overt miracles were now to be the exception rather than the rule.  The Israelites would need to physically fight and the conquest of Canaan would be accomplished primarily by natural means.  However, there were two prerequisites for God’s assistance.  One was that the Jewish people needed to recognize that God was ultimately responsible for the outcome of the battle, and the second was that their hearts be directed and subjected to God.

 Thus, the position of Moses’ hands would be seen by all the people when he went to the “to the top of the hill,” and possibly why the battle needed to be fought  – “on the morrow” - during the daylight.

 This is also why the verse continues:  

“ . .  and he was with his hands in faith (emuna).”  (Exodus 17:12)

 This is a difficult phrase to translate.  Literally, it reads “and his hands were faith.” The Ramban translates it as “and his hands remained firm until sunset.”6  Rashi, on the other hand, sees within this phrase Moses’ appreciation that his hands were expressing faith.7  

The text does not elaborate on what Moses’ hands were supposed to accomplish, but it is logical to assume that Moses was pointing to the connection between earth and heaven, the two-way influence of this connection over the affairs of the Jewish people, and possibly the need for this battle to be fought physically with hands and not through the influence of a “magic” staff.    

The connection between the people and God also needed to be acknowledged collectively as well as individually.  Hence, Moses as the religious leader, and Aaron as the future representative of the priests, as well as Hur of the tribe of Judah, the tribe that would become the future political leader of the Israelite nation, stood together on top of the mountain to assist Moses in elevating his hands. 

It is not coincidental that the word “hand” is mentioned 7 times in this passage.  This again emphasizes God’s influence over the battle.9  The first six mentions relate to the hands of Moses, whereas the seventh relates to the hand of God:   

“And YKVK said unto Moses: 'Write this for a memorial in the Book, and recite it in the ears of Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.'

 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it “YKVK is my Banner.”

 And he said: 'For there is a hand upon the throne of God: YKVK will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'” (Exodus 17:14-16)

In the ancient world, to put up one’s hand meant to swear an oath.  Hence Abraham swears to the king of Sodom “I have raised my hand to YKVK ….  If I shall take anything that is yours.” (Genesis 14:22)  Similarly, in the Amalek episode, God swears by His throne that He will be at perpetual war against the offspring of Amalek.  Moreover, just as Moses raised his hand in acknowledgment of God, so also did God raise His hand in acknowledgement of His people.

As the battle progresses, the Israelites would have recognized the earth-heaven connection in this battle and from their viewing of Moses’ hands would have appreciated that God had intervened on their behalf and engineered their success.  Moses now commemorated this by building an altar: 

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it “YKVK is my Banner.” (Exodus 17:15)

A banner is something held aloft – just as Moses’ hands had been.  Moreover, the name of this altar would be relevant not only to this battle but to all of Israel’s future battles.   The miracles of the Exodus with their frequent involvement of Moses’ staff were past; but this was not the end of God’s engagement in Israel’s military struggles.  Moses’ hands had shown this.    

Amalek appears 

There is another word that occurs seven times in this passage - the word “Amalek”. The implication of this sevenfold repetition is that Amalek’s appearance at this time was also not fortuitous.

The attack of Amalek followed immediately the episode at Refidim.  At Refidim, the people complained bitterly to Moses that they lacked water and they questioned whether God was still with them; they were almost ready to stone Moses.10 

How could the people fail to realize that YKVK was in their “midst” after the previous manifestations of His power?11  Rashi, following midrashim points out that Amalek’s attack was a direct consequence of this questioning; this is why the two passages follow each other in the Torah.12  

The weak and infirm would suffer from this attack, but Amalek would eventually be repulsed.  During the battle, the people would come to the realization that victory had only been achieved because God was indeed in their midst.  

It is a difficult idea to conceptualize.  On the one hand, God facilitates Israel’s victory over Amalek, but He also allows or even arranges for Amalek to appear in the first place.  This type of duality is found in other places in the Torah.  For example, God promises Abraham his offspring will be exiled in Egypt, but also promises him He will bring them out.13  

In sum, the extent of Israel’s travails depends on its failing to appreciate that God is the source of its angst.  However, He is also the source of its salvation - provided that the Jewish people direct their hearts to Him.  .

Who was Amalek?

Who were the Amalekites and what was so reprehensible about what they did that they brought upon themselves the eternal wrath of God?

The Amalekites were nomads who lived on the southern border of Canaan, in what today is know as the Negev.  This is clear from a number of Biblical verses.  When the Israelites came to the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh in the Negev, spies were sent out to survey the land of Canaan and they describe Amalek as “dwelling in the land of the south” (Numbers 13:29)  Correspondingly, when the Israelites attempted to penetrate and ascend to Canaan from their current location against the advice of Moses,

“The Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelled on the mountain descended, struck them and pounded them until they were destroyed.” (Numbers 14:45)   

However, their area of habitation and influence may have been considerably greater than this.  In Samuel I, Saul is described as smiting Amalek “From Havila until you come to Shur, east of Egypt.“ (I Samuel 15:7)  Both locations are probably close to Egypt.14  When the Israelites left Egypt “Moses caused Israel to journey from the Sea of Reeds and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur.” (Exodus 15:23)  It seems likely, that the habitation of Amalek comprised not only the Negev but also parts of the Sinai Peninsula extending to Egypt. 

Deuteronomy relates that Amalek attacked “and he killed among you, all the weaklings at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear Elokim.” (Deuteronomy 25:18)  

The Amalekites were a war-like people who preyed on poorly prepared travellers on the main trade routes in the Sinai Peninsula and Negev.  Their stock in trade was killing and they avoided frontal attacks in which they themselves could suffer casualties.  This people recognized no moral authority and this is one explanation for what the Bible means when it says “he did not fear Elokim.” (Deuteronomy 25:18).  Violence was their way of life. 

One does find the notion in Jewish commentaries that Amalek went out of its way to locate the Israelites and preemptively attack them before they arrived in southern Israel.15  However, there is no support in the Bible for this and it is just as likely that this was a chance encounter.  In Deuteronomy it is stated specifically that the Amalekites “chanced” upon the Israelite camp.16  The Hebrew word used is “korcho” - which means “chanced upon you” or “happened upon you.”  This was not a planned attack.  The Amalekites were doing what they usually did – raiding unsuspecting travellers.

The Amalekites would continue to be a threat to Israel during the time of the Judges and took part in a number of aggressive alliances against Israel.  They allied with Eglon king of Moab after the death of Othniel son of Kenz,17 and with Midian after the time of Deborah.18  This latter alliance caused widespread destruction in Israel.  They also fought together with Midian against Gideon, although this time unsuccessfully.19 

Their border raiding and disruption of trade in Sinai was also a threat to the Israelite kingdom during the time of the monarchy.  This is stated specifically in Samuel I: 

“And he (i.e. Saul) gathered an army, and he smote Amalek, and he saved Israel from the hand of its plunderer.” (I Samuel 14:48)

The warlike nature of Agag king of the Amalekites is also mentioned by the prophet Samuel as he is about to kill him because of a failure of Saul to do so: 

“As your sword bereaved women, so will your mother be bereaved among women’. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before YKVK in Gilgal.” (i Samuel 15:33)

Initially at least, Israel had no aggressive intentions on Amalek.  Amalek lived to the south of Canaan and outside the tribal territorial allocations.  They were also related to the Edomites who in the Bible were guaranteed non-aggression.20    

Amalek was a grandson of Esau and a descendant of his firstborn son Eliphaz through a concubine named Timna.21  She in turn was a daughter and sister of chieftains of the inhabitants of the land of Seir before Esau left Canaan to settle there.

The nation of Edom was a warlike one.  Even from birth Esau appeared super-masculinized, being red (adom) like blood and hairy (se’or) –a world play on the nation of Edom and its location in Seir.22  Esau’s father Jacob tells him ‘By your sword you shall live…” (Genesis 27:40) and conflict between Israel and Edom was almost predestined.   Amalek, however, was the epitome of violence and a threat to the very stability of the Jewish state. 

Jewish exegesis notes another reason for God’s enmity to the Amalekites, and this relates to another interpretation of the phrase “that he did not fear God” (Deuteronomy 25:18) when describing this attack.  Following the Exodus, God’s reputation due to His bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and destroying the Egyptian army at the Reed Sea had spread throughout the entire Near East.  Despite this, Amalek had no inhibitions about attacking them.23  His attack was now not only an assault on Israel, but on God Himself. 

The Ramban explains: 

“Whereas all the nations “heard and were agitated” and Philistia, Edom, Moab and “all the dwellers of Canaan dissolved” “because of the fear of God and glory of His greatness,” yet Amalek came from afar and brazenly acted as one who would attempt to overcome God.  It is for this reason Scripture said about Amalek “and he did not fear God.”15