Chapter 1
ראשית גוים עמלק ואחריתו עדי אובד
“Amalek is the first among nations [in its hatred of Jews], and in the end he shall be destroyed.”1
The foremost enemy of the Jewish people is the nation of Amalek. Concerning all [other] nations the prophet says: “For then (when the Righteous Redeemer comes) I will cause them all to speak a clear and plain language, so that they all call G‑d’s name and serve Him.”2 When Moshiach comes, all the other nations will be to some extent purified. Amalek, however, cannot be purified [in the manner of other nations]. He must be destroyed, erased and wiped out, and this is its purification.
We must understand the difference between Amalek and other Jew-hating nations, such that the rest, no matter how evil, will eventually be purified and gain the merit to mention G‑d’s name and serve Him, while Amalek must be obliterated. Also, what is meant by the statement that Amalek is first among the nations?
This will be understood by drawing an analogy to man’s inborn inclinations. The verse says:3 “And G‑d fashioned [vayeetzer] man.” The word vayeetzer is written [here] with two yud s. Our Sages say4 that this means that man was created with two inclinations, the yetzer tov and the yetzer hora, the inclination for good and the inclination for evil.5 The yetzer tov is known as the G‑dly soul, while the yetzer hora is known as the animal soul.
The difference between man and animal lies in the nature of, and the relationship between, their respective intellect and emotions. Animals’ emotions are instinctive, whereas man’s are a result of his intellect. Inborn intellect, however, is found only in man. Animals too possess some measure of intelligence, but it is not inborn it is merely acquired. As the prophet Yeshayahu says:6 “The ox knows his owner and the donkey knows his master’s feeding trough,” i.e. an animal’s intellect is merely learned, while man possesses intellect at birth.
Thus, man and animal both possess intellect and emotion. The difference is that man’s intellect is inborn and his emotions follow the intellect’s dictates, while animals have inborn emotions and their intellect is acquired.
This is why vayeetzer is written with two yud s, for man possesses two yitzrin, two inclinations. The yetzer tov and the yetzer hora are both alluded to by the letter yud [numerically equivalent to 10], for each soul has three intellectual and seven emotional faculties.7 The G‑dly soul is intellect, and the yetzer tov refers to the emotions which emanate from it. The animal soul is the intellect that illuminates the yetzer hora, i.e. the seven emotional attributes that stem from the intellect of the animal.
The G‑dly soul is G‑dly intellect, and the yetzer tov is the emotional formation which comes as a result of comprehending G‑dly matters. The animal soul is mainly emotive a “heart that desires, “whatever the eyes see it desires.”8 It does so in an animalistic manner, never having enough. There are hedonists who are so devoted to their lustful desires that even when they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that their desires are self-destructive, they are unable to contain them. This is because their intellect does not affect their emotions. On the contrary, the intellect of the animal soul serves only as a vehicle to the fulfillment of the person’s desires. It does so by whispering of the delight and pleasure to be obtained in fulfilling one’s desires. It also sharpens the perception of physical matters in order to heighten the desire to indulge in them. It causes a person to lust after wealth, for example, and comes up with all sorts of ingenious rationalizations for evil conduct toward others.
Thus the intellect of the animal soul not only provides the yetzer hora with sustenance by finding various means through which it is able to obtains its desires, but also protects [it from attacks of conscience] by justifying all its underhanded actions.
In summary: Amalek is the foremost of all the anti-Semitic nations, and in the end shall be destroyed. Why then, when Moshiach comes, will all the sinful nations be purified while Amalek must be obliterated? G‑d provided man with both a G‑dly and an animal soul. The G‑dly soul sustains the yetzer tov and the animal soul provides the yetzer hora with sustenance. It also justifies its underhanded actions.
Chapter 2
The creation of man differs from that of animals in that his creation is described with the word vayeetzer (with two yud s), while that of the animals is described with the word vayetzer (with one yud).9 Man’s creation involved two yud s because he has both a G‑dly and an animal soul. Each possesses 10 faculties, three of which are intellectual and seven of which are emotional.
Although intellect and emotion exist in both the animal and the G‑dly soul, the essence of these qualities in the former is quite different than in the latter.
The glaring differences between the faculties of the G‑dly and animal souls help us ponder their essence and understand their manifestations. When we do so, various logical and observable phenomena lead us to conclude that the G‑dly soul is primarily intellectual. The emotions of the yetzer tov enable the intellect of the G‑dly soul to spring to life.
The animal soul, however, is primarily emotional. Consequently, the “intellect” of the yetzer hora is emotionally based. The general difference between intellect which is essentially intellectual and intellect which is rooted in the emotions is that “intellectual intellect” tends to be serious and profound (the internal aspect of intellect), while emotionally-based intellect tends towards the superficial (the external aspect of intellect).
We observe an interesting manifestation of this difference when considering the creation of the world. G‑d truly brought about “something from nothing,” as in the saying:10 “He caused that which was not, to be.” But the definition of “being” and “non being” depends largely on the nature of the intellect involved.
Being and non-being are inherently antithetical. Yet for G‑d, non-being contains being, and that which humans term “being” for Him possesses non-being. However, [from man’s perspective in the untrinsically limited language of man,] the non-being of being and the being of non-being are entirely dissimilar.
Herein lies the difference between the comprehension of the G‑dly and animal souls. The animal soul’s comprehension is [limited to] the understanding of creation how G‑d fashioned the world and all it contains. It delves only into that aspect of the world which humans consider “being,” considering the nature of each creature and its physical needs, as well as its manner of conduct. Thus, the animal soul’s understanding is limited to created beings.
The G‑dly soul, however, ponders the very foundation of every created being, how in essence its being is truly non-being. This is because the universe does not exist on its own, but is entirely dependent on the True Being which creates and vivifies it.
The difference in their style of conceptualization demonstrates how radically different these two souls are. The G‑dly soul ponders G‑dly being, while the animal soul ponders created beings. This not only reveals how different from each other these souls are in their essence, but teaches us how each soul manifests its powers.
The G‑dly soul’s reflection upon the true existence of G‑d (who creates and animates all created beings) inevitably results in a refinement of the emotional attributes of the yetzer tov, causing it to fervently desire G‑dliness, Torah and mitzvos. The animal soul, however, considers the created beings themselves a valid form of existence, which results in a general coarsening of the yetzer hora ’s emotional traits, causing it to lust for material wealth and physical pleasure.
Still and all, it is possible for the yetzer tov, with the intellect of the G‑dly soul, to prevail upon the yetzer hora, and it is even possible that over a period of years, the G‑dly soul will conquer the intellect of the animal soul, and enable it to comprehend G‑dly matters.
When reference is made to the refinement of the sinful nations, it alludes to the emotions of the yetzer hora contained within man. Amalek, however, is different from the rest of the nations. Amalek refers to insolent and impudent individuals11 who [totally] oppose Torah and mitzvos.
We observe that certain people sin out of a lustful desire for pleasure. Others, however, sin with insolence [sinning for sin’s sake], and scoff at G‑dliness, Torah and mitzvos. These people are termed Amalek. They [the traits of impudence and insolence] can only be rectified by being destroyed.
In summary: Although intellect and emotions exist in both the G‑dly and animal souls, their manifestation in each is profoundly different, enabling us to glimpse their essential distinction. The term “being” and “non-being” have quite a different meaning to G‑d than they do to created beings. The intellect of the animal soul is absorbed in created beings, coarsens the emotions of the yetzer hora, and leads to sinful actions and desires. The intellect of the G‑dly soul ponders G‑dly being, refines the emotions of the yetzer tov, and leads to service of G‑d.
