Beware Of Amalek
Senator Chuck Schumer used his Jew card to take truths and use them against Israel.
The facts are true- there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
But the parts he failed to acknowledge, is that this is the responsibility of Hamas, NOT Israel’s nor Israel’s leaders.
While I (and hopefully you) remain with the same unwavering convictions regarding Israel, Mr. Schumer managed to plant many seeds of doubt for all those already confused.
When one detail (sourced in a false narrative, but using a truth to get our attention) completely takes over our rationale, our values, our feelings and consequently our behavior, we call this AMALEK.
You might recognize that name. It was the nation from where Haman descended.
Amalek was the nation who toned down the awe that every other nation felt towards G-d and the Jewish people He had just miraculously redeemed from Egypt.
But Amalek isn’t just a story of the past.
It’s a corrupter of truths that lives in each of our psyches.
Jewish law commands us to have a daily reminder that we must eradicate Amalek because of his ability to plant doubt and irrationality inside of us.
I know Amalek has taken over me when my mind and values are sure of the truths, but my ego consciousness picks on one detail, blows it out of proportion, gets fully blinded by it and nothing my rational mind says can sway it. It becomes deaf to reasoning.
Haman was of the most prestigious men of his time. He had everything a person could wish for, and yet, to quote his own words from the megillah, “all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
One detail completely overwhelmed his entire system, planted doubt about everything else he owned or achieved and in turn ruined his life.
The Amalek effect can ruin us too.
It usually starts by sending a very subtle messages of “you’re not good enough, you’re not loveable, you’re not worthy” and so we grab on to anything that can sooth us.
One little desire, one little feeling of resentment, one craving, one angry bone in my body gets bigger and bigger and bigger until it fully takes over and blinds me to all. the truths of my soul, my reality and my value system…
This Shabbat (always the Shabbat before Purim when we celebrate Haman’s demise) we read the story of Amalek and the remembrance to eradicate him.
He is no longer here, but his chutzpa lives on inside each one of us.
If your internal voices, emotions and behaviors don’t align with your G-dly core, then chances are Amalek is involved.
Don’t let him stay. Dismantle his lies and reclaim ownership of your truths.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom.
