Parshas Beshalach

At the end of the Parsha we learn of the war Amalek waged with Klal Yisroel. The Posuk tells us that when Moshe raised his hands Klal Yisroel would win the war.
The Sefas Emes asks why then did Moshe ever cease from holding his hands raised?

The Mishna asks “Is it the hands of Moshe that wins wars?” To which the Mishna answers “When Klal Yisroel would look up to the heavens and devout their hearts to Hashem they would be victorious.”

Why is it so hard to fathom that it was Moshe’s hands that helped Klal Yisroel win? Klal Yisroel just came out of Mitzraim where Moshe’s hands brought devastation onto a country and split the Red Sea for them, why is the Mishna bothered about the powers of Moshe’s hands?
The kochos of a leader are only as powerful as the people he is representing. In Egypt the miracles were performed as the messenger of Hashem and thus Moshe and Aaron were quiet successful. At this stage of history Moshe acted as a messenger of Klal Yisroel and thus his powers came from the merits of the nation. The Mishna wants to know where did Moshe get the kochos to keep his hands raised high? To which the answer is, if Klal Yisroel keeps their eyes on Hahsem and their hearts and souls devoted to Him, then they can help Moshe and give him the strength to keep his hands up towards the heavens and in his merit be victorious.

Amalek held that we don’t have bechira and our actions are meaningless. (See last years Vaad on Parshas Zachor)To teach Klal Yisroel that our actions and deeds can- and do- affect and shake the entire world, they were given this very lesson as they were fighting their spiritual enemy- Amalek.

Shabbos Zachor

In this weeks Haftorah we read the story of King Shaul and his failings in the war against Amalek. When the king of Amalek, Agog- who Shaul failed to kill was brought before Shmuel to be killed the posuk says he was brought “madanos” (Shmuel1 15;32) translated by most, as chained. There is another meaning to the word “madanos” that comes from the word ‘edan’- pleasure or cheerful. Why is that that the Navi used such a word that can be interpreted in two diverse ways?
The philosophy of Amalek is that there was a creator to the universe but all he did was create the world and program it for eternity. His outlook of G-d is that great that he left no room for humans to change or make a difference in this world. The flip side of this is that he wasn’t responsible for any of his deeds and being so was totally free to do as he pleased. While the Torah way is that we all have bechira- free will. Every action we do, can and does effect the universe on a whole. We believe that we can change Hashem and his interaction in this world, by every mitzvah we do we bring Hashem closer and more welcome in his world. Thus we are responsible for all our actions.
When Agog came before Shmuel he showed that he was, at the same time ‘chained’ by a higher force that all his actions were preordained. At the same time his life was all ‘cheerful’ for he was free to do what he pleased.
Taken from Pachad Yitzchok.