Parashat Ki-Tisa

“A coin of fire and the victory of Amalek”

îèáò ùì àù åðöçåï òîì÷

Rav M. Elon

Our parashah, Parashat Ki-Tisa, opens with the divine command regarding the Mahatzit ha-Shekel – the Half Shekel. After this section, the Torah deals with the kiyor, the washstand, and then the anointing oil. At first glance, this order of parshiyot seems to have no internal connection one to the other, seeming to simply appear in an unimportant, uncalculated order. We will examine each of these parashiyot separately, and then together, and we will see that there is in fact one common denominator which has a number of facets to it.

Let us begin with the parashah of the Mahatzit ha-Shekel:

"åÇéÀãÇáÌÅø é-äåä àÆì îÉùÑÆä ìÌÅàîÉø; ëÌÄé úÄùÌÒÈà àÆú øÉàùÑ áÌÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì ìÄôÀ÷ËãÅéäÆí åÀðÈúÀðåÌ àÄéùÑ ëÌÉôÆø ðÇôÀùÑåÉ ìÇé-äåä áÌÄôÀ÷Éã àÉúÈí åÀìÉà éÄäÀéÆä áÈäÆí ðÆâÆó áÌÄôÀ÷Éã àÉúÈí."

“And God spoke to Mosheh, saying: ‘When you count Benei Yisrael according to their number, and every man shall give a ransom for his soul to God, when you count them; and there will be no plague among them, when you count them.’”

(Shemot 30:11,12)

“Ki-Tisa” is generally understood as “when you count,” yet in truth it means “when you receive,” which is as Onkelos translates it, (Onkelos ibid.)

However Hazal (our Sages) expounded the unique term employed by the verse, “Ki-Tisa” – which literally means “when you lift up” as follows:

"àîø øáé àáäå: àîø îùä ìôðé ä÷á"ä:

øáåðå ùì òåìí, áîä úøåí ÷øï éùøàì?

àîø ìå: áëé úùà".

“Rabi Avahu said: ‘Mosheh said before God: ‘Master of the Universe, what will raise the horn (i.e. elevate) of Yisrael?’ He (God) said to him: ‘With ‘Ki-Tisa.’’’”

(Bava Batra 10b)

In other words, the Shekalim have the ability to elevate Yisrael, to empower them. This is not merely a donation, or charity, but far more. We will say it in this manner – the ability to elevate Yisrael lies precisely in the fact that the wealthy individual gives no more, and the poor individual gives no less.

Thus we read of the command for the individual:

"æÆä éÄúÌÀðåÌ ëÌÈì äÈòÉáÅø òÇì äÇôÌÀ÷ËãÄéí îÇçÂöÄéú äÇùÌÑÆ÷Æì áÌÀùÑÆ÷Æì äÇ÷ÌÉãÆùÑ òÆùÒÀøÄéí âÌÅøÈä äÇùÌÑÆ÷Æì îÇçÂöÄéú äÇùÌÑÆ÷Æì úÌÀøåÌîÈä ìÇé-äåä."

“This they shall give, every one who passes among those who are counted, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary; a shekel is twenty gerahs; half such a shekel shall be the offering to God.”

(Shemot 30:13)

Regarding the term “This they shall give,” Rashi explains, quoting Hazal:

“This indicates that God showed Mosheh a coin of fire, saying: ‘Like this they shall give.’”

(Rashi ibid.)

As he does in other places, Rashi explains the term “This” to indicate that something is being shown, as if pointed to by God’s finger. This is also Rashi’s explanation of “And this is making of the Menorah,” (Bemidbar 8:4) – “This indicates that He indicated it with His finger,” (Rashi ibid.) as well as “This month shall be for you the head of months,” (Shemot 12:2) – “He showed him the moon in its renewal,” (Rashi ibid.) All these explain the use of the word “zeh” – “this.”

Thus we are to pose an obvious question: Mosheh needed to see the moon as it began its monthly cycle, for through the sanctification of the month the entire calendar gains its existence and significance, and this was the historical first-ever establishment of the lunar calendar for the Jews. Once this was set up, all the festivals would be able to occur, and on them God’s meeting with His children on set dates of the year. This is something that the smallest error is able to upset, and therefore the greatest precision and care was required when the whole process was started – which required God to instruct Mosheh as clearly as possible, and thus Mosheh requested to see the moon at the moment of its renewal, as the new month begins.

We may also understand the Menorah – for the construction of the Menorah was very complex, and therefore the builders and planners needed to have a detailed plan – and picture – prior to even beginning the task of its construction.

However it is difficult to understand the Mahatzit ha-Shekel. What special understanding and wisdom is required that merited God showing Mosheh a coin of fire, thereby establishing that this is the coin of the Mahatzit ha-Shekel?

Therefore I would like to claim that God did not simply show Mosheh a coin, but rather a coin of fire which holds great significance. But let us progress step by step.

This parashah, the parashah of Mahatzit ha-Shekel, is the parashah which opens the Four Parshiyot – Shekaim, Zakhor, Parah, and ha-Hodesh – which are read prior to Purim. We find the reason for this in the words of Hazal:

"ãáø àçø, åðúðå àéù ëåôø ðôùå –

àîø øéù ì÷éù: âìåé åéãåò ìôðé îé ùàîø åäéä äòåìí

ùòúéã äîï äøùò ìù÷åì ù÷ìéí òì éùøàì."

“Another explanation: ‘And they shall give every man a ransom for his soul’ – Resh Lakish said: ‘It is revealed and known before He Who said and the world came into being that Haman is destined to weigh Shekalim for Yisrael.”

(Midrash ha-Gadol, Megilah, 13b)

Haman ‘weighs Shekalim for Yisrael’ means that Haman tells Ahashverosh that the elimination of the ‘Jewish problem” will solve all the financial troubles of the world.

"ìôéëê ä÷ãéí ä÷á"ä ù÷ìéäï ìù÷ìéå.

åäééðå ãúðï: áàçã áàãø îùîéòéï òì äù÷ìéí".

“Therefore God preceded their Shekalim to his. And this is as it states: ‘On the first of Adar they announce (regarding the Shekalim.)”

(ibid.)

Based both on what we mentioned previously about the elevation of Yisrael through the Shekalim, and on the above source, we may say that it is as if God tells Mosheh that the strength and mission of the wise Zadik (saintly individual) is not simply to solve Halakhic problems, or to give amazing lectures, despite the fact that the importance of these is not doubted – his mission and purpose is to elevate Yisrael, and elevate their worth in the eyes of man through the power of eternity. In the exodus from Egypt and at the Splitting of Yam Suf, Yisrael reached tremendous spiritual heights, but then everything crumbled at the sin of the Golden Calf. Then God tells Mosheh, “Go, descend,” (Shemot 32:7) – you should have descended to their level, and then you could have helped them build a more solid structure.

The power of the Mahatzit ha-Shekel is that it is not simply Zedakah, for the greatest Zedakah can easily by tarnished by even the faintest trace of self-interest, of honor. The Mahatzit ha-Shekel is the ultimate act of giving, of true giving without any vested interests.

Then, when Yisrael leaves Egypt, after experiencing a tremendous holocaust, during which eighty percent of our nation was destroyed, Benei Yisrael reaches Yam Suf. Once again Yisrael is faced with a perilous situation, the ocean awaits them, and they can hear the Egyptian army behind them - it is then that Mosheh cries out to God, only to be answered:

"åÇéÌÉàîÆø é-äåä àÆì îÉùÑÆä îÇä úÌÄöÀòÇ÷ àÅìÈé ãÌÇáÌÅø àÆì áÌÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì åÀéÄñÌÈòåÌ."

“And God said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Speak to Benei Yisrael, and they shall travel (onward.)’”

(Shemot 15:14)

In other words, now is not the time for prayer, now you are to elevate the nation – “Speak to Benei Yisrael and they shall travel (onward)” into the ocean, directly into the face of danger.

The result of this strategy is God’s command to Mosheh to split the ocean. Then, once the nation holds faith in itself, in its strengths – then the sea is split. Benei Yisrael pass through the sea on dry lad, and they see how “horse and its rider He threw into the sea,” (Shemot 15:21.) How the entire Egyptian slave kingdom and all Pharaoh’s might is overturned in the sea. And then the true song bursts forth, the song of faith, a song that transcends logic and rationale, and therefore it is sung despite the fact that blood of they who perished under Egypt is still fresh.

Then, after this great spiritual upsurge, after the great emotional and faith escalation, an enemy appears, an enemy who is so relevant today as he was then – Amalek.

"æÈëåÉø àÅú àÂùÑÆø òÈùÒÈä ìÀêÈ òÂîÈìÅ÷ áÌÇãÌÆøÆêÀ áÌÀöÅàúÀëÆí îÄîÌÄöÀøÈéÄí; àÂùÑÆø ÷ÈøÀêÈ áÌÇãÌÆøÆêÀ åÇéÀæÇðÌÅá áÌÀêÈ ëÌÈì äÇðÌÆçÁùÑÈìÄéí àÇçÂøÆéêÈ åÀàÇúÌÈä òÈéÅó åÀéÈâÅòÇ åÀìÉà éÈøÅà àÁìÉäÄéí."

“Remember what Amalek did to you by the way, when you came out of Egypt. How he met you by the way, and struck at your rear, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.”

(Shemot 25:17,18)

Let us pay attention to the verse’s usage of the singular and then plural: “Remember what Amalek did to you, (“lekha” – singular,) by the way, when you came out, (“Bezetkhem” – plural,) of Egypt.”

If the verse would have stated: “Remember… when you came out (“Bezetkha” – singular,) of Egypt,” we would understand that the verse refers to Am Yisrael. The same would be the case if the entire verse was stated in the plural, “Remember what Amalek did to you, (“lakhem.”)” However the transition from singular to plural within the verse holds a double significance: the verse relates to the entire nation, therefore it employs the plural in its conclusion, “bezetkhem,” (“When you came out,”) but it also refers to each and every individual Jew throughout the generations, hence “asah lekha” – “did to you.”

This is Amalek who hides behind the cynical, mocking smile, who voids our faith in God, and thus our trust and faith in our true selves.

In the Shirat ha’Yam (“The song at the sea,”) the simplest maidservant experienced prophetic vision that even Yehezkel ben Buzi did not achieve, (Mekhilta de-Rabi Yishmael, Beshalah 3, s.v. zeh eli.) That maidservant who had been in Egypt together with her whole family, as a mere number, experienced a prophetic vision.

It is in this manner that the great song of praise is born, the song of slaves who were liberated from their slavery, who then subjugated themselves to the true freedom, to eternity, to the infinite. As David ha-Melekh states in Tehilim:

"àÈðÌÈä é-äåä ëÌÄé àÂðÄé òÇáÀãÌÆêÈ àÂðÄé òÇáÀãÌÀêÈ áÌÆï àÂîÈúÆêÈ ôÌÄúÌÇçÀúÌÈ ìÀîåÉñÅøÈé."

“Please God, For I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have freed my bonds.”

(Tehilim 116:16)

We are slaves with familial “legacy” of worth – ‘servants,’ the children of ‘maidservants,’ and therefore “You have freed my bonds.” We have a name, we have significance, and we will discover this in the “courtyards of the House of God, in your midst O Jerusalem,” (ibid. v.19,) the location where the heavens and the earth meet.

Adam ha-Rishon (“First Man,”) sinned with the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, that tree which those who eat of it “and you will be like God, knowing (to distinguish) good from bad,” (Bereshit 3:5.) Rav Nahman (of Breslev) said that until that sin man was able to “feel good from bad,” he had an animalistic nature driven by a fusion with the truth. After the sin he was only able to “know” of good and bad and the distinction between the two. He was able to head the ‘Department of the study of good and bad in Theology’ – everything remained as ‘knowledge,’ no longer being able to feel, live and experience it through his close cleaving to God.

This is Amalek, who attacks Yisrael in Refidim:

"åÇéÌÈáÉà òÂîÈìÅ÷ åÇéÌÄìÌÈçÆí òÄí éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì áÌÄøÀôÄéãÄí; åÇéÌÉàîÆø îÉùÑÆä àÆì éÀäåÉùÑËòÇ áÌÀçÇø ìÈðåÌ àÂðÈùÑÄéí åÀöÅà äÄìÌÈçÅí áÌÇòÂîÈìÅ÷ îÈçÈø àÈðÉëÄé ðÄöÌÈá òÇì øÉàùÑ äÇâÌÄáÀòÈä åÌîÇèÌÅä äÈàÁìÉäÄéí áÌÀéÈãÄé; åÇéÌÇòÇùÒ éÀäåÉùÑËòÇ ëÌÇàÂùÑÆø àÈîÇø ìåÉ îÉùÑÆä ìÀäÄìÌÈçÅí áÌÇòÂîÈìÅ÷ åÌîÉùÑÆä àÇäÂøÉï åÀçåÌø òÈìåÌ øÉàùÑ äÇâÌÄáÀòÈä."

“Then Amalek came, and fought with Yisrael in Refidim. And Mosheh said to Yehoshua, ‘Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill and the staff of God will be in my hand.’ So Yehoshua did as Mosheh had said to him to battle Amalek; and Mosheh, Aharon, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.”

(Shemot 17:8-10.)

This battle is unique in nature, for:

"åÀäÈéÈä ëÌÇàÂùÑÆø éÈøÄéí îÉùÑÆä éÈãåÉ åÀâÈáÇø éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì åÀëÇàÂùÑÆø éÈðÄéçÇ éÈãåÉ åÀâÈáÇø òÂîÈìÅ÷."

“And when Mosheh would hold up his hand – Yisrael prevailed; and when he would let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”

(ibid. v. 11)

The two-fold nature of this war against Amalek – the individual and national struggles – is noted by Rabi Levi-Yizhak of Berdichev in his book “Kedushat ha-Levi” as follows:

“‘Remember what Amalek… when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.’ It would seem that not only are the seed of Yisrael commanded to obliterate Amalek which is the seed of Esav, but every individual within Yisrael is to obliterate the evil part that is termed ‘Amalek’ which hides within his heart.”

(Kedushat ha-Levi, ibid.)

In other words, the obliteration of Amalek is incumbent upon each and every person of Yisrael – the obliteration of that evil component of one’s nature termed “Amalek.”

Rabi Levi-Yizhak of Berdichev continues:

"ãëì æîï ãæøò òîì÷ ðîöà áòåìí –

àæ ëéååï ãàãí â"ë äåà òåìí ÷èï –

àæ éù îöéàåú ìòîì÷, ìëç äøò áëì àãí,

àùø îúòåøø áëì ôòí ìäçèéà àú äàãí..."

“For as long as the seed of Amalek exists in the world, then since a person is also a miniature world – then there is a reality of Amalek, of the evil force within every person, which awakens each time to make one sin…”

(ibid.)

Thus as long as there is even one Jew who has not obliterated Amalek from his heart – this mizvah has not been completely fulfilled! Therefore the internal obliteration within each of us is not sufficient, there must be a collective, national annihilation of the internal Amalek by every single Jew.

Rabi Levi-Yizhak of Berdichev then explains the act of Mosheh raising his arms towards the sky, the act by which Am Yisrael triumphed in their battle over Amalek.

"åæä ùàîø: åäéä ëàùø éøéí îùä àú éãå,

øöä ìåîø: ëåçå äîëåðä áùí éã,

ëùàãí îøéí æä äëç – àæ åâáø éùøàì,

àáì ëàùø éðéç îæä äëç, àæ çñ åùìåí åâáø òîì÷".

“And this is as the verse states: ‘And when Mosheh would hold up his hand’ – In other words the power which is termed ‘hand,’ for when one raises this power, then ‘Yisrael prevailed;’ however when he releases his hold on this force, then God forbid: ‘Amalek prevailed.’”

(ibid.)

The raising of the hand is the wielding of power. Or more accurately – the ability to defeat Amalek is attained through the burning of the internal fire, which is the antithesis of Amalek which is cold cynicism.

Amalek triumphs when we cease raising our hand. We can thus conclude that it is sufficient to observe the six-hundred and thirteen mizvot without any warmth and connection; one may indeed observe all the mizvot without any happiness or joy, warmth, or cleaving to God – yet in this manner one cannot truly overcome Amalek.

The Temple, too, can obscure that which it represents. It is as a result of this that we can understand Yirmeyahu’s rebuke of Yisrael:

"àÇì úÌÄáÀèÀçåÌ ìÈëÆí àÆì ãÌÄáÀøÅé äÇùÌÑÆ÷Æø ìÅàîÉø äÅéëÇì é-äåä äÅéëÇì é-äåä äÅéëÇì é-äåä äÅîÌÈä."

“Do not trust in the words of lies saying, ‘the Temple of God, the Temple of God, the Temple of God, are they.’”

(Yirmeyahu 7:4)

Rav Alshikh explains that Benei Yisrael grasp to the Temple of God, yet they do not understand that they themselves are the Temple of God. The Infinite, the Divinem resides inside them. The appreciation of the heights that man is capable of achieving was made clear to Benei Yisrael at the Splitting of Yam Suf, when “they believed in God and in Mosheh His servant,” (Shemot 14:31,) they saw the heights that Mosheh attained, he who was a true servant of the Master of the Universe.

God demands of His nation, Yisrael, a “coin of fire,” not merely a coin, but one of fire, of cleaving to Him, of fusion. All the millions of dollars that were donated in Parashat Terumah cannot not be compared to the donation of the Mahatzit ha-Shekel, wherein the wealthiest and the poorest were joined together equally in a unity of purpose. Often a foreign interest of public relations lurks beneath all the millions of dollars, yet the Mahatzit ha-Shekel is the greatest submission to the communal body. This is the Mahatzit ha-Shekel of Ki-Tisa, which elevates the horn of Yisrael.

Now we may address those parshiyot that follow the command of the Mahatzit ha-Shekel:

"åÇéÀãÇáÌÅø é-äåä àÆì îÉùÑÆä ìÌÅàîÉø; åÀòÈùÒÄéúÈ ëÌÄéÌåÉø ðÀçÉùÑÆú åÀëÇðÌåÉ ðÀçÉùÑÆú ìÀøÈçÀöÈä åÀðÈúÇúÌÈ àÉúåÉ áÌÅéï àÉäÆì îåÉòÅã åÌáÅéï äÇîÌÄæÀáÌÅçÇ åÀðÈúÇúÌÈ ùÑÈîÌÈä îÈéÄí; åÀøÈçÂöåÌ àÇäÂøÉï åÌáÈðÈéå îÄîÌÆðÌåÌ àÆú éÀãÅéäÆí åÀàÆú øÇâÀìÅéäÆí; áÌÀáÉàÈí àÆì àÉäÆì îåÉòÅã éÄøÀçÂöåÌ îÇéÄí åÀìÉà éÈîËúåÌ àåÉ áÀâÄùÑÀúÌÈí àÆì äÇîÌÄæÀáÌÅçÇ ìÀùÑÈøÅú ìÀäÇ÷ÀèÄéø àÄùÌÑÆä ìÇé-äåä; åÀøÈçÂöåÌ éÀãÅéäÆí åÀøÇâÀìÅéäÆí åÀìÉà éÈîËúåÌ åÀäÈéÀúÈä ìÈäÆí çÈ÷ òåÉìÈí ìåÉ åÌìÀæÇøÀòåÉ ìÀãÉøÉúÈí."

“And God spoke to Moses, saying, ‘You shall make a copper washstand, along with a copper base for it; and you shall place it between the Ohel Moed (“Tent of Communion”) and the altar, and place water in it. And Aharon and his sons must wash there their hands and their feet from it, when they go into the Ohel Moed, they shall wash with water, in order that they not die, or when they approach the altar to perform the divine service, by presenting a fire offering to God. (Thus) they shall wash their hands and their feet, in order that they not die, and it will be a law for all time, to him and to his seed for all generations.’”

(Shemot 30:17-21)

The parashah of the Kiyor (“Washstand,”) deals with the washing of the hands and the feet. (In the Temple, the kohanim would wash both their hands and feet, the reasons for this lie outside this discussion.)

As a rule, the Hebrew term for washing hands, “Netilat Yadayim,” literally means the “Taking of the hands” and in fact means the “elevating of the hands,” (and “netila” also signifies the raising of an object.) As we know, “hands are busy in nature,” (Shabat 14a, et. al.) and through Netilat Yadayim we elevate the entire world of the mundane to the holy, we grant the mundane significance, content, and purpose.

In Ki-Tisa we learn how to elevate, how to exalt. We learn that when desire is aroused in man – he must elevate it to great heights, refining and honing it. Then its fruits will be fruits “of praise to God,” (Cf. Vayikra 19:24.) And the manner in which one elevates is through warmth of heart, and through Deveikut (“Cleaving” to God.)

This is also what finding the merit ands good in people is about. Rabi Nahman of Breslev explains the words of Pirkei Avot:

"éäåùò áï ôøçéä àåîø... åäåé ãï àú ëì äàãí ìëó æëåú."

“Yehoshua ben Perahya says… and judge everyone favorably.”

(Avot 1:6)

Rabi Nahman explains that judging everyone favorably means that good – even the smallest amount – exists in everyone. Through that small measure of good one may take a person and elevate him, in a similar manner that one raises a large object with a spoon.

Then the Torah moves on to the parashah of the anointing oil:

åÇéÀãÇáÌÅø é-äåä àÆì îÉùÑÆä ìÌÅàîÉø; åÀàÇúÌÈä ÷Çç ìÀêÈ áÌÀùÒÈîÄéí øÉàùÑ îÈø ãÌÀøåÉø çÂîÅùÑ îÅàåÉú åÀ÷ÄðÌÀîÈï áÌÆùÒÆí îÇçÂöÄéúåÉ çÂîÄùÌÑÄéí åÌîÈàúÈéÄí åÌ÷ÀðÅä áÉùÒÆí çÂîÄùÌÑÄéí åÌîÈàúÈéÄí... åÌîÈùÑÇçÀúÌÈ áåÉ àÆú àÉäÆì îåÉòÅã åÀàÅú àÂøåÉï äÈòÅãËú... åÀàÆì áÌÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì úÌÀãÇáÌÅø ìÅàîÉø ùÑÆîÆï îÄùÑÀçÇú ÷ÉãÆùÑ éÄäÀéÆä æÆä ìÄé ìÀãÉøÉúÅéëÆí:

“And God spoke to Mosheh, saying, ‘You must take the finest fragrances, five hundred shekels of distilled myrrh, and half portions - two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cane… And you shall anoint the Ohel Moed with it, and the Ark of the Testimony… And you shall speak to the people of Yisrael, saying, ‘This shall be the sacred anointing oil to Me for all generations.”

(Shemot 30:22,23,26,31)

The Torah commands the anointing of the priestly garments and vessels of the Mishkan with the anointing oil – the Shemen ha-Mishhah. One of the components of the Shemen ha-Mishhah is distilled myrrh of the finest quality. What is this fragrance?

Onkelos translates the verse charging Mosheh with the inclusion of this component as follows:

"åàú ñá ìê áåñîéï øéùà îéøà ãëéà îú÷ì çîù îàä

å÷ðîï áùí ôìâåúéä îú÷ì îàúï åçîùéï

å÷ðä áåñîà îú÷ì îàúï åçîùéï:"

“And you, take the finest fragrances, five-hundred (measures) in weight of pure myrrh, and half its weight, two-hundred and fifty in cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty of fragrant cane.”

(Onkelos, Shemot 30:23)

“Dakhya” – “ãëéà” – means pure, and “mira” – “îéøà” – stems from the word “mar” – bitter.

The Shemen ha-Mishhah must be pure and untainted, as the Ramban writes:

"åìëê àîø îø ãøåø, ùéäéä ð÷é îï äæéåó ùîæééôéï àåúå úîéã..."

“Therefore it states ‘pure myrrh’ – that it must be clean of all contamination in the manner that it is always contaminated…”

(Ramban, Shemot 30:23)

“Pure myrrh” represents authenticity and purity without any contamination or tainting. Hazal’s exposition of these words is truly fascinating:

"îøãëé îï äúåøä îðééï? ãëúéá îø ãøåø, åîúøâîéðï îéøà ãëéà".

“What is the source for Mordekhai in the Torah? As it states ‘Pure myrrh,’ and it is translated as ‘mira dahya.’”

(Hulin 139b)

“Mordekhai” indicates the manner in which we are saved from Amalek. Mordekhai’s name is comprised of the terms ‘mira dahya’ – despite the fact that Mordekhai sits at the threshold of the Royal Palace, despite his status, he remains upright and proud, refusing to bow or prostrate himself even when it may be in the best ‘interests’ of the Jewish subjects of Persia.

The decree placed on Yisrael as a result of their participation in the feast of that evil man illustrates the concepts with which we opened.

There, at the feast, food of the finest kashrut was offered to all, (As Hazal commented on the verse “To do according to every man’s desire,” (Esther 1:8,) that Ahashverosh tailored the feast to cater to everyone’s desires and needs, even Kosher food was available to those who desired it.) However at that feast there was a cool wind which emanated from the Jews, a wind of the loss of identity, when they remained faithful to the outlines of the Torah, yet not to the content of the Torah. Indeed the framework of the Torah is essential to a life of sanctity, yet it is not sufficient. Mordekhai desired power and strength, and when he saw that the adults lacked this devotion, he turned to the children (according to Hazal) and asked them to quote verses of the Torah that they had studied. Each child tells Mordekhai a verse, one quoting: “Take counsel together - yet it shall come to nothing,” (Yeshayahu 8:10.)

In a moment of weakness Mordekhai asks whether it would be correct to ask the nation to fast on the days including the seder night, and Esther responds:

“You are an elder of Yisrael – if Yisrael is no longer, of what use is Pesah?”

(Cf. Yalkut Shimoni, Esther 1056, s.v. va-tithalhal et. al.)

Mordekhai reveals, and this is indeed the nature of a Zadik, that there is good in everyone. He gathers all the Jews together, all the powers and forces of the nation in order to elevate, to exalt, to warm, and to accept the Torah with love. This is what Ki-Tisa is, the power to elevate Yisrael – specifically through the gathering of everyone together one gains the power to refine and elevate.

In the group of disciples of the Magid of Mezeritch we find such great personalities as Rabi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, (the first Lubavitcher Rebbe,) Rabi Levi Yizhak from Berdichev, and others. It would seem that this grouping would be the ultimate elitist grouping – yet the truth is exactly to the contrary. It is from this group that individuals branched out whose entire purpose was the embracing of every single until the lowliest Jew in the world.

This is Mordekhai, who under his influence “many of the people of the land became Jews,” (Esther 8:17.) This is the task of every Zadik, and this is our responsibility in the obliteration of Amalek – yearning for that coin of fire which uplifts and exalts Yisrael.

Translated by Sholem Hurwitz.