Moses now instructed Joshua in regard to his campaign against Amalek,
saying, "Choose us out men and go out, fight with Amalek." The words
"choose us" characterize the modesty of Moses, who treated his disciple
Joshua as an equal; in these words he has taught us that the honor of
our disciples should stand as high as our own. Joshua did not at first
want to expose himself to danger and leave the protection of the cloud,
but Moses said to him, "Abandon the cloud and set forth against Amalek,
if ever thou dost hope to set the crown upon thy head." He commanded
him to choose his warriors from among the pious and God-fearing, and
promised him that he would set a fast day for the following day, and
implore God, in behalf of the good deeds of the Patriarchs and the
wives of the Patriarchs, to stand by Israel in this war.
Joshua acted in accordance with these commands [143] and set out
against Amalek, to conquer whom required not only skillful strategy,
but also adeptness in the art of magic. For Amalek was a great magician
and knew that propitious and the unpropitious hour of each individual,
and in this way regulated his attacks against Israel; he attacked that
one at night, whose death had been predicted for a night, and him whose
death had been preordained for a day did he attack by day.
But in this art, too, Joshua was his match, for he, too, knew how to
time properly the attack upon [144] individuals, and he destroyed
Amalek, his sons, the armies he himself commanded, and those under the
leadership of his sons. But in the very heat of battle, Joshua treated
his enemies humanely, he did not repay like with like. Far was it from
him to follow Amalek's example in mutilating the corpses of the enemy.
Instead with a sharp sword he cut off the enemies' heads, an execution
that does not dishonor.
But only through the aid of Moses, did Joshua with his victory. Moses
did not go out into battle, but through his prayer and through his
influence upon the people in inspiring them with faith, the battle was
won. While the battle raged between Israel and Amalek, Moses was
stationed on a height, where, supported by the Levite Aaron and the
Judean Hur, the representatives of the two noble tribes Levi and Judah,
he fervently implored God's aid. He said: "O Lord of the world! Through
me has Thou brought Israel out of Egypt, through me hast Thou cleft the
sea, and through me has Thou wrought miracles; so do Thou now work
miracles for me, and lend me victory to Israel, for I well know that
while all other nations fight only to the sixth hour of the day, this
sinful nation stand in battle ranks till sunset." Moses did not
consider it sufficient to pray alone to God, but he raised his hands
toward heaven as a signal for the whole nation to follow his example
and trust in God. As often as he then raised his hands to heaven and
the people prayed with him, trusting that God would lend them victory,
they were indeed victorious; as often, however, as Moses let down his
hands and the people ceased prayer, weakening in their faith in God,
Amalek conquered. But it was hard for Moses constantly to raise his
hands. This was God's way of punishing him for being somewhat negligent
in the preparations for the war against Amalek. Hence Aaron and Hur
were obliged to hold up his arms and assist him in his prayer. As,
furthermore, he was unable to stand all that time, he seated himself on
a stone, disdaining a soft and comfortable seat, saying, "So long as
Israel is in distress, I shall share it with them." [145]
At evenfall, the battle was not yet decided, therefore Moses prayed to
God that He might stay the setting of the sun and thus enable Israel to
draw the battle to a close. God granted this prayer, for the sun did
not set until Israel had completely destroyed their enemy. Thereupon
Moses blessed Joshua with the words, "Some day the sun shall stand
still for thy sake, as it did to-day for mine," and this blessing was
later fulfilled at Gibeon, when the sun stood still to help Joshua in
his battle against the Amorites. [146]
Although Amalek had not received the merited punishment from the hands
of Joshua, still his enterprise against Israel had not been entirely
unavailing. The miraculous exodus of Israel out of Egypt, and
especially the cleaving of the sea, had created such alarm among the
heathens, that none among them had dared to approach Israel. But this
fear vanished as soon as Amalek attempted to compete in battle with
Israel. Although he was terrible beaten, still the fear of the
inaccessibility of Israel was gone. It was with Amalek as with that
foolhardy wight who plunged into a scalding-hot tub. He scalded himself
terribly, yet the tub became cold through his plunge into it. Hence God
was not content with the punishment Amalek received in the time of
Moses, but swore by His throne and by His right hand that He would
never forget Amalek's misdeeds, that in this world as well as in the
time of the Messiah He would visit punishment upon him, and would
completely exterminate him in the future world. So long as the seed of
Amalek exist, the face of God is, as it were, covered, and will only
then come to view, when the seed of Amalek shall have been entirely
exterminated.
God had at first left the war against Amalek in the hands of His
people, therefore He bade Joshua, the future leader of the people,
never to forget the war against Amalek; and if Moses had listened
intently, he would have perceived from this command of God that Joshua
was destined to lead the people into the promised land. But later, when
Amalek took part in the destruction of Jerusalem, God Himself took up
the war against Amalek, saying, "By My throne I vow not to leave a
single descendant of Amalek under the heavens, yea, no one shall even
be able to say that this sheep or that wether belonged to an
Amalekite." [147]
God bade Moses impress upon the Jews to repulse no heathen should he
desire conversion, but never to accept an Amalekite as a proselyte. It
was in consideration of this word of God that David slew the Amalekite,
who announced to him the death of Saul and Jonathan; for he saw in him
only a heathen, although he appeared in the guise of a Jew. [148]
Part of the blame for the destruction of Amalek falls upon his father,
Eliphaz. He used to say to Amalek: "My son, dost thou indeed know who
will posses this world and the future world?" Amalek paid no attention
to his allusion to the future fortune of Israel, and his father urged
it no more strongly upon him, although it would have been his duty to
instruct his son clearly and fully. He should have said to him: "My
son, Israel will posses this world as well as the future world; dig
wells then for their use and build road for them, so that thou mayest
be judged worthy to share in the future world." But as Amalek had not
been sufficiently instructed by his father, in his wantonness he
undertook to destroy the whole world. God, who tries the reins and the
heart, said to him: "O thou fool, I created thee after all the seventy
nations, but for thy sins thou shalt be the first to descend into
hell." [149]
To glorify the victory over Amalek, Moses built an altar, which God
called "My Miracle," for the miracle God wrought against Amalek in the
war of Israel was, as it were, a miracle for God. For so long as the
Israelites dwell in sorrow, God feels with them, and a joy for Israel
is a joy for God, hence, too, the miraculous victory over Israel's foe
was a victory for God. [150]