והיה כאשר ירים משה ידו וגבר ישראל וכאשר יניח ידו וגבר עמלק” (שמות י”ז י”א)“
“’And when Moshe lifted up his hands, Yisroel would prevail…’ Do the hands of Moshe wage or determine war? Rather to teach you that as long as Yisroel gazed above and submitted their hearts to their Father in heaven, they prevailed, and when they did not, they fell in battle. Similarly, ‘Make for yourself (a figure of) a serpent and place it upon a standard, and anyone bitten will see it and live.’ Does the serpent take life or bestow it? Rather, when Yisroel gazed above and submitted their hearts to their Father in Heaven they were healed, and when they did not, they deteriorated…” (Rosh Hashana ch. 3 mishna 8)
The Mishna in Rosh Hashana presents two possible responses for when we are confronted with evil. In their battle with Amalek, Klal Yisroel looked up toward the hands of Moshe; hands which had performed great miracles, and were now being help up to the Borei Olam. Yet when Klal Yisroel was attacked by poisonous snakes, they looked up towards an image symbolizing both their very assailant as well as the sin for which they were suffering.[1]
In the latter approach we turn our attention to the evil itself, contemplating its nature and nullifying it in our hearts, and submit ourselves completely to the direction of our Father in Heaven.[2] But apparently, such a response would have been ineffective against Amalek. Moshe Rabbeinu did not create an image representing Amalek for Klal Yisroel to gaze at. Why not?
Amalek represents Eisav in his conflict with Yisroel over the true צורת האדם – the correct form of Man. So, we find that when Amalek attacked Yisroel they “cut their circumcisions and threw them toward the heavens”[3], a violent assault on our ideal for צורת האדם. But while Yaakov did in fact embody the greatness intended for Man[4], Eisav was a “זיוף”- a counterfeit, a fraud. Esav insisted on marrying at the age of forty, like his great father, though he had spent the first forty years of his life preying on helpless women. He even questioned his father as to the appropriate method for tithing salt. But he was no simple “phony”; to the contrary. The Medrash relates that at the end of days, when the righteous are enjoying their just rewards, Esav will arrive and demand his place of honor amongst them. And no one will be able to dismiss his claim until Hakadosh Baruch Hu himself sends him away. Eisav is the ultimate counterfeit of צורת האדם – what Man is supposed to be. He seems so real and impressive, but in truth he is empty. Thus, we find the religion most closely associated with Eisav and Amalek makes the claim “אנחנו ישראל”- We are Yisroel.
When presented with a high-quality counterfeit, taking some extra time to examine a forged bill or imitation purse will most likely not help. Similarly, if Moshe had placed a miniature of Amalek upon a standard for Klal Yisroel to gaze at, they would not have appreciated what they were really seeing. So how do experts learn to identify counterfeit bills? By handling and dealing with authentic bills for an extended period of time. They become so accustomed to the look and feel of the real thing, that they can spot a fake even when the various colors and emblems seem to match up. Likewise, when Klal Yisroel was confronted by the ultimate counterfeit, the only solution was to turn their gaze towards the true צורת האדם, to Moshe Rabbeinu, holding his hands up in prayer to the Borei Olam.
The more alike a counterfeit is to the original, the more dangerous it is: it is “so close”, yet still worth absolutely nothing. If you do get stuck with a counterfeit hundred-dollar bill, using it is a serious criminal offense; you cannot plead, “It’s so close, let me use it as ninety-nine dollars…” In the same vein, we at times encounter designs for humanity so beautiful and attractive, ideas in which we can find no fault. But they may in fact be dangerous, counterfeit and worthless. But how are we to know? The only way we can be sure to tell is through familiarizing ourselves with the “original”, recognizing and appreciating the beauty and authenticity of Klal Yisroel and Torah.
[1] Rashi Chukas 21:6
[2] See Nefesh Hachaim Shaar 3 ch. 12
[3] Rashi Devarim 25:18
[4] See Bava Metzia 84a “שופריה דיעקב אבינו מעין שופריה דאדם הראשון”.