Moses Tells Joshua to Choose Us Men to Fight Amalek

"And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us men" (Exodus 17:9). From here we learn that a person's student's honor should be as dear to him as his colleague's honor. And let the whole world learn from Moses, who did not say to Joshua "choose me men," but rather "choose us men" he made him his equal. "Men" mighty men, men who fear sin. "And go out, fight with Amalek." Now does Moses stand and tell Joshua to wage war with Amalek? Rather, it is a tradition that the children of Esau fall only by the hand of the children of Rachel. "And go out, fight with Amalek." Rabbi Yehoshua says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, go out from beneath the wings of the Divine Presence and fight Amalek. Rabbi Elazar the Modaite says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, say to Joshua, this head of yours, why are you guarding it? Is it not for the crown? Go out and fight Amalek. "Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Tomorrow we will be ready and standing on the top of the hill, and the staff that the Holy One, blessed be He, said "shall be in your hand" will be in my hand forever; these are the words of Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Elazar the Modaite says: Tomorrow we will decree a fast and we will be ready and standing. "On the top" these are the deeds of the fathers. "The hill" these are the deeds of the mothers. "And the staff of God in my hand" Moses said before the Omnipresent: With this staff of Yours You brought them out of Egypt, and split the sea for them, and brought the quail across for them, and brought down the manna for them, and performed for them miracles and mighty acts; with this staff perform for them miracles and mighty acts in this hour.